Byachad Winter 2016 by Jewish National Fund

Together Winter 2016

B’Yachad: The Newsletter of Jewish National Fund

jnf.org

Go North: DISCOVERING ISRAEL’S HIDDEN GEMS

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E R A WA

1st Prize

Electronic service requested E-mail us at newsletter@jnf.org B'Yachad · 42 East 69th Street New York, NY 10021-5093

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D WINNER

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

16-25

36 Hours in the Western Galilee

Go North: JNF Transforms the Galilee

Explore the Western Galilee and its

Learn about JNF’s Go North

hidden gems with JNF’s unique

initiative to revitalize Northern Israel’s economy, and infrastructure,

36-hour itinerary.

and attract 300,000 new residents.

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Learning About Israel’s Legal System with JNF

Hands-on Learning with Muss

JNF led its first-ever Law and

Discover how U.S. students learn the history and importance of Israel through Alexander Muss High

Justice Tour to Israel for U.S. law enforcement and legal professionals to gain an understanding of how

School’s unique and interactive academic program.

the legal system operates in the Jewish state.

We hope you enjoy this issue. Send your feedback to newsletter@jnf.org. Regards, B’Yachad Editorial Staff B’YACHAD STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF: Daniel Peri • PUBLISHER: Russell F. Robinson EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Jodi Bodner • MANAGING EDITOR: Adam H. Brill CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Atara Paris Winner of the AJPA Rockower Award for Excellence In Organizational Newsletters

Printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based ink

/jewishnationalfund /jewishnationalfund

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND (JNF) began in 1901 as a dream and vision to reestablish a homeland in Israel

for Jewish people everywhere. Jews the world over collected coins in iconic JNF Blue Boxes, purchasing land and planting trees until ultimately, their dream of a Jewish homeland was a reality. Today, JNF continues to give all generations a unique voice in building and ensuring the prosperity of the land of Israel through their generosity and partnership with the people of Israel. JNF embodies both heart and action; our work is varied in scope but singular in benefit. We strive to bring an enhanced quality of life to all of Israel’s residents, and translate these advancements to the world beyond. JNF is greening the desert with millions of trees, building thousands of parks, creating new communities and cities for generations of Israelis to call home, bolstering Israel’s water supply, helping develop innovative arid-agriculture techniques, and educating both young and old about the founding and importance of Israel and Zionism.

@JNFUSA @JNFUSA

JNF is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and United Nations NGO, which continuously earns top ratings from charity overseers. For more information on JNF, call 800.JNF.0099 or visit jnf.org.

A MESSAGE FROM

— OUR PRESIDENT — JEFFREY E. LEVINE

Years ago when we set out to transform Southern Israel from a dusty desert landscape to a modern metropolis through Blueprint Negev, our hope was always to complete the vision of Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, who correctly predicted that the Negev was Israel’s future. Thanks to Jewish National Fund, the South is quickly moving forward as the place to live, work, and visit. And that’s great for so many reasons, namely a strong vital future for our Jewish homeland, with plenty of good jobs to draw the interests of young people looking to settle, grow families, and prosper. Our work doesn’t stop there as we focus on Northern Israel through our Go North initiative, a multi-year strategic plan to attract and retain 300,000 new residents to the Galilee, strengthen the economic and social life of the region, relieve the congestion in the center of Israel and, together with Blueprint Negev, transform Northern and Southern Israel into co-equal centers of Israeli society. This spring JNF will open the Western Galilee Visitor Center in Akko, which is expected to draw more than 100,000 people each year. From Akko, visitors can set out by themselves or with guides and explore the surrounding area, tour wineries, enjoy extravagant spas, and purchase one-of-a-kind crafts, all while taking in the natural beauty of the Galilee that includes scenic mountain views, forested landscapes, and sunken mineral pools. It is precisely this type of economic development of the region’s businesses that will draw not only tourists, but also Israelis looking to move from the congested and overpriced cities of Israel’s center for a better quality of life. The tourism sector and educational and employment opportunities are the ways we will create a thriving Galilee. To reach our goal, JNF lay leaders continue to work with our professional staff, municipal and governmental leaders, and various partner organizations to identify the challenges of realizing a good local economy to keep people employed and invested. After hearing the issues, we crafted a solution by building a consortium of small business networks that work together to benefit the region. Nefesh B’Nefesh, Western Galilee Now, Erez College, and other partners, are helping revitalize the North through a smart balance of educational opportunities, tourism, entrepreneurship, trade skills, farming, culinary, and hospitality. In the near future, JNF’s Young Leadership Center in Beit She’an will bring an increase in population there and to the Valley of the Springs to stay. Furthermore, planned extensions to Israel’s railway system will allow residents to live anywhere in the Galilee and to commute to nearby cities for work. Railway extensions to Beit She’an connecting to the coastal cities of Akko and Haifa are set for completion in the next two years. In his essay on human optimism, Alexander Pope said that “hope springs eternal.” In Northern Israel, they are words to live by because we see it happen every day. I hope you enjoy reading of the many individuals, businesses, and success stories featured on the following pages. More importantly, I encourage you to book a trip with JNF. Travel to see and meet them personally, and discover for yourself a part of Israel that needs to be explored with all of the senses. You can always reach me at jlevine@jnf.org. n

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Dr. Omri Bonneh is JNF-KKL’s Chief Scientist.

REVITALIZING AND RE-ENERGIZING NORTHERN ISRAEL

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

The Hula Valley, located in northeastern Israel within the African Rift Valley, was one of the largest and most diverse wetlands in the Middle East until the 1950s. The area encompassed 2,336 acres in total, including 1,271 acres of swamp, and 573 acres that made up Lake Hula. Following the establishment of the State of Israel, draining the Hula swamps and lake was one of the largest national projects undertaken by Jewish National Fund-Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (JNF-KKL). The project reclaimed 2,430 acres of land for agricultural cultivation and brought a savings of 40 million cubic meters of water per year, which had previously been lost to evaporation. But at the same time, the project caused the destruction of an important ecological asset. In the 1990s, JNF-KKL undertook a restoration project to solve and correct some of the problems that had developed in the management of the peat lands in the 40 years since the drainage project. The restoration of the Hula consisted of the construction of a 275 acre shallow pond, the “Agamon Hula,” surrounded by green pastures, and small planted groves in the most severely affected agricultural peat lands. This special area was designated as a bird-watching park and eco-tourism was expected to be an alternative source of livelihood for local residents. The restoration also aimed to prevent the further destructive processes and subsidence of peat soils, and to improve its agricultural management by means of controlled maintenance of high groundwater levels as well as the allocation of “minimal water supply” to keep the peat soil wet and covered by vegetation. The restoration would prevent leaching and the contamination of the Sea of Galilee by Hula peat land waters, which contain high levels of nitrates and phosphates. The JNF-KKL Agamon Hula Bird-Watching Park, which sits on the migratory path of around half a million birds, opened to the public 12 years ago, and the site has become an attraction for many nature and bird lovers. The number of visitors increased gradually from 90,000 in 2003 to 450,000 in 2014. In 2010 Agamon Hula was recognized by BBC Wildlife Magazine as the ninth place in the world for wildlife viewing. It is indeed a remarkable achievement for a relatively young site and indicates its great potential. The contribution of the park to the region’s tourism economy is currently $15 million, and the construction of a new Tourist Village by JNF Canada—honoring former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper—near the entrance of the Agamon Hula will further increase the number of visitors to the Agamon Hula JNF-KKL Bird Sanctuary Visitor & Educational Center. The restoration project has also succeeded from an agricultural prospective: net income from crop production doubled from 1990-2010. Under the leadership of JNF-KKL, the delicate balance between ecological, agricultural, and tourism management has been achieved. However, there remain many challenges in developing a sustainable approach in the Hula Valley. JNF-KKL continues to conduct research and monitor activities in the valley amending processes when necessary. As a result, nature and the Hula Valley are better today. n

Got Water? JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

Jewish National Fund National Water Summit Series We’re still on the road! Join us at one of the water summits taking place around the country to learn about global water issues and Israel’s successes in water technology. • Hear from keynote speaker Seth M. Siegel, author of Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World • Participate in interactive panels and hear from key influencers in water reuse and development • Learn how Israel mitigated its water crisis and what the U.S. can do • Network with urban planners, environmentalists, and water industry leaders

Plant a tree in Israel in Memory of a Loved One Take part in a JNF time-honored tradition.

Trees for Israe l

“When you sha

ll come to the land

A Ring Of Thr ee

you shall plant

trees.” — Leviticus 19:23

Trees Will Be Plan ted In Memory Of

Rober t Smith

Beloved Husban d & Father May This Ser ve As A Living Tribute To His Memory The Conrad Fam ily

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Why fund a JNF Gift Annuity? “We are conservative investors. What’s very important to us is the annual income we receive while helping Israel, and how secure we feel that Jewish National Fund is equally conservative in the way it invests this money.” -Alan and Louise Dabrow, Haverford, PA

800.562.7526 • JNFLEGACY.ORG

Project Spotlight: Fire Scouts Volunteer Program FROM EQUIPMENT AND FIRE TRUCKS

Campaign All-Star: Alyse Golden Berkley, Esq. IF ONE WORD COULD SUM UP ALYSE Golden Berkley, Esq., it would be “passion.” Matt Fragner, Jewish National Fund’s Greater Los Angeles board president, agrees. “There are only a few human creations visible from space—the Great Wall of China and the trail of thermal energy created by Alyse’s passion for Israel. The Wall was built to keep people out, but Alyse’s passion is to bring Jews to visit Israel and to help it thrive.” An attorney by profession, Alyse proudly declares that JNF is her real full-time job, along with having raised three children, Ben, Natalie, and Valerie, who all share Alyse’s Zionist love for Israel. It was an unexpected JNF email that she received in 2006 that sent her “on the mission that changed my life.” “I did my junior year abroad in Jerusalem, I have law credits from Israel, I had been to Israel many times, but JNF showed me things that I could not have ever imagined,” said Alyse. “And I could not wait to get home to share this with others.” Two years later, Alyse recruited a group of 10 friends, including her sister Francine, to join her on another JNF mission. Many of the women on that mission joined JNF’s Sapphire Society and Alyse laid the foundation for the Women For Israel campaign in L.A. Currently, she is Vice President of the Greater

L.A. Board, National Co-Chair of the Sapphire Society, a member of Makor, and was Co-Chair of the 2014 National Conference. Alyse visits Israel with JNF twice a year, recruits for missions, and speaks and closes gifts all over the country. “I’ve seen Alyse in a room of hundreds, at parlor meetings, at one-on-one meetings, and every scenario in between,” said L.A. Senior Campaign Executive Jodi Marcus. “Whoever hears her speak is inspired to support JNF’s vision in Israel.” “I am so delighted that Alyse is receiving the prestigious honor of JNF’s Campaign All-Star,” said Nina Paul, national president of the Women for Israel campaign. “I have never seen anyone speak with more passion about JNF and Israel than Alyse. I am proud to call her my friend and partner in the work that we do.” For Alyse, her passion is driven by her deep commitment to the people and land of Israel. “Sitting here in the U.S., I don’t have to send my kids to the border or look for the closest bomb shelter and I can’t bring back six million people who were murdered just because they are Jewish,” she said. “But I can do something through JNF. And that helps me get through the day.” n

The Galilee represents a region at the cusp of a major development and population explosion, and Jewish National Fund is contributing to this development. JNF’s experience in developing land, gained by our work on our Blueprint Negev campaign, has taught us valuable lessons about strategic community building. It is important to have a regional approach to development in Israel and bring stakeholders together who share a common interest. This is certainly the case in the North. In 2012 we convened a meeting of major northern representatives, including mayors, business leaders, the heads of NGOs, as well as JNF partners. To our dismay, many of these leaders had never met previously and had not organized regional working groups to create and share solutions to regional issues. One takeaway: tourism should be a major driving economic force and, indeed, community leaders count on tourism for significant revenue. At the time, very little was happening to bring groups together for joint marketing to interest or excite tourists to stay longer in the region. After all, we know that when tourists stay longer they spend more. In 2013 JNF created the Go North Task Force, chaired by Bud Levin and Ken Krupsky. A team of JNF lay leaders and professionals, along with Upper Galilee Task Force Chair Dr. Melinda Wolf, spent a week in the Western Galilee and the Beit She’an and Valley of Springs area. We held in-depth discussions with community leaders with the goal of creating a plan. As we learned with the Negev, JNF cannot do it all by itself. However, we can make strategic investments and serve as a catalyst for change. We decided to focus on a few key issues: young leadership development and retention, tourism and economic development, housing, education, and healthcare. In just three years, change is happening on the ground. As part of JNF’s $1 Billion Roadmap for the Next Decade, JNF has committed $400 million to community building projects throughout Israel, with the North receiving a significant amount—$150 million will be spent on revitalizing the North over the next decade! JNF is investing in a youth and empowerment center in Beit She’an to serve as a regional hub for activity for people ages 20-40. We are building the Western Galilee Visitor Center in Akko, which will be the main stop for tourists to learn about all the activities available in the area. We have made an investment with Erez College in Shlomi to support a Practical Engineer Training Program for the new natural gas industry, and it is estimated that more than 6,000 jobs can be created. We are also working with Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Business Networking Forum, and Western Galilee Now, which brings together small business owners to better market themselves for tourists. JNF has just scratched the surface of what we can and will do in the North, but we are an organization of action. On your behalf, the donors to our annual JNF Campaign, we are indeed putting words and dollars into action. n To get involved, contact Ken Segel at ksegel@jnf.org

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For more information, contact Yael Levontin at ylevontin@jnf.org

KEN SEGEL, VP, CAMPAIGN

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

to fire stations and other rescue vehicles, Jewish National Fund has supported fire, rescue, and forestry services in Israel for many years. In addition to ensuring fire and rescue services are adequately equipped, JNF funds the Fire Scouts, an incredible volunteer program available in communities across Southern Israel, and as a part of its Go North initiative. Established in 1959, Israel Fire Scouts offers high school students the opportunity to volunteer at their local fire stations. Similar to other fire scouts programs in the U.S. and France, the Israel fire scouts are teen volunteers who assist fire fighters, and participate in the “Personal Responsibility” program in Israel’s high schools. While the fire scouts do not fight actual fires, they play a significant role in aiding firefighters. After completing a four-month training course and passing a written and practical exam, they are allowed to accompany firefighters on small-scale emergency calls. This program helps shape participants into better citizens and better people. Volunteers learn that they are responsible for their entire crew, their “family” at the station, and the residents of their community. According to Tomer Pinchas, the head of the Israel Fire Scouts, “When these teens volunteer, we give them responsibilities and they become more empowered.”

“The Fire Scouts program in Israel is a lifechanging experience for these young people,” said JNF Partner Liaison Yael Levontin. “It gives them an opportunity to give back and save lives. They learn about service, dedication and personal responsibility.” Fire Scouts places a high priority on academics, and at the end of the school year the scouts receive a certificate along with their overall performance grade which counts towards their academic average. “We are in close contact with parents,” Pinchas said in regards to ensuring that the scouts keep on top of their studies. Scouts who wish to continue after their initial year are admitted into an advanced training program, and upon completion receive their sergeant’s badge and may continue volunteering until they begin their service with the Israel Defense Forces. Each scout is outfitted with specialized protective gear, making the Fire Scouts program costly to run. Today, that figure is approximately $1,800 to completely outfit one scout with stateof-the-art protective clothing that meets stringent safety standards, including a coat, pants, heavyduty suspenders, gloves, helmet, and boots. JNF’s annual campaign goal of $120,000 to support the Fire Scouts program across Israel helps meet the need to provide year-round safety and protection for these young, unsung heroes. n

CAMPAIGN UPDATE

PLANNED GIVING

Stand with Israel Through a Charitable Gift Annuity By Matt Bernstein, CFP, JNF Chief Planned Giving Officer

PLANNED GIVING

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As I write this the world is experiencing a tough and trying time. The tragic attacks in Paris, omnipresent anti-Semitism, and the never-ending stabbings and shootings in Israel leave us feeling vulnerable and are hard to understand. So what’s to be thankful for? Well, a lot actually. We still live in the greatest country on earth where Jews are relatively safe, and just as important, we have the ability to shape our own destiny as it relates to the land and people of Israel. Jewish National Fund’s mission is more critical than ever. The projects we are undertaking for Israel’s economic development through our Blueprint Negev and Go North initiatives are successful and will shape the destiny for future generations. We are taking tangible steps in fighting BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanction) and anti-Semitism through our $100 million JNF Boruchin Israel Education and Advocacy Center. Our Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI-JNF) is working to connect younger generations to the importance of Israel and the Jewish experience in their lives. These projects are vital to Israel and Jews the world over and will help deliver measurable results. The future of the land and people of Israel has never been stronger. Today is as good a time as ever to explore the option of supporting JNF through our Charitable Gift Annuity program. As many of our donors already know, JNF runs one of the most successful Charitable Gift Annuity programs in the country. We believe it is because we offer very competitive annuity rates and that our donors enjoy the stability of receiving a steady, reliable income check with the knowledge that their support of Israel continues undiminished.

So how does this work? A JNF Charitable Gift Annuity is a simple agreement that offers our donors a lifetime of income in exchange for their gift. In addition to the income, there are valuable tax advantages such as tax-free income, an income tax deduction, and the avoidance of lump sum capital gains taxes if the donation is made with long-term appreciated stocks or mutual funds. Our annuities can be structured to cover one or two lives and can be designed to act like a supplemental retirement plan by deferring income for a number of years. Here is a sampling of the single life annuity rates we currently offer:

Age 65 Age 70 Age 75 Age 80 Age 85 Age 90+

5.5% 5.8% 6.4% 7.2% 8.1% 9.5%

These rates are very competitive when compared to investment rates in the commercial markets. The rates for a two-life annuity are lower than those listed here, but are still very attractive. And, just as important, when the gift annuity ends, the remaining dollars help make a major impact in JNF’s mission. To receive information including a detailed illustration on how a JNF Charitable Gift Annuity might benefit you please call 800.562.7526 and speak with any of our Planned Giving specialists. You can also reach us via email at plannedgiving@jnf.org or visit jnflegacy.org. We look forward to hearing from you. n

Honoring the Man Who Honored America JACK FLEISCHER MAY PERHAPS BE BEST known as the person who coined the phrase, “And now to honor America,” that we hear so often before the playing of our national anthem at sports events. But he is also remembered for his commitment to Israel and the generous gift annuities he established to plant a forest in Israel in memory of his parents, Matilda and Julius Fleischer. Jack, who was born in Bridgeport, CT, and passed away in July 2015 in Palm Beach, was an ardent supporter of Israel, a Jewish National Fund donor, and a member of JNF’s World Chairman’s Council, having given $1 million in annuities from 2011 until he passed away.

Jack with John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson

In establishing Charitable Gift Annuities, Jack received a charitable income tax deduction and tax savings, while creating green space in the land of Israel in honor of his family. Throughout his life, he also donated and supported many other Jewish philanthropies. Jack’s interest in media and writing began when he was 13 and during his service in the U.S. Army Air Jack with Lyndon B. Johnson Force during WWII, when he was editor of the air base newspaper. Following the war’s conclusion, he entered into media and politics. During his long career, Jack was the news director of Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidential campaign and later became the executive director of the 1962 Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. His work allowed him to develop relationships with powerful U.S. leaders and American presidents, including Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and Harry S. Truman. Jack became a well-regarded sportswriter and authored two professional football books that have been featured in the Sports Illustrated Book Club. Additionally, he became the only member of the media to sit on the NFL Commissioner’s Blue Ribbon committee, and he was also a member of the B’nai B’rith Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1970, Jack made history when he asked Super Bowl fans to rise for the national anthem, asking them to do so to “honor America.” Those words have been a staple at all major national sports events since. Love of country—America and Israel—is what Jack Fleischer was all about. n

Create a Lasting Legacy • • • • • • •

charitable gift annuities charitable remainder trusts charitable lead trusts life insurance endowments donor advised funds bequests

Contact our Planned Giving Specialists today at 800.562.7526 or visit jnflegacy.org

JNFUTURE

Young Professionals Create JNFuture in Israel Chapter!

To find out more about JNFuture Israel, become a supporter, or to join the leadership team, visit facebook.com/JNFuture, or contact Jessica Schapiro at jschapiro@jnf.org

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Describing the importance of JNFuture to new olim (immigrants), Moshe Hayim Polacco, 29, an oleh from Genoa, Italy, said, “JNFuture, and the Am Yisrael Foundation, have shown me that real Zionism begins upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport, and that taking action allows me to be a modern day pioneer.” JNFuture Israel gives young professionals a fresh approach to Zionist action and the land through monthly day trips, demonstrations, and lectures highlighting JNF’s work across the country. The group’s launch event brought 50 young adults—sabras (native Israelis) and new olim—for a day of exploration in the Galilee. The group toured the Atlit Detention Center, which has been recently renovated thanks to the help of JNF, visited the artist’s colony of Ein Hod, and the newly opened JNF Ein Hod Memorial Park. They ended the day with a picnic lunch in the Carmel Forest while hearing about the reforestation efforts from one of Israel’s top scientists who led the response to the fire disaster of 2010. Since the Galilee trip, the group has traveled to Southern Israel to visit the new community of Halutza and help recipients of JNF’s Young Farmers Incubator program harvest eggplants. Solomon describes these trips as evidence of “our energy and commitment to civil society, which is what Israel urgently needs right now.” In addition to the monthly activities, JNFuture Israel serves as the ‘home away from home’ for all JNFuture global members when they are visiting Israel. Solomon, originally from Birmingham, Alabama, encourages all JNFuture members to “think of us as your family when you are here in Israel, as there is always a place for you Natalie Solomon in our community.” She added that JNFuture Israel seeks “to partner with young Jewish communities around the world to move the needle within Israeli society, and work together to advance civic participation amongst Israeli youth.” Polacco, the Italian oleh, echoed the same sentiment, and said, “Israel is only this amazing because of the incredible people who came before me to build it, and now I have the blessing and responsibility to do the same for the next generation through JNFuture Israel.” n

JNFUTURE

Young leaders tend to be agents of change. Members of JNFuture are no different. They are a cohort of highimpact young Jewish people living in the Diaspora who are willing to commit their time, leadership, talents, and resources to strengthen Israel through the lens of Jewish National Fund. But what happens when these same young leaders live in the Holy Land? You get the newest chapter of JNFuture— on a mission not only to see how JNF is transforming Israeli society and the land, but living JNF. “We are the kibbutz galuyot (gathering of Israel) that JNF talks about,” said Natalie Solomon, who together with Jay Shultz founded JNFuture Israel last March. “Many Jay Shultz people come to Israel to be pioneers. They want to build something, to change the country. If Nefesh B’Nefesh is JNF’s aliyah arm, we are its klita (acclimation) arm. JNF is a powerful part of our ability to engage in modern pioneering.” Guided by the same mission of its U.S. counterpart—to promote environmental consciousness and the active involvement of future Jewish community leaders for a safe and prosperous Israel—JNFuture Israel is proud to bring this well-established young leadership brand to Israeli society. A partnership between JNF and the Am Yisrael Foundation, an organization that serves as an umbrella nonprofit managing multiple community-based leadership initiatives to engage young adults, JNFuture Israel is now enlisting this “want-to-serve” young community, age 23-35, with opportunities for roll-up-your-sleeves Zionist action around the country. Shultz, the president of the Am Yisrael Foundation and a serial entrepreneur from New Jersey, spent years building young Jewish community life in New York before moving to Tel Aviv 10 years ago. He believes that JNFuture Israel is a perfect fit for the more than 50,000 members of his TLV Internationals community, a group of young professionals that form a unified platform for action for the benefit of Tel Aviv and Israel. “Today is the easiest time in history to be a Jew living in the land of Israel,” said Shultz. “We cannot forget that Israel is still only a few days old in the life of a country. There are millions of fundamental vacuums that still need to be filled. Every Jew’s help is key to making this amazing country into the ideal nation we know it can become.”

TRAVEL & TOURS

36 Hours in the Western Galilee The Western Galilee is one of Israel’s most beautiful and worthwhile regions to visit. With a rich assortment of breathtaking scenic views, exotic culinary options, and myriad cultural happenings, JNF invites you to experience this part of Israel and uncover Israel’s hidden gems with JNF in 36 hours along Israel’s coastal route.

TRAVEL & TOURS

Day 1:

Day 2:

•

Get an early morning start and depart from Tel Aviv going north.

•

Make your first stop at the Ein Hod Artist Colony, a quaint artists’ village filled with galleries, museums, and cafes. Then stop at the JNF-KKL Park, which was built as part of the restoration effort in the region following the devastating 2010 Carmel Forest Fire.

•

Continue north to the Atlit Illegal Immigration Camp, a site once used as a detention camp to imprison Jewish immigrants upon their arrival to Mandate Palestine. See how JNF helped restore the camp into an interactive, educational museum that includes a replica of the restored Galina ship that carried 122,000 “illegal” immigrants in defiance of the British blockade.

After a restful night, start your morning at Ma’arag, an inclusive Art Gallery and Café in the thriving community of Kfar Vradim. Ma’arag employs people with special needs from all over the Western Galilee. At the gallery, which operates inside a café that serves dairy and fish delicacies, purchase gifts made by Ma’arag’s artists from a variety of materials—wood, natural paper, textiles, and ceramics. (Kosher; maarag.org.il)

•

Drive from Ma’arag through the beautiful Galilean mountains and explore the region’s ecological offerings.

•

Local Wineries:

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Kishor Winery: This boutique winery offers lush vineyards, tasty food and wine, and a new visitors center overlooking the estate’s vineyards. Learn about the unique system at Kishor that is run by people with special needs, and see the wine-making process. Taste delectable wines accompanied by goat cheese, vegetables, and bread—all grown and produced within this special community. (Kosher; kishor-winery.com)

Visit the Old City of Akko, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk on the walls from the port to the lighthouse; visit the Knights’ Hall and the Akko prison; and wander through the beautiful synagogues with their breathtaking mosaics.

Stern Winery: Visit this family-owned boutique winery which lies on one of the mountain peaks at Kibbutz Tuval with scenic views of the valley and the Mediterranean Sea. Meet owner and wine-maker Johnny Stern to learn about how this winery has grown exponentially since its establishment in 2004, currently producing up to 23,000 bottles of wine a year! Sample the highly-praised, award-winning wines that have won both local and international competitions. (stern-winery.co.il)

Lunch and Dinner Options: •

•

Visit Savida Sea Food Bar for some local flavors. Conveniently located across from the new JNF Western Galilee Visitors Center in Akko’s Old City. (rol.co.il/sites/savida) Enjoy the view of the Mediterranean for a late lunch or dinner at Uri Buri Seafood Restaurant (2eat.co.il/eng/uriburi) or the El Marsa Restaurant (almarsa.rest.co.il), located in the heart of old Akko.

Overnight: •

In and around Akko: The Effendi Hotel offers a top notch luxury experience. (efendi-hotel.com; rates ranging $270-$500/night) Akkotel is a small family-run hotel that’s great for families. (akkotel.com; rates ranging $165-$290/night)

•

In and around Nahariya: Erna Starkman is a family run hotel in this beautiful city by the sea. (sernahotel.co.il; rates ranging $220-$284/night) Unwind after a long day at the Sea Life Spa Hotel. (sealife.co.il; contact for room rates) Enjoy accommodations at Tamar & Gefen B&B in Mitzpe Hilla. This quaint B&B offers garden views and an impressive wine room stocked with local wines. (tamar-gefen.co.il; contact for room rates)

•

Drive from the wineries towards the Mediterranean Sea.

•

End your Western Galilee experience at the one-and-only Alto Dairy Farm, a family-owned rural dairy run by the Mazan family. Learn how Alto uses traditional methods to produce a unique variety of cheeses and ice cream from the finest of local goat milk. You can also enjoy the boutique store and the coffee-bar restaurant serving a dairy menu, all “Farm to Table” style. (Kosher; altodairy.co.il) n

For a complete list of additional destinations, visit westgalil.org.il. To learn more about traveling to Israel with JNF, contact our Travel & Tours department at 877.JNF.TOUR (877.563.8687) or visit jnf.org/travel

FOOD & WINE

A Gem of the Galilee: Arnold’s Kosher Galilean Restaurant

For more information on Arnold’s hours of operation and location, please visit uriarnold.co.il or facebook.com/arnolds.rest

Chef Arnon’s Recipe:

Lamb Stew with Pomegranate Ingredients:

Instructions:

3.5 lbs. of lamb shoulder stew meat, cut into 2-inch cubes

1. Heat a heavy casserole dish with oil, place the pieces of lamb in, and sauté until lightly golden.

Oil for sautéeing

2. Add salt, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, sugar, pomegranate syrup, and half the pomegranate seeds. Fill casserole with water to cover the meat.

2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons white pepper 3 cinnamon sticks 1 cup of sugar 3 tablespoons pomegranate syrup* Pomegranate seeds from 1-2 pomegranates Parsley for garnish Serves 4-6 *Pomegranate syrup can be found in most supermarkets, Middle Eastern markets, and online grocers.

3. Cover the dish and cook on a high heat until boiling, then reduce heat and continue to cook over low heat for an hour and a half. 4. Garnish with the remainder of the pomegranate seeds and parsley. The dish is best served with rice or steamed couscous. n

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we share a lot. We eat in each other’s restaurants, visit each other’s homes, and attend each other’s celebrations. It has a deep influence on my own approach to food and hospitality in general.” Arnold’s employs around 50 staff members, some of whom have been with the restaurant for many years. “We invest a lot in our staff,” Chef Arnon explains, “so that they have extensive knowledge about the food itself and how to provide the highest level of service.” Social justice is also a priority. Arnold’s has a pilot program for integrating people with special needs and employs a chef with special needs in each restaurant. The positive work atmosphere has even attracted some promising young chefs from the country’s center to relocate to the Western Galilee. “The Galilee is developing rapidly. You can see it statistically in the number of people moving here and choosing it as a travel destination,” says Chef Arnon. “I see the restaurant as an integral part of the progress, whether it’s partnering with local vintners, serving food with a local flavor, or employing local residents. We are proud to be a part of it.”

FOOD & WINE

On a quaint moshav in the northwestern Galilee, not far from the sleepy seaside town of Nahariya, lies a truly unique dining establishment—Arnold’s Kosher Galilean Restaurant. Arnold’s gourmet menu is an eclectic mix of Galilean bistro with French and Mediterranean touches. Excellent local Galilean wines and fresh beer from the onsite brewery complement the menu, as do the homemade sorbets and other desserts. Established in 2007, Arnold’s was recently selected as one of the top five kosher restaurants in Israel. Based on this success, a second branch opened in 2012 in the Southern Galilean community of Ramat Yishai. The enthusiasm and dedication of owner and Chef Uri Arnon is the guiding force in the restaurants’ appeal. Chef Arnon was raised in Tel Aviv in a religious family and attended yeshiva in Jerusalem. During his army service, he left the religious fold, but remained close to his family. His decision to open a kosher restaurant, despite extensive experience in some of the country’s finest non-kosher kitchens, was influenced in part by his Jewish identity and education. In addition, Chef Arnon explains, the decision to go kosher was a lifestyle choice: “Many chefs work 24/7, never seeing their families or taking time to breathe. Having time off for family and leisure is important for me personally, and for that of my employees.” Chef Arnon lives with his family in Kibbutz Beit Ha’emek, where his wife grew up. He feels very connected to the local culture, and all of its diversity. “I have my family and community in the kibbutz, but I am also very involved in the lives of my Arab neighbors. There is a wonderful food and wine community here in the Galilee, and

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR INFO ON UPCOMING JNF EVENTS, VISIT JNF.ORG AND CLICK ON “JNF IN YOUR AREA” LOS ANGELES JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

LOS ANGELES 1. (L-R) Co-Chair of JNFuture Studio Soiree David Blu with Ziggy and Orly Marley, and Co-Chair Shannon Delrahim at The Lot during the JNFuture Studio Soiree in Hollywood. 2. (L-R) Alex Finfer with honoree Ziggy Marley, and Zach Cohen during the JNFuture Studio Soiree.

JNF.org

3. (L-R): Hanna Rubinstein, Esther Vered, presenter and JNF Board Member Orna Delrahim, Anita Ghiam, Beverly Cohen, National JNF WFI Campaign President Nina Paul, Shannon Delrahim, and Vida Ghiam at the Sapphire pin and Chai Society necklace presentations during the LA JNF Women For Israel Luncheon at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.

NEW ENGLAND

(L-R) JNFuture Members Nicole Litvak, Mark Trilling, and Rachel Goldberg celebrated the culmination of New England’s Water Summit at JNF’s Water & Wine Reception.

The New England delegation at the 2015 JNF National Conference in Chicago. The group had a fun social outing and is already saving the date for the 2016 National Conference in NYC!

(L-R) Speakers Seth M. Siegel, Professor Eric Olson, and JNF Campus Fellow Hannah Leeman at the Brandeis Water Summit event.

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3 (L-R) Brown Students for Israel President Adam Bennett, Let There Be Water author Seth M. Siegel, and Lucy Price at the JNF Water Summit event in Providence.

JNF Team Captain and Executive Board Member David Eisenberg with founder of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies Alon Tal, en route on the Israel Ride.

Board Member Joshua Tracey, New England President Larry Cohen and his fiancée Suzanne Lacognata at the first Board of Directors meeting of the 2016 fiscal year.

(L-R) Board Member Adam Zlotnick, Christina Zlotnick, and Board Member and event host Frederick Young at a BNY Wealth Management-sponsored celebratory board meeting, marking the transition of Boston’s Presidency from Michael Blank to Jeffrey Woolf.

(L-R) Water Summit Chair and New England Board Member Mara Ginsberg, New England Board Member Alan Lobel, National VP of Campaign Kenneth Segel, Board of Directors President Robert Ganz, and New England Director Sara Hefez.

(L-R) Board Member Russ Stein, Chai Society Chair Risa Aronson, and Board Member Lee Aronson at a Boston Board of Directors Meeting.

(L-R) Aaron Blank, Bunny Aronson, and Board Member Bruce Levine and his wife Marie at a Boston Board of Directors Meeting.

(L-R) Campaign Executive JNFuture Boston Gali Gordon, Board Member Rick 12 (L-R) New England Director Sara Hefez, Co-Director of AMHSI-JNF Rabbi Leor Sinai, Diamon, Boston President Jeffrey Woolf, Board Member Kenneth Handler, New Joanne Linowes Alinsky, AMHSI-JNF Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Davis, and England Director Sara Hefez, Executive Board Member Martin Lowenthal, President Director of Recruitment for AMHSI-JNF Dana Gerbie Klein. Emeritus Michael Blank, and Executive Board Member Amy Parsons.

SOUTHERN

GREATER NEW YORK

GREATER NEW YORK 1

(L-R) Danny and Patty Stegman with JNF-KKL Chief Israel Emissary Tali Tzour Avner and Dani Tzour at an Israeli Cooking Parlor Meeting.

2 Michael Goldstein of Chapel Hill, NC received a fundraising award for his

(L-R) Joan Oppenheimer, Debbie Rogoff, IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog and Didi Almog, Bob Oppenheimer, and Rabbi Zev Goldberg at the Ft. Lee Jewish Center Briefing.

first WFI Retreat.

achievement for the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies during the 2014 Israel Ride.

3 (L-R back row) Janis Dickman, Alan Lubel, Mark Spiegel, Co-Presidents Howard

Wexler and Alan Wolk, Melissa Bernstein, Southeast Shaliach Ezra Ravins, and Michael Jacobson. (L-R front row) Margot Alfie, Sharon Levison, Aviva Postelnik, Michael Zusman, Regional Director Beth Gluck, and Israel Programs Admissions Director Judy Schancupp at the Atlanta Board of Directors Retreat.

(L-R) JNF Boston Israel Emissary Rami Hazan, National Board Member Geri Shatz, Bob Weiss, Yerucham Mayor Michael Biton, and Rabbi Serge Lippe at Brooklyn Heights Synagogue.

Co-President of Westchester Board Caren Hammerman with Westchester Board Member Lynn Jacob at the Pipes Bridge in Be’er Sheva.

(L-R) Westchester Board Member Shoshana Bederman, guest speaker Naomi Bareket, JNF WFI Chair Adele Morton, Director of Westchester County and Southern Connecticut Stephanie Risa Balkin, and Ronit Razinovsky at the Westchester WFI Empowerment and Self-fulfillment event.

(L-R) Bob and Helen Levine with Director of the Gush Etzion Foundation Shani Abrams-Simkovitz, and Racheli Frankel at the Mt. Zion Hotel in Jerusalem on JNF’s President’s Society Mission.

3 Co- President of the Westchester Board Caren Hammerman at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

(L-R) LOTEM guide Raz Rutman, Long Island Board Member Arnie Waldman and Sarah Waldman, with JNF-LOTEM Liaison Alisa Bodner in Israel.

FLORIDA

1 (L-R) Guest speaker IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog with Leo Hellawell Band and Alexandra Band at the Sarasota Meet and Greet hosted at the home of Alexandra and Greg Band in Sarasota.

2 (L-R) Tampa Bay Board Member Dr. Stuart Lipman and JNF-LOTEM Liaison Alisa Bodner at LOTEM-Making Nature Accessible in Israel.

3 (L-R) Judge Andrew Cameron with North Florida Director Uri Smajovits, Steven Eichenblatt, and JNF-Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran Liaison Avnet Kleiner at a JNF LFI Event at the office of Carlton Fields Jorden Burt in Orlando.

4 (L-R) Susan and Albert Waksman with Tampa Bay Board Member Richard Rappaport at a Tampa Meet and Greet hosted at the home of Richard Rappaport in Tampa.

5 (L-R) Alexandra Band with Daniella Band, guest speaker IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog, and Greg Band at the Sarasota Meet and Greet hosted at the home of Alexandra and Greg Band in Sarasota.

6 (L-R) Guest speaker IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog with Ernie Kretzmer at the Sarasota Meet and Greet hosted at the home of Alexandra and Greg Band in Sarasota.

7 (L-R) Past Sarasota Tree of Life™ Honoree Harold Joels with IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog and Arnold Thaler at the Sarasota Meet and Greet hosted at the home of Alexandra and Greg Band in Sarasota.

8 Dayna Titus with Inez Levin, Danna Levy, Gwen Gelfand, Tampa Bay Board Co-Chairman Betsy Marcadis, Sharon Rophie, and Tampa Bay Board Member Tina Gordon at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

9 (L-R) Director of Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran Avi Wortzman with Sarasota Lifetime Achievement Honoree Marilyn Shuman, Sarasota Board President Mark Schlanger, Didi Almog, and guest speaker IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Sarasota.

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SOUTHERN 1 Sharon Levison and Aviva Postelnik welcomed attendees to Atlanta’s

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

FLORIDA

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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10 (L-R) Caravan for Democracy alum Will Baxley with Tampa Bay Board Member Byron Kolitz, Caravan for Democracy alum Chad

15 (L-R) Orlando Board President Debbie Meitin, with AMHSI-JNF alum and guest speaker Lily Brenner, and Orlando Board WFI

11 (L-R) Maureen Cohn with Sandford Mahr at the Tampa Meet and Greet hosted at the home of Richard Rappaport in Tampa. 12 (L-R) Tampa Bay Board Member Richard Rappaport with Tampa Bay Board Co-President Ida Raye Chernin, and Alex Chernin at

16 (L-R) Elenor Gross with guest speaker and JNF-LOTEM Liaison Alisa Bodner, Harry Gross, and Paulette Kenney at a parlor

Harper, and Steven Pietruza at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

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the Tampa Meet and Greet hosted at the home of Richard Rappaport in Tampa.

13 (L-R) Tampa Bay Board Co-President Ida Raye Chernin with guest speaker Rebecca Shimoni-Stoil, National Co-Chairman of DFI

Chair Dr. Robin Katzman at a WFI event at The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida.

meeting hosted at the home of Paulette Kenney in Delray Beach.

17 (L-R) Congressman Ted Deutch with Ike Taffel, and Executive Director of South Florida Dr. Roni Raab at Jewish Heritage Day in Miami.

Dr. Robert Norman, Stuart Brownstein, Tampa Bay Board Member Andy Meyer, and Tampa Bay Board Co-Chairman Mark Miller.

14 (L-R) Ann Paul with Julia Rudez, Orlando Board President Debbie Meitin, Orlando Board Member Valerie Shapiro, and Director of Orlando Laura Abramson at the Kotel in Israel during JNF’s Spirit of Israel Mission.

FLORIDA

18 (L-R) Kenny Weiss with guest speaker and Director of Gush Etzion Foundation Shani Abrams Simkovitz, and Stanley Strachman

23 L-R) Dr. Jacob Elefant with Sydelle and Michael Lazar, guest speaker and writer Yossi Klein Halevi, and Rabbi Yaakov and

19 (L-R) Broward Board Member Dr. Mark Gendal at the JNF Phone-a-thon held at the JNF Offices in Boca Raton.

24 (L-R) JNFuture Miami Co-Chair Adam Landa with JNFuture Miami Board Member Isaac Mizrahi, guest speaker and writer Yossi

at a Palm Beach synagogue meeting.

20 (L-R) Sandy Goldberg and Palm Beach Board Member Cantor Elaine Shapiro at a Palm Beach synagogue meeting. 21 (L-R) Broward Board Past President Larry Behar with guest speaker, Assistant Vice President of Campaign and Major Gifts Chairman Bruce Gould at the Board Presidents Dinner Reception held at the Ft. Lauderdale Yacht Club.

22 (L-R) NCSY Jewish Student Union Club Leaders Hannah Kornitsky and Starr Mandell at a JNF event held at NOVA High School in Broward County.

Jennifer Gibber at the JNF Dessert Reception hosted at the Boca Jewish Center in Boca Raton.

Klein Halevi, Alex Bokor, and JNFuture Miami Co-Chair Maia Aron at the Miami Dade and Broward Campaign Kickoff in Miami.

25 (L-R) Rabbi Yaakov Gibber with guest speaker and writer Yossi Klein Halevi at the JNF Dessert Reception hosted at the Boca Jewish Center in Boca Raton.

26 (L-R) Rabbi Yaakov Gibber with South Palm Beach Director Lee Lebovich and National Executive Director of Major Gifts Glen

Schwartz at JNF’s new office mezuzah dedication. (Editor’s Note: JNF is sincerely grateful to Rabbi Yaakov Gibber for blessing our new South Florida home. We apologize for the error in the last issue.)

MIDWEST

6 (L-R) Chef Yuval and Northern Ohio Board Member and event host Susie Kopit at the WFI Cooking Demonstration. 7 (L-R) Ethan Winger, Andrew Baker, Drew Dubin, and Jordan Levin raised money for the JNF Sderot Indoor Recreation Center for

2 (L-R) JNFuture Chicago Board Members David Weintraub, Dana Rubin, Jason Zenner, and Amanda Feder at the JNFuture

8 (L-R) Northern Ohio Board Member Wendy Levick, Lana Jacobson, and Northern Ohio Director Mindy Feigenbaum at the WFI

meeting hosted by Dini’s parents, Aviva and Ami Robinson. National Conference Bash at WhirlyBall.

their joint Bar Mitzvah project at Sky Zone Sports. Cooking Demonstration.

3 (L-R) JNF Past President Hirsch Wise, Karen Schiffer, Nefesh B’Nefesh Taskforce Chair David Gershuny, Patti Wise, and Irving Roth at a CUFI event benefiting JNF in Cincinnati.

4 (L-R) Andy Roth, Task Force on Disabilities Director Yossi Kahana, and National Vice President of Education Eddie Paul at a Southern Ohio and Kentucky board meeting.

5 (L-R) Felicia Zakem, Marcie Bachrach, and Bonnie Ullner at the JNF WFI Brunch in Cincinnati.

NORTHEAST

1 Central New Jersey Campaign Executive Anna Richlin, Central New Jersey Board Member and JNFuture Board Member Adam Hirst, and Central New Jersey Senior Campaign Executive Michael Zimmerman at a Major Donor Thank You event.

2 (L-R back row) Josh Fisher, Chad Holtzman, Alexander Hankin, Evan Benedon, and Ari Stanger.(L-R front row) Danielle Hankin, Alexia Joslin, Dana Lakner, Liza Dabrow, and Aliyah Furman at the first annual JNFuture Margate Meets Tel Aviv.

3 (L-R) Philadelphia JNFuture Board President Alexander Hankin, Philadelphia JNFuture Board Member Chad Holtzman, JNF Campaign Executive Kara Kimmel, and JNF Regional Director Marina Furman at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

4 Ambassador Michael Oren with Southern New Jersey Board Members Pamela and Robert Benedon at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

7 5 (L-R) JNF Regional Director Marina Furman, Eastern Pennsylvania JNF Board Member Andrea Gottlieb, Southern New Jersey JNF

Board Member Betsy Fischer, Zeev Ben-Shachar, and Eastern Pennsylvania JNF Board Member Richard Gottlieb at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

6 (L-R) Event Committee Members Mark and Heather Kramer, Pamela and Robert Benedon, Betsy Fischer, Marvin and Eva

Schlanger, Helene and Alan Blumenfeld, event speaker Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Peter Fischer, and Marni Schatz at Southern New Jersey’s Main Event Gala.

7 Helene Blumenfeld, Harriet Cohen, and Southern New Jersey JNF Board President Eva Schlanger at a ceremony where Cohen received a new Chai Society Necklace in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

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MIDWEST 1 (L-R) Dini Robinson, Director of Special in Uniform IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia, and Chicago Director Judy Rosen at a parlor

JNF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

WESTERN

MID-ATLANTIC

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6 Delaware Board Members Marty Lessner and Joel Friedlander in Tel Aviv on a

MID-ATLANTIC 1

Lynn Kapiloff and Steve Cohen at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

Naomi Amsterdam and Kate Shelter at a JNF WFI meeting in Baltimore.

JNF.org

3 Middle East Analyst Asaf Romirowsky and Delaware JNF LFI Co-Chair Russell Silberglied at a LFI Luncheon in Wilmington.

recent Law and Justice Tour.

7 (L-R) Maryland JNF Board Members Lynn Kapiloff, Lou Cohen, Mark Wolkow, Brenda Jaffe, Ellen Rosenberg, and Nanci Seff at a recent board meeting in Baltimore.

(L-R) Naomi Amsterdam, Barbara Marder, and Adele Sidle at a Maryland JNF WFI reception in Baltimore.

WESTERN 1 Eric and Melissa Kurtzman at the Las Vegas Major Donor Appreciation Dinner. 2 JNFuture Leadership Institute Mission National Chair and JNFuture Colorado

Vice-Chair Max Wolk with Simon Schwartz, National JNFuture Membership Chair and JNFuture Colorado Chair, at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

3 (L-R) Deanne Gilbert, Board Member Ron Berman, and Ilene Myers at the October JNF Northern California Board meeting in San Francisco.

JNF-Green Horizons Liaison Ido Reichman-Eisikovits with Jack Rose at a Green Horizons Leadership program briefing in Baltimore.

4 (L-R) Consul General of Israel for the Pacific Northwest Andy David, JNF–KKL

Emissary Tal Shaked, and JNF Northern California Board Chairman John Rothmann at the JNF Northern California Board meeting in San Francisco.

5 (L-R) JNFuture DC members Lauren Kaufman-Bergmann, Nicole Lubel, and Kira Borman visited the Negev Desert on JNF’s JLIM Mission.

WESTERN

5 (L-R) President of the Palm Springs Board Michael Saywitz with Sheri Borax and Robert Sylk at the Palm Springs Movie Night.

10 (L-R) Stephanie Lipson, Marnie Dietrich, Carol Swagel, Shirley Cohen, and Rosalie Besserman at the Arizona WFI Luncheon at

6 (L-R) President of the Palm Springs Board Michael Saywitz, Chai Society Chair and General Campaign Chair Debbie OrgenGarrett, and Board Member Robert Sulk at the Palm Springs Movie Night. 7 (L-R) Elaine Land-Dexter, Debbie Orgen-Garrett, Diane Cohen, and Evelyn Binsky at the Los Angeles JNF WFI Luncheon at the

11 (L-R) Elise Passy, Jane Larkin, and Dernay Torres at the JNF WFI event in Houston.

Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.

8 (L-R) Keynote speaker Jessica Abo with Allie Goldstein and Taylor Poslosky at the JNFuture cocktail reception in Scottsdale. 9 (L-R) JNF Women for Israel Luncheon Co-Chairs Kim Kotzin and Judy Bassett with Arizona Board President Toni Dusik, and Desert States Executive Director Deb Rochford at the WFI Luncheon at the Phoenix Art Museum.

the Phoenix Art Museum.

12 (L-R) Jodi Sanchez, Ali Katz, and Jane Larkin had a good time at the JNF WFI event in Dallas. 13 (L-R) Dalia Oud with guest speaker Ezra Ravins, and Susan Leshnower during the JNF water education event in Odessa. 14 (L-R back) Eric Dermer, Julie Franklin, Ari Franklin, Rebecca Levy, David Levy. (L-R front) Lori Sallop, Arielle Levy, and Jessica Goodman at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

15 (L-R) Brett Ogin, Robert Harrison, and Marc Benedek at the JNFuture Austin Water, Wine & Wonder event.

Thank You for Making JNF’s 2015 National Conference in Chicago a Huge Hit!

National Conference was a great success thanks to the generous support of Susan and Marc Sacks, Robin and Chuck Kafenshtok, Andy and Jayne Klein, Comerica Bank, DLA Piper, Foly & Lardner LLP, Baker Tilly, Israel Bonds, Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema, Direct Dimension, INC., GCM Grosvenor, GT GreenbergTraurig, Holiday Jones, Leumi, Marc Realty, Mesirow Financial, Signature Bank, and The Private Bank.

With more than 1,200 attendees, including 300 college students, 100 high school students, and 150 JNFuture members, the excitement was palpable throughout the four-day event. Dozens of discussions and panels—which included riveting speeches by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Consul General of Israel Roey Gilad, Ambassador Michael Oren, and Member of Knesset Tzipi Livni— were held, networking opportunities abounded, and commitment was inspired. NATIONAL

JEWISH CONFERENCE NATIONAL FUND NEW YORK CITY

2016

September 16-19, 2016

Registration for JNF’s 2016 National Conference in New York City is open now. Register at JNF.org/nc

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Jewish National Fund

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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Go North: JNF TRANSFORMS THE GALILEE

By Kenneth J. Krupsky Everyone who visits the Galilee is struck by its abundant natural beauty, historical treasures, and the spirit and creativity of its people. From stunning landscapes, hiking trails, and Mediterranean shores, to unique boutiques, and the region’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity, the Galilee enchants everyone who spends a day, a week, or a lifetime “up North.” Yet the Galilee—17% of Israel’s landmass and home to 1.2 million people, many in small and diverse communities and kibbutzim—remains underdeveloped and far short of its economic and social potential. Through our Go North initiative, Jewish National Fund is tackling the challenge head-on to help the region take its rightful place in the country. With the vision of a tremendous new future for the Galilee, the region’s cities, such as Akko, Nahariya, Afula, Beit She’an, and Kiryat Shmona, and its many small towns and villages, will build crucial modern infrastructure to attract and retain new residents and help alleviate the population congestion in the center of Israel. JNF’s Go North initiative aims to bring 300,000 new residents to the Galilee, strengthen the economic and social quality of life for everyone in the region, and make the area an attractive option for Israelis and new immigrants alike to call home. Our Go North Task Force of lay leaders and JNF professionals is investing professional expertise, time, and money—together with our Israeli partners in business, government, academia, and nonprofits—in human capital as well as infrastructure. With these partners, we are growing new businesses and creating jobs. We are strengthening communities and the education system. We are fostering young adult leadership and providing social services. Most importantly, we are building all of this based on, and with, the people of the Galilee.

Our Beloved Western Galilee By Raya Strauss Bendror

The Western Galilee. One of the most beautiful places in the world. This is my home—the spot my parents chose when they emigrated from Germany in 1936. It is where I was born, and where I still live today. My mission and passion is to dramatically enhance the quality of life for all who call it home. Both of my parents, Dr. Richard and Hilde Strauss, came from wealthy families. Being well educated, they could have gone anywhere in the world, but they chose to be farmers in Eretz Israel in a settlement called Nahariya. Their small farm, with its few cows, grew to become a worldwide food conglomerate. I shared ownership of the company with my brother Michael for many years, and 10 years ago I decided to sell all my shares and follow in my parents’ footsteps. I decided to devote myself to the prosperity of the Western Galilee and Israel. I moved from theory to action and started work in the Western Galilee to boost economic and social development. Together with my partners at the Reut Institute, we hope to transform the quality of life to attract and retain the area’s population. Two and a half years ago I launched a philanthropic initiative called “Treasures of the Galilee,” a unique platform for high quality tour operators that provides an end-to-end solution for boosting their businesses. I’m proud to say that after hard work, we now have 340 businesses, from all cultures and religions, reporting a turnaround in their lives. Recently, and in partnership with local leaders, I launched an exciting initiative called “The Spirit of the Galilee.” It is a diverse group of 170 businesses, academics, NGOs, mayors, Jews, Arabs, Druze, and Christians working together to create a better quality of life and future for the Galilee. I am honored to work with Jewish National Fund’s Go North Task Force. JNF’s devotion to Israel inspires me and fills me with pride. Thanks to JNF, we have built a cutting-edge gas laboratory at Erez College in Shlomi, which will provide vocational training for our population in this most promising industry. Additionally, we are joining forces in developing tourism in the region and much more. I see a bright and shining future for the Western Galilee, and I’m sure that together we will make a big difference! Raya Strauss Bendror is a partner at Strauss Investments Ltd., and leads several initiatives to develop the Western Galilee.

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Kenneth J. Krupsky is JNF Vice President, Negev and Galilee, and Chair of the Go North Task Force

GO NORTH: DISCOVERING ISRAEL’S HIDDEN GEMS

One of Go North’s objectives is to leverage the Galilee’s greatest asset, tourism. JNF’s new Western Galilee Visitor Center in Akko will enhance and expand visitors’ experiences. The Center offers a wide array of select local businesses and establishments, including our partners in Western Galilee Now (WGN), a consortium of small tour operators and artisanal businesses which promotes the region’s varying cuisines, cultures, boutiques, historic traditions, and breathtaking scenery. To increase the Galilee’s economic and business appeal, a necessity in attracting new residents, Go North is also marketing job opportunities. The JNF-Nefesh B’Nefesh Business Networking Forum brings together burgeoning local businesses and new olim (immigrants) for best practices workshops and networking opportunities to strengthen the region’s attractiveness. JNF has developed an innovative program at the Erez College Natural Gas Vocational Training Center in Shlomi to educate and train the unemployed and underemployed in Israel’s nascent natural gas industry. Through its partnership with Erez, Go North is expanding the job market for new immigrants, demobilized soldiers, Jews, Arabs, Druze, Bedouins, and Christians. To encourage population retention among youth, who now often leave for Israel’s congested center, JNF is building a Young Leadership Center in Beit She’an to serve as a social engine for all young adults in the area and strengthen the region’s future. Another Go North partnership that invigorates Israeli youths’ connection to the land and people of Israel is HaShomer HaChadash. This volunteer organization is dedicated to safeguarding the land in the Negev and Galilee and educating volunteers in the spirit and ideals of Zionism. As part of JNF’s $1 Billion Roadmap for the Next Decade, Go North will bring new life and pride to the Galilee. The North will be a transformative success for the benefit of all Israeli citizens. The opportunity is here awaiting us. JNF, with the continuing support of our donors, will turn our dream of a thriving Galilee into a reality. Every day, we are leaping forward in the process of building a more secure, vibrate, and safe Israel for all. We need and solicit the active involvement of the entire JNF family. Go North changes the lives of everyone it touches—Israelis and Americans. We invite you to join us and to get involved with the Go North Task Force by contacting gonorth@jnf.org. It will certainly change your life too.

GO NORTH: DISCOVERING ISRAEL’S HIDDEN GEMS

Developing THE NORTH By Leiba Chaya David

JNF.org

In a semi-deserted café on the edge of town, three of Beit She’an’s best and brightest young leaders huddle around their afternoon cappuccinos to discuss the future of their city, which, if all goes as planned, will be centered around the soon-to-be-constructed Jewish National Fund Beit She’an Young Leadership Center. The Center will be housed in a reconstructed school building on a two-acre plot overlooking the scenic Valley of the Springs. An essential element of JNF’s Go North initiative, the Center will offer engaging programming designed to inspire the city’s 18-40 year-olds to lay down roots and stay in the area. With the architectural blueprints already on the table, the three millennials debate the location of the Center’s cafeteria, which will include both espresso and sushi bars. First floor or second floor? “We should move it downstairs,” says Sarai Salev, an animated 28-year-old Beit She’an native. “I think it would be better upstairs, because it encourages people to go through the building,” says Liron Avraham, 28, who just arrived from his job at a local center for at-risk youth. “Yes, but then you don’t get the view,” counters Sarai. “Sitting along the windows of the first floor, you get an awesome sense of the whole valley. That’s important.” From floor plan to program offerings, the Center is the brainchild of a core group of 15 young leaders who, with the support of JNF and the Beit She’an Municipality, have been working on a volunteer basis to reimagine their future as citizens Sarai Salev

The Beit She’an JNF Young Leadership Center of the city. “Before this project took off, Beit She’an did not offer much to these talented young people,” said municipal representative Michal Efraim-Avivi. “They all lived separate lives, which contributed to the trend of leaving the town. Now they are connected to one another and have a purpose. This is the kind of grassroots project that will keep Beit She’an’s young adults close to home.” Amit Cohen, 28, grew up in Beit She’an, but left after his army service to pursue a multiple degree in Accounting, Economics, and Public Policy at Ben Gurion University in the Negev. He came back to try to make his hometown a better place to live. “It’s no secret that the center of the country is a more attractive place to live, in terms of job opportunities, culture, and the like.” he said. “But I believe that we can present a great alternative here.” By designing the JNF Beit She’an Young Leadership Center, Amit and his friends are doing just that. The Center is a backdrop for the kind of lifestyle they want to see in Beit She’an—a vibrant, sophisticated, and inviting atmosphere that will attract young people. As the three young leaders enthusiastically explain, the building itself expresses the Center’s mission to spark entrepreneurial, social, cultural, and artistic creativity in the region. Once completed, the Center will include a cinema/theater, classrooms, meeting rooms, a yoga studio, and a music room. A children’s recreational space and an expansive outdoor area reflect the desire to attract young families. Even the construction, which is in accordance with “green” building standards, reflects the values of a smart, innovative next generation. The Center, as Amit, Sarai, and Liron explain, will provide a framework for collaboration and socializing among the 18 to 40-yearold crowd. Already, they and their core group of fellow volunteers

represent the young face of Beit She’an. They partner around projects, attend events as a group, and create a network between their workplaces, which include community centers, youth programs, animal shelters, and American volunteer delegations. The Center will serve as a hub for this and other activities, reaching out not only to Beit She’an residents, but also to the kibbutzim and moshavim throughout the Valley of the Springs. It will be up to the young adults of Beit She’an to make the Center economically viable. Ideas for future revenue include renting out the space to tourist groups and local organizations that don’t have a meeting place in Beit She’an. Another idea is to rent out bicycles and provide guided bike tours of the sites that Beit She’an and Valley of the Springs have to offer. The Center will also serve as a profit-generating venue for high-profile performers, academics, and public figures who, at the moment, rarely visit the region. Like many residents of the Jordan Valley, Beit She’an’s young adults eagerly anticipate the arrival of the Israel Railways line extension, which is expected to be completed by 2017. The train will provide easy access to the Western Galilee cities of Haifa, Akko, and Karmiel, enabling young families to simultaneously enjoy quality of life in the region and employment opportunities available in larger cities. However, many feel that it is not prudent to rest everything on the new train. Jobs must be created in the area as well, drawing upon the interests and talents of the younger generation. Member of Knesset Erel Margalit, a highly successful entrepreneur himself, stresses that the young leaders need to think of ways to create a base of employment within Beit She’an. “You need to own this place, to make it exciting and turn it into a regional gateway,” he Amit Cohen said. He expressed his support of the Center by extending an invitation to Amit, Sarai, Liron, and their friends to travel to Jerusalem to participate in his Task Force for Development of the Jordan Valley. As darkness falls and the group begins to dissipate, Liron reflects on the personal significance of the project. “I want to stay in Beit She’an,” he says, “because now I feel like my life has meaning and impact here.” His sentiment undoubtedly will be shared by all who walk through the doors of the new JNF Beit She’an Young Leadership Center.

TO THE WESTERN GALILEE By Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod

JNF Western Galilee Visitor Center in Akko

can. This building is different,” said Jungman. “It’s huge, it has beautiful arches and has great bones; it’s really something else, and it’s a very, very good location,” she mentions, which is everything in Akko. Located in a prime corner spot among Arab-owned shops and retail spaces awaiting revitalization, and steps from the Crusader tunnels and ancient port, the Visitor Center is also easily accessible to tour buses. A short drive outside Akko are countless boutique dairies, wineries, olive oil presses, chocolatiers, cosmetic shops, an artisan blacksmith shop, and a range of delightful cafés and vistas photographers will adore. Many of the businesses are members of Western Galilee Now (WGN), a grassroots collective of tourist destinations—similar to a local chamber of commerce—that pools expertise to mutually promote and package each other’s experiences under the slogan, “Discover. Experience. Taste.” (See following page.) Akko is also convenient to Christian heritage sites, like Nazareth and Tiberius, while Jewish visitors find Akko an easy gateway to sites like the Tomb of Maimonides or even Tzfat, farther east. Cultural destinations like the modern Open Museum at Tefen and the Ghetto Fighters’ Kibbutz and Museum are also in the vicinity, along with friendly Druze villages that are known for their warmth and welcoming of tourists. Akko’s Old City and marketplace, too, feature Arab and Jewish merchants working side by side, encouraging sightseers to share local wonders, sounds, and flavors. “People are very friendly in Akko,” said local Chef Dan Smulovitz, who grew up on a nearby kibbutz. “There are no politics here. We coexist with no problems.” “We don’t even call it co-existence,” added WGN Executive Director Michal Shiloah Galnoor. “It’s just our way of life. It’s who we are.” Chef Smulovitz and business partner Ohad Horviz are opening a new restaurant across from the Visitor Center, but won’t cater specifically to tourists. “When we travel someplace,” said Chef Smulovitz, “we don’t want to go to a ‘tourist restaurant.’ We believe visitors will come if they see the locals eating here.” Chef Smulovitz, who attended Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Pasadena, is just one of the 40% of Northern Israelis who depend on tourism. Though he had a successful business in California, he returned to Northern Israel because “money is not the most important thing” said Chef Smulovitz. “People are very hospitable here in Akko. They care about having a good living, but also care about living a good life.”

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Akko may be a UNESCO World Heritage site, but it’s also one of the most underappreciated cities in Israel. It shouldn’t be. Like the port city of Jaffa, it has a Napoleonic history. Like Jerusalem, it has links to the Crusaders. Like Tzfat, it has historic synagogues and a thriving old city. Tales also exist that Akko served as a hiding place for the Maccabees during the Greek occupation. Now, this ancient melting pot is soon to become the gateway to hundreds of destinations throughout the Galilee with the new Jewish National Fund Western Galilee Visitor Center, opening in spring 2016. The more people learn and see, the longer they’ll stay. The longer they stay, the more money they’ll spend. The more money they spend, the more employment opportunities are created. All of this stimulates the region’s growth. Akko hosts a respectable 2.5 million domestic and foreign visitors per year. However, due to the city’s close proximity to the center of the country, many simply return home or elsewhere at the end of the day. Few take full advantage of the vast expanse of natural beauty and history that runs east from the city’s sandy beaches and north to the green and forested border, thus cutting short their stays in Northern Israel. Visitors today may arrive armed with a destination in mind, but have little idea how much there is to experience within 30 minutes to an hour of Akko. With the help of trained guides at the new Visitor Center, guests will be able to plan a one-day or multi-day visit. Options include family tours on horseback; culinary The Akko Visitors Center, under construction workshops featuring local foods and farm-to-table dining experiences; unique crafts such as blacksmithing or glassmaking; jeep tours; or a local theater event. Accommodations range from luxury hotels to bed and breakfasts and camping. “In one short visit,” says tour guide Morris Tzemach, “you can combine beautiful nature, boutique galleries, and encounters with fascinating people into a special experience, blending several sites into a customtailored all-day experience, mixing archaeology, nature, ethnic and ‘foodie’ tours, and home hospitality.” JNF has invested $3 million in the Visitor Center, which is being built in the heart of Akko’s Old City market in a 200-year-old building. Attached to Akko’s first modern hotel during the Ottoman period, the 1,400-square-foot space originally served as the hotel’s stable. Following its hotel period, the building also served as a furniture store, and has been in a dilapidated condition for 25 years. Local architect Ella Jungman has redesigned the space, merging both ancient and modern styles to showcase tourist opportunities in Akko and the surrounding areas. Taking advantage of the copious natural light, stone walls, and arched ceilings, Jungman incorporated the building’s history while giving it a bright, modern feel. For Jungman, a historical space should “not just be locked and forsaken. I take my work very seriously. It’s an incredible building and we are preserving whatever we

GO NORTH: DISCOVERING ISRAEL’S HIDDEN GEMS

Opening a Gateway

GO NORTH: DISCOVERING ISRAEL’S HIDDEN GEMS

Cooperation is Growing IN THE WESTERN GALILEE By Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod

JNF.org

Tucked away in Northern Israel, there’s a quiet, green place where Western Galilee Now (WGN) has been growing tourism since 2011 under the proud banner, “Discover. Experience. Taste.” WGN caters to the region that is east from Akko’s Mediterranean beaches to the green heights of Mount Meron, and north to the grottoes of Rosh Hanikra on the Lebanon border. Now funded by Jewish National Fund, WGN began as a grassroots movement of tour guides and small businesses, including wineries, boutique dairies, artisans and more, who pooled resources to promote the entire region. “Membership in WGN is taken seriously, and is open only to genuine tourism destinations,” said Executive Director Michal Shiloah Galnoor. “They can’t just be a business; they must have a place to welcome visitors.” Beyond a yearly membership fee, members must meet every six weeks and participate on subcommittees as well as in area-wide promotions, such as the annual DocAviv-Galilee International Film Festival. “Attendance at festivals has grown 20% each year since WGN was founded,” said Galnoor. Moreover, WGN’s standards are strict, and Galnoor says she occasionally has to remove members who don’t want to contribute cooperatively to the organization. “Each member reflects on the other. If one is not being an active participant, it has the ability to pull all members down.” Tourism isn’t just an “extra” in the Western Galilee; it provides essential income for 40% of the area’s residents. Lacking major high-tech operations, tourism allows thousands to work and live in Northern Israel, precluding the need to commute or migrate to the center of the country for employment. According to a 2009 report by the international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), “In 2007, 2,400 persons left the district, and skilled graduates frequently leave to pursue careers in the center of Israel.” “Those who have left,” said Ella Jungman, a local architect who ran a bed and breakfast in the area for years, “didn’t go because they don’t love the Galilee—they left so they can earn a living.” Galnoor believes WGN is a big part of the solution. “Tourism is the largest source of employment here,” she said. “We’re supporting families and paving the way for future generations. We are keeping people in the Galilee.” In 2012, WGN began bringing journalists to the area to experience its accommodations, workshops, heritage sites, and culinary tourism. Their success is tangible. In 2015, the region appeared for the first time in Fodor’s. Members are seeing more international visitors than ever now that WGN has put them on the map— literally. Praising “the rich cultural diversity of the area,” the OECD report also stated that that the Galilee serves as “a showcase for Jewish-Arab coexistence.” “Here, it’s peaceful,” says Jungman. “Everybody who lives here feels equally that they are a citizen and we see a future together.” Jamal Hamoud, a Druze chemist who spent 26 years in the Israeli army, is a charter WGN member with his cosmetics

Western Galilee Now

business, Aya Natural. Since joining WGN, Hamoud has shared his secrets, including traditional Druze herbs, with groups of tourists in his wood-paneled workshop. “I’m very comfortable in the group,” said Hamoud. “I don’t feel any discrimination. Everyone supports me; it’s fantastic.” Thanks to the increased exposure through WGN, many of his popular products are now sold online directly through Amazon. When WGN first began, local tour guide Morris Tzemach wasn’t familiar with other members’ businesses. “Today, I feel like I’m taking people to visit my friends,” he said. “I’m always proud to see a wine from one of ‘our’ wineries, or honey from one of ‘our’ member businesses.” As a key partner in JNF’s Go North initiative, WGN has made the area an exciting destination. WGN brought a professional photographer to spend several days in the area to create portfolios of each business. WGN also holds workshops on topics like social media marketing. “They tell me what they need,” said Galnoor, who’s greeted with hugs everywhere she goes in the area. Blacksmith Yuval Telem is also a WGN member. He creates intricate ironwork sculptures on a green mountaintop 840 meters above sea level. With his wife Mira, he opened up Café Rushka in the upstairs space of his workshop where visitors have stunning views of the surrounding hills. On weekends they serve tea, coffee, and fresh vegetarian dishes with produce from local farms. Membership in WGN has brought exposure for the café and Telem’s ironwork sculptures. “It’s full every week,” said Telem. “Everyone in here comes up from Tel Aviv.” Telem conducts demonstrations for groups in his workshop and proudly sells local honey, oil, and other products created by WGN members. WGN’s success is reflected both in numbers and in its stories. There’s Stern Winery, a family-run business that has gone from producing 1,500 bottles to 25,000 bottles in 10 years. And then there are Adam Ziv and Alaa Sawitat, an Israeli Jew and an Israeli Muslim who teamed up to open Buza, a gelato shop that focuses on flavor, not politics. Their joint initiative now employs 40 people, including 25 in the Galilee. JNF has been there all along. During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, a JNF representative called to see how tourism was doing in the area. “Tourism is the first thing that dies out,” Galnoor explained. “The war wasn’t here, but many people were drafted, and Israelis simply weren’t traveling during what should have been the peak season. So JNF helped bring 450 people from besieged Sderot and Be’er Sheva up to the sunny, peaceful Galilee. We were fully booked immediately for three tours a week. The visitors enjoyed swimming, tours, chocolate making, and a day of relaxation.” For Galnoor, the most important thing was not the extra visitors, but “the feeling that JNF was there. In America, they say JNF is ‘Your Voice in Israel.’ Well, here, I feel it’s our voice in Israel. It’s not just a slogan. In the Western Galilee, it’s about immediate action.” For more information on Western Galilee Now, visit westgalil.org.il or facebook.com/westgalilnow

TO THE WESTERN GALILEE By Leiba Chaya David

Danny Kalderon

Kalderon MD Glassware Jewish, and Muslim employees working together,” said Michal. “I believe that everyone wants the same thing— health, prosperity, peace, and understanding.” Recently, Kalderon MD opened a visitor center to showcase the process of turning raw materials into their beautiful products. The center hosts tourists and offers team building workshops to businesses and NGOs. The most recent spate of violence across Israel has proven challenging for Kalderon MD, as it has for others connected to the tourist industry. “Fewer tourists visiting the factory is the least of it,” said Michal. “The significant problem is the effect the situation has on our large-scale orders. When international tourists begin to cancel their trips, hotels have no guests. When they have no guests, they have no need for our products and they cancel orders.” Networking with others in WGN’s consortium has been an effective way to develop new ways to generate business when orders are low. “When a tour operator calls a fellow consortium member for a restaurant reservation,” Michal said, “they will automatically suggest our visitor’s center and gallery as an attractive stop on the way to dinner. Likewise, when someone visits us and is looking for activities for the following day, I can help them design an entire itinerary of WGN businesses and attractions.”

This cooperative attitude not only boosts individual businesses, it creates a feeling of cohesion and direction in the region. For example, the three-day annual Winter Festival, held at the end of December, is a joint production of local culture that involves everyone in the consortium—artists, restauranteurs, vintners, and cottage industries. “We all work hard to generate buzz and produce a great festival,” said Michal. In addition to the seasonal Galilee festivals, the Kalderons hope to develop a regional conference for glass artists, which will not only promote the glass industry, but also provide a boost to all members of WGN. Exporting high-end products from Israel is one of the Kalderon’s main goals. With the help of WGN and JNF they are expanding by launching an online Judaica store and attending international trade shows. As they develop and grow, Kalderon MD Glass Company plans to keep working together with all communities in the Western Galilee to make it an attractive place to live and visit. For more information on Kalderon MD Glass Company, please visit kalderonmd.com

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High in the hills of the Western Galilee, in a small warehouse in Kibbutz Ga’aton, the Kalderon MD Glass Company has achieved a blend of art and industry that is unique to the region. Kalderon MD produces a highend collection of custom hand-made glass tableware and one-of-a-kind creations. Both a studio and a design center, its innovative glassware is purchased by luxury hotels, banquet halls, restaurants, cafés, catering companies, museums, and fine stores around the world. Danny and Michal Kalderon followed their dreams to the Galilee in 2006, settling in Kibbutz Ga’aton to raise their family and to establish Kalderon MD (the initials represent their first names). Danny, a graduate of the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, created and taught in Bezalel’s Glass Art Department, and his work has been featured in glass exhibitions worldwide. “Danny is the heart and soul of our creations,” said Michal, who runs the commercial aspect of the company. “Our factory produces some 1,000 pieces per day, but every item is handmade under his guidance.” Danny and Michal’s mission from the beginning has been to fully integrate themselves and their work into the Galilee, helping to make it a better place to live and visit. To launch their company, the Kalderons connected to other local communities through Western Galilee Now (WGN). A Jewish National Fund supported consortium, WGN promotes awareness and appreciation for the region’s boutique wines, beers, food and produce, along with its cultural diversity, historic traditions, and the area’s scenic routes. The Kalderons are active members of WGN. They meet regularly with other boutique businesses to plan seasonal events, learn about each other’s projects, and develop strategies for attracting more people to the region. In addition, all of Kalderon MD’s employees are residents of the diverse communities scattered across the Western Galilee. “At any given time we have Christian, Druze,

GO NORTH: DISCOVERING ISRAEL’S HIDDEN GEMS

Bringing Creative Vision

GO NORTH: DISCOVERING ISRAEL’S HIDDEN GEMS

Employment:

CREATING JOBS IN THE NORTH By Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod

Olivia Eder’s homemade fudge

Population growth and retention in Northern Israel is one of the primary goals of Jewish National Fund’s Go North initiative, and one of the best ways to reach this goal is to help olim (new immigrants) find employment in the Galilee. To make this a reality, JNF has teamed up with partner organization Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) to provide the necessary tools and skills for immigrants and local Israelis to build successful lives in the North. “We are growing the North a few businesses at a time,” says Michele Kaplan-Green, director of NBN’s Go North program, which jointly sponsors the JNF-NBN Business Networking Forum and works to bring together independent entrepreneurs to develop business acumen, skills, and share success stories and expertise. Back in her native England, Olivia Eder worked in a job she hated in an accountant’s office, and always wanted to pursue a culinary career. “It’s been a passion of mine for years,” she said. “I’ve got an extremely sweet tooth.” After she and her family settled in Ma’alot, Eder decided to follow her dream and opened a shop making and selling homemade fudge. Beyond the practical challenges—sourcing real condensed milk for instance—she faced additional hurdles, such as learning to market her products effectively. That’s where the JNF-NBN Business Networking Forum came in. “It’s not just about selling your product line,” said Eder. She’s meeting customers face to face, as she did with a JNF delegation who recently visited the region. “I get to stand there while people savor my baked goods and you can see in peoples’ faces what they’re thinking. It’s kind of nerve-wracking.” As she is more comfortable in the kitchen than addressing a crowd, she found it difficult at first to speak to groups, particularly with standing up and presenting her business plan and future aspirations, but the forum has made her more comfortable. “Without the JNF-NBN Forum, I wouldn’t have the confidence that I now have to continue and keep going.” Jonathan Tristan Kemp also chose to move to Ma’alot, and has been involved in the JNF-NBN Business Networking Forum for the last eight months. He is working as a freelance graphic designer, drawing on work experience he accrued before making aliyah. “There aren’t many jobs for me in this area other than in manufacturing and that kind of thing,” said Kemp. “To move beyond that, you’ve got to try to make connections and the business networking forum does that really well.” Those connections are growing businesses. Kaplan-Green added, “One of our olim, who is establishing a clothing line, is now collaborating with a graphic designer, seamstress, and administrator he met at the business forum.” Eder says she has collaborated with members selling ceramics, weaving, and other artisanal products, presenting their wares at events in Ma’alot and elsewhere. She has even received orders from the U.S. and U.K. Both Eder and Kemp also recently joined a workshop series on effective social media marketing. “It’s exciting and energizing to work with olim and Israelis who network as they share and learn from each other,” said Kaplan-Green. “The mutual support has led to tangible results and that’s positive for the future.”

JNF-NBN Business Networking Forum

22 JNF.org Maple Syrup in Israel, a proud member of the JNF-NBN Forum

Danny Kalderon

Jonathan Tristan Kemp

For more information on the JNF-NBN Business Networking Forum, contact Michele Kaplan-Green at michele@nbn.org.il

BRIGHTENING THE WESTERN GALILEE By Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod

Erez College

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People have joked for years that after wandering so long in the desert, Moses led the Jews to the only place in the Middle East without oil or gas. That changed in 2009 with the discovery of the Tamar and Leviathan offshore natural gas fields in Northern Israel. While these resources offer the prospect of energy independence from foreign interests, Israel has few qualified practical engineers ready to service and grow this essential new industry. Until now. The Erez College Natural Gas Vocational Training Center is opening the door to new careers to the unemployed and underemployed and supplying gas energy to the entire country. Nestled in the green foothills along Israel’s northern border, the small town of Shlomi has been home to Erez College since 1975. Since its establishment, Shlomi has more than tripled in size and draws students from all over the region. Not your typical campus, Erez College’s beautiful modern building serves mostly part-time students. “Most classes are given in the evenings so our students can come after work,” said Executive Director Yossi Gimmon. “Erez College students are serious about getting ahead. Many are already working in their fields and studying at night to advance in their jobs.” Yaniv Bracha is married with two children and works during the day for Paz Oil, the largest fuel company in Israel. In the evenings, he studies in the new practical mechanical engineering program, which revolves around the college’s state-of-the-art instructional natural gas laboratories. Dedicated in March 2015, these new facilities were funded by a unique partnership between Jewish National Fund, government, public and private interests, and Israeli philanthropists—all dedicated to strengthening the Galilee. JNF helped forge this partnership as part of its Go North initiative to bring thousands of new residents to an area where employment has traditionally been scarce.

The program puts JNF at the forefront of investment in human capital in one of Israel’s most exciting new industries. Previously working as a local sales manager, Bracha said: “I jumped two levels up because of this program. Erez College gives you what you need to work in this area, and the region is only going to grow. There is no other university that gives you these tools, this education.” Darid Dagesh, a 26-year-old student at Erez College, said he receives a level of personal attention he couldn’t get elsewhere. “They teach at a high level and take care of their students, helping them join the industry. Plus,” he added, “it’s furnished with advanced equipment and more development laboratories,” meaning that he is trained on the same equipment he will use in industry positions when he graduates. By collaborating with factories and employers in the surrounding area, Erez College creates an employment opportunity pipeline. “The lecturers and managers of the college all have connections in the industry,” said Dagesh. “They can help us find jobs when we graduate.” Like Bracha, Dagesh is studying practical mechanical engineering, a highly specialized certification that qualifies young professionals to work in the new natural gas industry. Employment aside, it enables him to live a good life in the area of Israel he loves best. “It’s not crowded like the center of the country,” he said. “There’s nature, there’s the sea. Life is simpler here. The Erez College center of the country has the high-tech industry, in the North we have the natural gas industry.” “We are here to help people find jobs,” said Gimmon. “We focus on the Galilee’s residents and give them the opportunity to stay in the region. The school’s goals are twofold, we want each student to realize his or her potential and for the region to realize its potential as well. That way, we strengthen the Galilee.” A multicultural school with students from all faiths and ethnic backgrounds—Jews and Arabs, Druze, Christians, and Muslims— Erez College “is even more beneficial for Arab students,” Gimmon believes, “as they are traditionally at a disadvantage in finding work. If we want them to realize their potential, this is exactly the kind of education they need. If you grew up in the Galilee, and you want to live here, we want you to know that you have opportunities.” And that’s what Erez College and JNF are providing to Israel’s residents in the North: opportunities to build a thriving society with ample employment options while developing the Galilee’s economic and industrial potential.

GO NORTH: DISCOVERING ISRAEL’S HIDDEN GEMS

Natural Gas and Beyond

GO NORTH: DISCOVERING ISRAEL’S HIDDEN GEMS

Israeli Volunteers Aid GALILEAN FARMERS By Shoshana Bederman, JNF Westchester Board Member

JNF.org

I first heard about HaShomer HaChadash at a Jewish National Fund board meeting where I met Seth Davis, who is the resource development director for the organization. Hebrew for “The New Guardian,” HaShomer HaChadash was founded in 2007 with the objective of preserving and safekeeping the land of Israel through social action and education. Their mission is twofold: on the ground they protect farmers and ranchers by preventing theft and providing security against those who seek to drive Israeli farmers from their land. They also educate young people about the importance of the land and Zionist ideology, and teach the history of the early pioneers who settled the land of Israel. As an activist for Israel, I was intrigued. It was during my trip to Israel in summer 2015 that I joined Seth on a day-long tour of this JNF partner program in the Galilee. I met with young people from all over Israel who volunteered for a gap year before their army service, and chose to participate in a program to live and work the land in Northern Israel. I spoke to a young man named Itay from Ramot Hashavim, an affluent town in the Sharon area, and asked him what he was learning during the year he was spending with HaShomer. He smiled and told me, “I’m learning to read books.” I asked him, “You mean to tell me that a 19-year-old like yourself has not read books before?” Chuckling, he answered, “Of course I read books in school, but in this tech age when all my information comes from social media and we are plugged in, you don’t get a chance to pick up a paperback and really read for enjoyment. I’m doing a lot of thinking about who I am and my Jewish identity.” Seth took me to the female young leadership housing area, where four 19-yearold girls greeted me. In addition to performing the gritty daily farm work and herding goats, the women also prepare and deliver food to local families in need. When I asked them what they believed they would take away from this experience, they said, “You don’t leave the way you came. The experience matures you, you learn about yourself, become selfreliant, and how to get along within a group.” This year, over 20,000 young people are taking part in HaShomer’s various programs. They clear rocks and weeds, build stone terraces, harvest olive trees, and receive lessons in Israel’s history. The young leaders also have two classes a day in subjects such as Heritage, Judaica, Arabic, and Krav Maga (self-defense). On the weekend they go on trips, hikes, and socialize with young people from the surrounding towns. Agricultural lands in the Galilee and Negev can suffer at times from theft of livestock and arson fires that destroy acres of farm land. To combat destructive fires, HaShomer has

HaShomer HaChadash

partnered with JNF to provide forestry guard watches to extinguish fires and reduce arsons. Elad Halimi is their on-the-ground coordinator of the northern region, and a first responder. He drove me to farm grounds that were completely charred as a result of arson fires, and explained just how much farmers suffer from this damage. I also had the opportunity to speak with Peleg Avrusky, a second generation farmer who HaShomer helps in the Galilee at the Ein Camonim farm. His father was a pioneer who believed in settling the Galilee, and today, Peleg follows in his footsteps. He grows olive trees, presses olive oil, raises goats that produce cheese that has won a prize in France, and runs a farm-to-table restaurant. Peleg shared the hardships he faced as a farmer in the Galilee: once almost all his goats went missing while he reported to reserve duty. While Peleg doesn’t believe that the actions of a few speak for the broader neighboring communities, he explained that there are groups who want to drive the farmers from their land and profit from the stolen sheep and goats. The police cannot address all the infractions, and hiring guards is too expensive. He credits HaShomer for making it possible for him and his family to stay. Its volunteers help him on the farm, herd the goats, and build stone fences. As I walked around the farm grounds Seth told me about the farmers who were forced to abandon their land because they could not fend off the attacks and work the land at the same time. I realized the vital critical role that HaShomer HaChadash fills in these parts of Israel. Seth put it this way: “We are planting seeds for the next generations while creating a significant presence on the land of today. These young people are learning about their history and establishing a legacy while helping the people who work the land and the surrounding communities.” For more information about HaShomer HaChadash, contact Seth Davis, Resource Development Director at HaShomer HaChadash at seth@hashomer.org.il

Shoshana with a young leader at HaShomer HaChadash

THE GALILEE’S HISTORIC SITES By Leiba Chaya David

With dozens of historical sites, beautiful ancient ruins, and scenic landscapes, the Eastern Galilee is the gateway to Israel’s storied and colorful past and offers much for tourists and Israelis to enjoy. Tourism is one of the economic lifelines that defines Northern Israel, and showcasing the region’s rich history is a sure path to increasing the number of people who spend time there.

Old Gesher: Bridging the Past to the Present

National Fund’s Go North initiative is helping promote, expand, and attract new residents to the kibbutz. The old kibbutz and bridges remained in ruins until 1989, when the Society for the Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites (SPIHS) restored the site. JNF’s support of Old Gesher, now a registered national heritage site, has been invaluable in enabling the restoration of buildings and the development of an educational program. “It’s no doubt that JNF has been one of the Society’s most important partners here, taking a significant leadership role in the site’s direction,” said Noa Gefen, executive vice-chairwoman of SPIHS. “Now, as the Go North campaign intensifies, JNF is helping revitalize Old Gesher as an essential tourist attraction and a place of employment for local residents.” Indeed, preservation is only one aspect of the farreaching vision of the Old Gesher Educational Center. For Nirit Bagron, educational director of the site and a third-generation member of Kibbutz Gesher, bringing the past into the present is essential. Bagron explains that as JNF and the Israeli government continue to promote increased population in the North, more families are considering Kibbutz Gesher as an option. “It’s important to revitalize the area,” she said, “yet at the same time, understand the roots of the community, the central values that shaped this place.”

Gateway to the Jordan Valley: Beit She’an National Park Located in the Jordan Valley, near the Valley of Springs, Beit She’an is home to one of Israel’s magnificent ancient sites. The ruins at Beit She’an have survived as a reminder of the city’s importance as empires rose and fell. Today, the ruins are part of the National Park of Beit She’an and feature a wellpreserved theater, the oldest public bath in the land of Israel, two large colonnaded streets, a Roman temple, mosaic artwork, and a basilica. Founded over 5,000 years ago, Beit She’an was conquered and occupied by the great armies of the time: Egyptian, Philistine, Israelite, Assyrian, Greek, Roman, and Arab. It is even said that following the famous Biblical battle on Mount Gilboa, Philistine rulers of Beit She’an hung King Saul’s body on the city’s walls. Upon Israel’s rebirth in 1948, the ancient city had been

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Situated halfway between Tiberius and Beit She’an lies Old Gesher, where visitors are taken through centuries of history, walking in the footsteps of empires that sought a gateway into the Jordan Valley. The word gesher (“bridge” in Hebrew) points to the three impressive bridges that have withstood the test of time—a Roman pathway bridge, a Turkish railway bridge, and a British road bridge. This strategic stretch of land was purchased in 1900 by the Jewish Colonization Association. Over the next several decades, to solidify hold of this land near the Jordanian border and the river crossing, various pioneering groups attempted to develop the site. Most notable was the construction of a hydroelectric power station in 1927, which was initiated by Zionist visionary Pinchas Rutenberg and paved the way for the establishment of the Israel Electric Company. Nearby lies Kibbutz Gesher which was founded in 1939 by a group of young people from the Labor youth movement, and subsequently invaded by the Jordanian Arab Legion and the Iraqi Army during the War of Independence in 1948. After the war, the kibbutz relocated to its current site, less than half a mile west, and today, it is a socially and economically stable kibbutz with a population of more than 600. Jewish

Old Gesher and Beit She’an National Park

GO NORTH: DISCOVERING ISRAEL’S HIDDEN GEMS

Visiting and Experiencing

in considerable decline. After extensive renovation and preservation efforts by the Israeli government and municipal authorities, old Beit She’an has become a must-see tourist attraction and a beacon of pride for the residents of the city. The amphitheater is used today as a popular venue for events and concerts by Israeli and foreign artists, and the park holds She’an Nights, a nightly multi-sensory multimedia light and sound show. The city’s proximity to a number of springs also makes it an attractive location for families looking to spend the day out. Beit She’an and its amazing ruins attract over 300,000 visitors per year, and the site truly is the gateway to exploring historical sites in the surrounding area. n For more information on Old Gesher and Beit She’an National Park, visit naharayim.co.il and goisrael.com. For information about other historical sites, visit eng.shimur.org

OUT & ABOUT WITH

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

$1,000,000 Lifetime

$100,000 Lifetime

$100,000 Annual

$25,000 Annual

$10,000 Annual

$5,000 Annual

NEW ENGLAND

26 JNF.org (L-R) Sandy Davis (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), New England Director Sara Hefez, and Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Davis (Century Council, Negev Society) at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

Event emcee David Goodtree (Century Council, President’s Society) and his wife, Rabbi Leslie Gordon (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), at JNF’s New England Breakfast.

(L-R back row) New England President Larry Cohen (Century Council, President’s Society) and event host Fred Young. (L-R front row) Yerucham Mayor Michael Biton, Boston President Emeritus and VP of Communities & Regions Michael Blank (Century Council, President’s Society), and Boston President Jeffrey Woolf (Century Council, President’s Society).

(L-R back row) JNF-KKL Emissary Rami Hazan, Deputy Consul General of Israel to New England Matan Zamir, Boston President Jeffrey Woolf (Century Council, President’s Society), Boston President Emeritus and VP of Communities & Regions Michael Blank (Century Council, President’s Society), Breakfast Co-Chair Judith Sydney (Sapphire Society), Breakfast Co-Chair Isaac Edry (Herzl Society), author and featured speaker Seth M. Siegel (President’s Society), Breakfast Co-Chair Steven London (Herzl Society). (L-R front row): Breakfast Co-Chair Judi Elovitz Greenberg (Century Council, Sapphire Society), New England Director Sara Hefez, Breakfast Advisor Todd Patkin (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society), and JNF-KKL Chief Israel Emissary Talia Tzour Avner.

New England Director Sara Hefez and New England President Larry Cohen (Century Council, President’s Society) presented outgoing Boston President Michael Blank (Century Council, President’s Society) with a plaque as thanks for his dedication and generosity. Michael is now serving as the National VP of Communities and Regions.

(L-R) Paula London (Herzl Society) and Executive Board Member Steve London (Herzl Society) hosted a VIP evening as part of the New England Water Summit, featuring Let There Be Water author Seth M. Siegel (President’s Society).

Chai Society Chair Risa Aronson (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and Executive Board Member Steve Aronson (Century Council, President’s Society) at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

Featured Speaker and author Seth M. Siegel (President’s Society) with Breakfast Advisor Todd Patkin (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) at the 2015 breakfast.

(L-R) Boston President Emeritus and VP of Communities & Regions Michael Blank (Century Council, President’s Society), Pat Blank (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), National VP of Campaign Ken Segel (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society), Mary Woolf (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and Boston President Jeffrey Woolf (Century Council, President’s Society) in Israel on JNF’s President’s Society Mission.

(L-R) JNF-KKL Emissary Rami Hazan, Co-Director of AMHSI-JNF Rabbi Leor Sinai, and General Campaign Chair and Board of Directors Member Zev Steinmetz (Herzl Society).

(L-R) Boston President Emeritus and VP of Communities & Regions Michael Blank (Century Council, President’s Society), Sapphire Society President Amy Parsons (Century Council, Negev Society, Lifetime Sapphire), and speaker Ron Nehring at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

(L-R) JNF-KKL Chief Israel Emissary Talia Tzour Avner, Claire and Marc Perlman (World Chairman’s Council), Ben Perlman, and Boston President Emeritus and VP of Communities & Regions Michael Blank (Century Council, President’s Society).

FLORIDA

(L-R) Orlando President Debbie Meitin (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) in Halutza visiting Nava Uner at the Young Farmer’s Incubator greenhouses during JNF’s Spirit of Israel Mission.

(L-R) Len Glaser (Herzl Society) with guest speaker IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog, and Helen Glaser (Sapphire Society) at the Sarasota Meet and Greet hosted at the home of Alexandra and Greg Band in Sarasota.

(L-R) Tampa Bay Board Co-President Mary Ellen Hogan (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) with guest speaker IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog and Didi Almog, Tampa Bay Board Co-President Ida Raye Chernin (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at the Tampa Meet and Greet hosted at the (L-R) Howard Kestenberg (Century Council, home of Richard Rappaport in Tampa. Negev Society) with Gerald Levinson, and Brenda Johnston (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the Sarasota Meet and Greet hosted at the home of Alexandra and Greg Band in Sarasota.

(L-R) Didi Almog and guest speaker IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog with Caryn and Orlando Board Member Mark Israel (Century Council, Negev Society) at a Cocktails and Conversation reception at the home of Caryn and Mark Israel in Orlando. (L-R) Northern California Board Member Dayna Titus (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) with JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, Tampa Bay Board Member Richard Rappaport (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society) at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

(L-R) Neil Malamud (Century Council, President’s Society) with Sandra Malamud (Century Council, President’s Society) and JNF-Ammunition Hill Liaison Yoel Rosby at a dinner in Sarasota.

(L-R) Tampa Bay Board Member Dr. Lynne Merriam (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and LOTEM guide Raz Rutman with Dr. Fred Merriam (President’s Society) visiting Nahal HaShofet at LOTEM-Making Nature Accessible in Israel.

(L-R) Tampa Bay Board Member Tina Gordon (Sapphire Society) pinned new Sapphire Society member Deena Silver (Sapphire Society) at the Tampa Bay Chai Tea hosted at the home of Sharon Stein in Tampa.

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

(L-R) Assistant Vice President of Campaign and Major Gifts Chairman Bruce Gould (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society) with Orlando Director Laura Abramson at Ramat David Air Force Base during JNF’s Spirit of Israel Mission.

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(L-R) Tampa Bay Board Member Meg Moskovitz (Negev Society, Sapphire Society) with Tampa Bay Board CoChairman Betsy Marcadis (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and Marty Solomon (Century Council, President’s Society) at Tampa Bay JNF Breakfast for Israel at Centers Club in Tampa.

(L-R) Didi Almog with guest speaker IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog, Tampa Bay Board Member Richard Rappaport (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society), Northern California Board Member Dayna Titus (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the Tampa Bay Meet and Greet hosted at the home of Richard Rappaport in Tampa.

(L-R) Orlando Board Members Jill Riola (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) with Didi Almog and guest speaker IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog and Jim Riola (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society) at a JNF Lawyers For Israel Event at the Law Offices of Carlton Fields Jorden Burt in Orlando.

(L-R) Chairs of the Spirit of Israel Mission Valerie Shapiro (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and Jim Shapiro (Century Council, President’s Society) in Jerusalem during JNF’s Spirit of Israel Mission.

(L-R) Broward Board Past President Vivian Grossman (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society, Lifetime Sapphire), Assistant Vice President of Campaign and Major Gifts Chairman Bruce Gould (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society), Broward Board Past President Beckie Fischer (Century Council, Sapphire Society), Executive Director of Major Gifts Glen Schwartz at the Board Presidents Dinner Reception held at the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Ft. Lauderdale.

(L-R) Marni Kriss (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) with Miami-Dade Board President Ron Kriss (President’s Society), Past South Palm Beach Board President Michael Lazar (Century Council, Negev Society), and Sydelle Lazar (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at the Board Presidents Dinner Reception held at the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Ft. Lauderdale.

(L-R) Past Palm Beach Board President Irving Wiseman (Century Council, President’s Society) and Marian Wiseman (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the Board Presidents Dinner Reception held at the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Ft. Lauderdale.

(L-R) Guest speaker and writer Yossi Klein Halevi with Miami-Dade Board President Ron Kriss (President’s Society), and Miami-Dade Board Member Marni Kriss (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the 2016 Miami-Dade and Broward Campaign Kickoff Event held in Aventura.

(L-R) Palm Beach Director Laura Sherry with South Palm Beach Director Lee Lebovich and Rose Kaufman (Century Council) in Boca Raton.

(L-R) Murray Simpson (Century Council, Herzl Society) with guest speaker and writer Yossi Klein Halevi and Sandy Best (Sapphire Society) at the 2016 Miami-Dade and Broward Campaign Kickoff Event held in Aventura.

(L-R) Didi Almog with IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog, Arlene and Keith Silver (Century Council, Negev Society), and Director of Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran Avi Wortzman meeting in Ft. Myers. (L-R) Cantor Elaine Shapiro (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) with Cynthia Hertz (Century Council, Sapphire Society), Palm Beach Director Laura Sherry, Jim Anchin (Herzl Society), and Robbie Puritz-Hayes at a Palm Beach Board of Directors meeting in Palm Beach.

(L-R) Ad Shuster (Presidents Society) with Vivian Grossman (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society, Lifetime Sapphire), Art Silber (Century Council), Cantor Elaine Shapiro (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and South Palm Beach Board Member Ron Lewittes at the Annual South Florida Board Retreat in Boca Raton.

(L-R) Glenn Grossman (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society) with Broward Board President Alan Cohn, South Palm Beach Board President Dr. Rob Colton (Century Council, President’s Society), Past Broward Board President Larry Behar, Claire Behar, and Skippy the dog at the Board Presidents Dinner Reception held at the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Ft. Lauderdale.

(L-R) South Palm Beach Director Lee Lebovich with Edith Stein (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and Martin Stein (President’s Society) at the Annual South Florida Board Retreat in Boca Raton. (L-R) Vice President of Israel Relations Myron Stayman (Century Council, Negev Society) at the Annual South Florida Board Retreat in Boca Raton.

MIDWEST

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

(L-R) Candy Carter (Sapphire Society) and Rob Mintz (Century Council, President’s Society) at the National Conference Gala. (L-R) Bruce Gould (World Chairman’s Council, King Solomon Society) with Marci and Keith Shapiro (Herzl Society) at the National Conference Major Donors Dessert Reception.

(L-R back row) Consul General of Israel to the Midwest Roey Gilad, Nitza Gilad, Lisa Gendell (Century Council, President’s Society), Scott Gendell (Century Council, President’s Society). (L-R front row) Susan Sacks (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Marcia Rubin (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Karen Berk Barak, Deb Lust Zaluda (Sapphire Society) at JNF’s National Conference.

(L-R) Outgoing Southern Ohio and Kentucky President Ron Solomon (Century Council) and incoming President Jan Armstrong Cobb (Sapphire Society) at the board induction ceremony.

Southern Ohio and Kentucky President Jan Armstrong Cobb (Sapphire Society) and National WFI President Nina Paul (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at JNF’s National Conference.

Colonel Irving Schoenberg (Herzl Society) received recognition for his contribution to Ammunition Hill from JNF Chief Planned Giving Officer Matt Bernstein at a private ceremony in Atlanta.

(L-R back row) Aviva Postelnik, Janis Dickman, JNF Regional Director Beth Gluck, Michael Jacobson, Alan Lubel (Herzl Society). (L-R front row) Sharon Levison, Roni Wolk (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Atlanta JNF Board Co-Presidents Alan Wolk (President’s Society), Howard Wexler (Herzl Society), and Sharon Segall at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

(L-R) Jill Harris, Rosi Fiedotin (President’s Society), Melissa Bernstein (Sapphire Society), Carole Salzberg (Sapphire Society), Roni Wolk (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Marcy Friedland, Gladys Hirsch, and Debbie Levinson at the Atlanta Board of Trustees luncheon in Atlanta.

(L-R) Josh Rovner (Century Council), Ben Klein (Century Council), Batya Klein (Century Council, Lifetime Sapphire), Shevy Rovner (Century Council, Lifetime Sapphire), and Director of Strategic Partnerships at Nefesh B’Nefesh Doreet Freedman.

(L-R) Mort Zuckerman (World Chairman’s Council) and IDF Major General (Res.) Doron Almog with a resident at Aleh NegevNahalat Eran.

New York Board Member Penny Rosen (Century Council) with JNF Israel Operations Development Officer Ariel Kotler at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

(L-R) Jeff Rubin (President’s Society) and Marcia Rubin (President’s Council, Sapphire Society) with Andrea and Arik Amzaleg at the National Conference Gala. Ian Guttman (Century Council, President’s Society), Lois Roddy, Aimee Guttman (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society,), and Isabella Guttman enjoyed JNF’s National Conference Gala in Chicago.

(L-R) Northern Ohio Board President Michael Jacobson (Herzl Society), with Northern Ohio Board Members Wendy Levick, Barry Feldman (Negev Society) and Sandra Zieve (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a Thank You Brunch.

SOUTHERN

28 JNF.org Northern Ohio Board Member Daniel Geller (Herzl Society) planted a tree at Neot Kedumim.

(L-R) Nancy Kay (Century Council, Negev Society), Northern Ohio Director Mindy Feigenbaum, Noreen KoppelmanGoldstein (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and Margo Vinney at JNF’s Women for Israel Cooking Demonstration.

GREATER NEW YORK

(L-R) Jerry Berko (Century Council), Be’er (L-R) Northern New Jersey Regional Sheva Mayor Ruvick Danilovich, and Honie Director Jocelyn Inglis, Ben Gutmann (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) Berko (Century Council, Sapphire Society). with NNJ President Bruce Pomerantz (Herzl Society) at the last board meeting with Ben as President.

New York Board Member Sheila Scharfman (Century Council, Lifetime Sapphire) with Sheryl Bucholtz (Century Council, Lifetime Sapphire) at the New York City Real Estate Leonard Litwin Tree of Life™ Award Dinner.

(L-R) Long Island Board Members Larry Ingber (Herzl Society), Rubin Pikus (Century Council), and Sharon Pikus (Century Council), Elyse Ingber (Herzl Society), Long Island Board President Michael Kessler (Century Council, President’s Society), JoAnne Engel (Century Council, President’s Society), Long Island Board Member Mark Engel (Century Council, President’s Society), and Long Israel Regional Director Howard Ingram.

IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Tiran Attia of Special in Uniform with NY Board Member Debby Reigel (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) on the LFI Mission trip.

MID-ATLANTIC

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

(L-R) JNF National President Jeffrey Levine Bonnie and Jacob Goren (President’s Susan and Ben Gutmann (World Chairman’s (World Chairman’s Council), Ofer Yardeni Society) at the New York City Real Estate Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) (Negev Society), and Gary Jacob (Century Leonard Litwin Tree of Life™ Award Dinner. on JNF’s President’s Mission to Israel. Council) at the New York City Real Estate Leonard Litwin Tree of Life™ Award Dinner.

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(L-R) DC Board Members Dr. Chet Stein Dr. Larry Amsterdam (Century Council, President’s Society), Nanci Seff (Lifetime (Century Council, Negev Society), Chuck Sapphire, Century Council), Dr. Cliff Faber (President’s Society), and Joe Marzouk Fax (Herzl Society, Century Council), and (Century Council) at a major donor event outside DC. Gary Kushner (President’s Society, Century Council) at the 2015 DC Board Installation.

Melanie and Rene Moreno (President’s Society) at the DC Board Installation.

Dr. Chet Stein (Century Council, Negev Society), Rita Stein (Lifetime Sapphire, Century Council), Adrienne Rulnick (Sapphire Society), and Sheldon Sacks (Herzl Society), at the DC Board Installation.

Orly Shalem (Sapphire Society), National Campaign Director Diane Scar (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and Nanci Seff (Century Council, Sapphire Society) at the Maryland WFI Kick-Off Reception in Baltimore.

Mimi Kress (Sapphire Society), event speaker and author Anita Diamant, and Rita Stein ( Lifetime Sapphire, Negev Society) at a DC JNF WFI Reception.

Dr. Ellie Taylor (Century Council, Lifetime Sapphire, President’s Society) and Susie Levene (Sapphire Society) at a recent Sapphire Society dinner in Baltimore.

Debra Moser (Sapphire Society) received a new diamond in recognition of her renewed commitment to the Sapphire Society from Ken Krupsky (Century Council, President’s Society), at a JNF Mid-Atlantic Region reception in Potomac.

Mid-Atlantic President Baruch Fellner (Century Council, President’s Society), awarded a historic map of Israel by Chuck Fax (Century Council, Herzl Society), in recognition of his dedication and commitment to JNF’s Mid-Atlantic Region at a reception in Potomac.

Foreign policy expert and event speaker Elliott Abrams with DC JNF Board Member Jeff Menick (Century Council, Herzl Society) at the DC Board Installation.

Maryland Sapphire Society Co-Chair Jayne Klein (World Chairman’s Council, Lifetime Sapphire, Negev Society) and event host Shelly Malis (Sapphire Society) at her home in Baltimore for a JNF WFI Fall Reception.

WESTERN

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

2015 Las Vegas Major Donor Appreciation Chairs Sharon Solomon (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and Steve Solomon (Century Council and President’s Society).

Janet Wellish (Sapphire Society) and Dr. Suzanne Green at the Las Vegas Donor Appreciation Dinner.

Danit Farwell (Sapphire Society) and Richard Farwell at the Las Vegas Major Donor Appreciation Dinner.

(L-R) Las Vegas Board President Bernice Friedman (President’s Society and Sapphire Society) with JNF Las Vegas Director Shawn Willis, and Desert States Executive Director Deb Rochford at the 2015 Las Vegas Major Donor Appreciation Dinner.

Minda Kataczinsky (Sapphire Society) and Nachman Kataczinsky (Negev Society) at the Las Vegas Major Donor Appreciation Dinner.

(L-R) Former Northern California Regional Director Aaron Parker (Herzl Society), Northern California Board Member Laura Olson (Sapphire Society), and Dick Rosenberg (President’s Society) at the October JNF Northern California Board meeting in San Francisco.

(L-R) JNF-KKL Emissary Tal Shaked, Northern California Board Member Frances Lee Kaufman (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society, Lifetime Sapphire), Northern California Board Chairman John Rothmann, and Northern California Board Member Helen Loewenstein (Sapphire Society Chair) at the October JNF Northern California board meeting in San Francisco.

Women For Israel Colorado Chair and Board Member Barbara Burry (Sapphire Society) with Board Member Bettina Kurowski (Sapphire Society) at a JNF WFI Speaker Series event at the home of Bettina Kurowski.

National Board Members Dr. Toby Mower (World Chairman Council, Negev Society, Lifetime Sapphire) and Dr. Mort Mower (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago. Gracie Freedman (Sapphire Society) with JNF WFI Colorado Chair and Board Member Barbara Burry (Sapphire Society) at a JNF WFI Speaker Series event at the home of Kathy Berenstein.

(L-R) Kathy Berenstein and Board Member Nancy Siegel (Lifetime Sapphire) with JNF National Vice Chair Alyse Golden Berkley (Century Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire) at a JNF WFI Speaker Series event at the home of Kathy Berenstein.

30 JNF.org Rita Balaban (Sapphire Society) with National Board Member Dr. Melinda Wolf (Century Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire) at a JNF WFI Speaker Series event at the home of Hazel Melmed.

Northern California Board President Dick Berman (Century Council, Negev Society) with George Frankenstein at the October JNF Northern California Board meeting in San Francisco.

Harvey Belfer (Century Council, President’s JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson with Theresa Society) at the Arizona Major Donor Thank Lungwitz (President’s Society, Sapphire You event in Phoenix. Society) at the Arizona Major Donor Thank You event in Phoenix. Susan Farber (Sapphire Society) and Shirli Borenstein (Sapphire Society) at the Arizona Major Donor Thank you event.

Aloha Saxon (Century Council, Sapphire Inga Behr (Century Council, Lifetime Sapphire) with JNF-Ammunition Hill Liaison Society) receives recognition for hosting the Laguna Woods Planned Giving event. Yoel Rosby at the Orange County Laguna Woods Planned Giving event.

Marcia Stein (Herzl Society) and Sheri Borax (Century Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire) at the AMHSIJNF parlor meeting in Palm Springs.

JNF-Ammunition Hill Liaison Yoel Rosby with Orange County President Jeff Goodman (Century Council, President’s Society) at an Orange County Parlor Meeting.

(L-R) Myra Chack Fleischer (Century Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire), San Diego Board President Lauren Lizerbram (Century Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire), Judith Lief (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), and Marti Eisenberg (Sapphire Society) at the San Diego WFI Luncheon at the House of Israel in Balboa Park.

(L-R) Jimmy Borax (Century Council, President’s Society), Co-Executive Director of AMHSI-JNF Rabbi Leor Sinai, Sheri Borax (Century Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire), and Ron Werner at the AMHSI-JNF parlor meeting in Palm Springs.

(L-R) JNF San Diego Director Amy Hart, Myra Chack Fleischer (Century Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire), San Diego Board President Lauren Lizerbram (Century Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire), JNF-LOTEM Liaison Alisa Bodner, Judith Lief (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), and Marti Eisenberg (Sapphire Society) at the San Diego WFI Luncheon at the House of Israel in Balboa Park.

(L-R) Stephen Schutz, Susan Polis Schutz, performer Peter Yarrow, San Diego Board President Lauren Lizerbram (Century Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire), and Sol Lizerbram (Century Council, President’s Society) at the C. Hugh Friedman Parlor meeting in San Diego. David Levy (Herzl Society) with Jessica Goodman at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

NORTHEAST

National Board Member Joe Korn and Beth CNJ Board Member and WFI Regional CoKorn (Century Council, President’s Society) Chair Phyllis Solomon (Sapphire Society) at the Tree of Life™ Dinner in New York. and Myrna Metzger (Sapphire Society) at the WFI Parlor Meeting at the home of Phyllis Solomon, where Myrna received her President of JNF WFI Nina Paul (Century Council, Lifetime Sapphire, Negev Society) Sapphire Pin. and CNJ Board Member and WFI Regional Co-Chair Phyllis Solomon (Sapphire Society) Vicki Solomon (Negev Society, Sapphire at the WFI Parlor Meeting at the home of Society) and Vice President Central New Phyllis Solomon. Jersey Board Alyssa Russo (Sapphire Society) at the CNJ Major Donor Thank You event.

(L-R) Central New Jersey Board Member and WFI Regional Co-Chair Phyllis Solomon (Sapphire Society), JNF Chief Executive Officer Russell F. Robinson and Central New Jersey Board Member and WFI Regional Co-Chair Marci Robinson (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a Major Donor Thank You event.

(L-R) Central New Jersey Senior Campaign Executive Michael Zimmerman, Central New Jersey Board President Andrew Solomon (Negev Society), and Vicki Solomon (Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at a Major Donor Thank You event.

(L-R) Lenore Bernstein Rattner (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), JNF Chief Executive Officer Russell F. Robinson, and Melissa Segal (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the Major Donor Thank You event.

The Barsky family at JNFuture’s Margate Meets Tel Aviv: (L-R) Cara; Scott, Eastern Pennsylvania JNF Board Vice President (Herzl Society); Andrea; and Danielle.

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

(L-R) General Campaign Chair Central New Jersey Board Barbara Bortniker (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and Susan Grossman (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a Parlor Meeting featuring Executive Vice Chairwoman of the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites Noa Gefen where Susan received her Sapphire Pin.

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Ellen Holtzman and Sarah Wolfson with Eastern Pennsylvania Executive Board Members Joseph Wolfson (Century Council, President’s Society), and Alan and Louise Dabrow (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at Margate Meets Tel Aviv.

(L-R back row) Jeffrey and Susan Schwartz (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), Ellen and Marc Kelman (Century Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire Society). (L-R front row) Dale Danilewitz and Jackie Danilewitz (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Steven and Lori Dabrow (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), at JNF’s National Conference in Chicago.

Southern New Jersey JNF Board President Eva Schlanger (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), with guest speaker Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, and Marvin Schlanger (Century Council, Negev Society) at Southern New Jersey’s Main Event Gala.

Consul General of Israel David Siegel and JNF WFI Luncheon Honoree Beverly Cohen (Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.

JNF Los Angeles Executive Vice President Robert Wise, Senior Campaign Executive Jodi Marcus, Tom Morgan (Century Council and Negev Society), and Executive Director Louis Rosenberg at the annual Poker Tournament at the Commerce Casino.

Southern New Jersey JNF Board Member Helene Blumenfeld (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), with guest speaker Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, and Southern New Jersey JNF Board Member Alan Blumenfeld (Century Council, President’s Society) at Southern New Jersey’s Main Event Gala.

Southern New Jersey JNF Board Member Peter Fischer (Century Council, Negev Society), with guest speaker Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, and Southern New Jersey JNF Board Member Betsy Fischer (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at Southern New Jersey’s Main Event Gala.

LOS ANGELES

WFI Co-chairs Gina Raphael (Century Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire Member) and Judy Levin (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), with Orna Delrahim (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at the WFI Luncheon in Beverly Hills.

Poker Chair Rob Schiller (Herzl Society) with JNF Los Angeles Executive Director Louis Rosenberg at the Commerce Casino in Commerce.

Seth Staszower (Herzl Society) and Jason Cohen focused on their hands at the annual JNF Poker Tournament at the Commerce Casino.

Experiencing Northern Israel Through Taste

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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JNF.org

Jewish sources have many things to say when it comes building a strong, local community. It is even written in the Talmud that “There can be no joy without food and drink.” This is certainly rings true when we look at how various societies and cultures around the world have developed their communal traditions based on food and drink. A culture is felt and experienced through its food. The foodie nation is everywhere you turn and chefs of our tiny, beloved Israel are making a name for themselves as some of the best in the world. As we try and establish the communities of Northern Israel, food and food culture are intertwined and integral. On our Social Media Mission last summer, as we

busily traveled around gathering content and meeting with people, we also stopped to enjoy many good meals, one of which was at Arnold’s on Moshav Nativ Hashayara (profiled in our Food & Wine section). Chef Uri Arnon, owner of Arnold’s, hails originally from Tel Aviv but has crisscrossed the world honing and perfecting his culinary skills. This eclectic mix of experiences manifests in his menus, which fuse French and Mediterranean cuisines, not to mention world class wines and beers. Today, Chef Arnon embodies the spirit of the Israeli pioneer with his successful business, which is a part of Western Galilee Now, a consortium of small businesses that contribute to the life and culture of the North. JNF works with these entrepreneurs to grow the region, a fundamental goal of its Go North initiative. After consuming the tastes of the North, we’ve since launched a weekly recipe column. Social media is as much about the brand as it is about engagement, and “social” friends love to engage with food and recipes. Each week, we post a recipe on our blog and share on Facebook and Twitter, just in time for Shabbat and to enhance your Shabbat table. The recipes don’t stand alone—they are intricately linked to stories from our partners, many of whom are in Israel’s north. If you want people to move to an area, you’ve got to have good food, especially for those foodies! Check out the hashtag #JNFoodie and stay tuned for each week’s post. Even better, take a stab at creating the dish

THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR LEGACY? Marjorie & Joseph Hess have... They named JEWISH NATIONAL FUND in their Will “We included Jewish National Fund in our estate plan because JNF has, and continues to provide vision and resources that enhance the quality of life for all the citizens of Israel.” Marjorie & Joseph Hess, Garden Grove, CA

Request a free Wills Guide to learn how to leave your Legacy to Jewish National Fund in your will or trust. Contact a JNF Planned Giving Specialist Today!

jnflegacy.org • 800.562.7526

and if you do, please share it with us! We want to see all your delectable creations. The future of Israel’s north will be full of culture and a foodie community that is second to none. Through the vast world of social media we are spreading that future, now. n Follow us on Facebook (Jewish National Fund), Twitter (@jnfusa) and Instagram (@jnfusa). For more information, contact Miriam Braun at mbraun@jnf.org

Let JNF Speakers Bureau bring Israel to your community.

SPEAKERS BUREAU

Find the best speakers for meetings, community events, synagogue gatherings, retreats, or conferences. Gain insight and unparalleled perspectives on Israel, JNF, and other vital topics.

jnf.org/speakers • speakers@jnf.org • 212-879-9307

Witnessing Israel’s Legal System with JNF’s Law and Justice Tour A SECURITY BRIEFING FROM THE ISRAELI

Special in Uniform participants touched me tremendously,” Lt. Wagner said. “Being in law enforcement, there is great importance placed on inclusion, teamwork, and responsibility, which is exactly what Special in Uniform does for youth with special needs,” he said. Lt. Wagner even brought along some of his sheriff’s office shoulder patches to give to the soldiers. n For more information on JNF’s Lawyers for Israel group, please contact Jessica Schapiro at jschapiro@jnf.org or at 212.879.9305 x297

LOTEM’s Mother Nature Program Experience Helps Women In Need Israel’s JEWISH NATIONAL FUND’S PARTNER

organization LOTEM-Making Nature Accessible is the leading organization in Israel offering accessible hikes and educational nature activities to individuals with special needs. Five years ago, LOTEM began Mother Nature, a program designed to bring groups of women and children from domestic violence shelters on empowering encounters with nature. The opportunity to leave shelters and experience days of respite in nature helps the women and children regain trust in their surroundings, while strengthening the parent-child relationship. The experiences help them transition back into normal, independent living. With 13 shelters across Israel, LOTEM’s Mother Nature program assists hundreds of women and children in need. One participant in the program, Portia, originally from San Francisco and a mother of two, is grateful for the help and activities she received following her divorce. “It was amazing. We got to run around and we went to the olive press. We went to a trail and my children were free and as happy as can be, and they were showing the other children around. It was a little bit of our old life. A little bit like normal life. Just going out to enjoy nature and see just how beautiful Israel is was a reminder that life goes on.” Since its founding in 1993, LOTEM has been dedicated to helping people with disabilities maximize their enjoyment of nature. From programs for the visually impaired to accessible nature trails at JNF’s Nahal HaShofet, LOTEM serves more than 32,000 participants with physical, mental disabilities, as well as mothers and children, like Portia and her children, in shelters every day. Nina Paul, president of JNF’s Women for Israel, said that “JNF’s Women for Israel has been an integral part of supporting LOTEM, and continues to be proud to support a program that helps change the lives of people with special needs as well as women and their families in Israel.” n To learn more about JNF’s Women for Israel campaign, please contact Sharon David at sdavid@jnf.org or at 212.879.9305 x242

magic with Hal Linden.

JNF’S Sunshine Tour May 29 - June 7, 2016

FOR ACTIVE ADULTS 55+ Additional Trip Options Available

jnf.org/travel • 877.563.8687

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in communities that are unfamiliar with its work. “We brought people to Israel who will go home and be our ambassadors,” she said. “During the trip, I learned a great deal about Israel and its judicial system,” said Alan Lubel, a trial attorney and Atlanta, GA resident. “Despite the absence of a written constitution, Israel has a well-developed constitutional jurisprudence. Of note, the Israeli Supreme Court heard more than 9,000 cases in the past year.” This was Lt. Scott Wagner’s, from Omaha, NB, first visit to Israel. Lt. Wagner expressed admiration with the level of law enforcement in the country. “As law enforcement,” he said, “this is what we have to do to survive. We have to be reactive to crime and terror and do what we have to do to protect our lives and the lives of others.” In addition to exclusive meetings with Israeli Police Spokesperson Mickey Rosenfeld on how security concerns are addressed in Jerusalem’s Old City, the group sat for a briefing with Col. Bentzi Gruber at Ammunition Hill, the site where the intense battle to unify Jerusalem was fought during the 1967 Six-Day War. The briefing at Ammunition Hill, a JNF partner, dealt with the important topic of “Ethics in the Field.” Participants also visited a group of soldiers at the Palmachim Israeli Air Force base. These soldiers are part of Special in Uniform, a JNF partner program that aims to integrate youth with disabilities into the IDF. “Our visit with

ZIONIST EDUCATION & ADVOCACY

police, visits to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military court, the Supreme Court, and so much more gave the 31 participants of Jewish National Fund’s first ever Law and Justice Tour an eye-opening and unforgettable experience of Israel. The five-day trip allowed U.S. law enforcement and legal professionals to see the great work that JNF does in Israel and receive a first-hand perspective of how the legal system operates there. Deborah Riegel, a New York City lawyer who co-chaired the trip, noted that the Law and Justice Tour participants were one of JNF’s most diverse groups, and that visiting sites like Ammunition Hill and meeting with Israeli officials helped many of them “connect a little bit more” with Israel. Riegel added that this trip will help Lt. Wagner at Special in Uniform spread JNF’s message

Connecting Young Professionals to Israel FOR MANY OF THE 40 PARTICIPANTS ON

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

JNF’s Young Professionals Mission in July 2015, it was their first taste of Israel. The seven-day trip to Israel, especially tailored to introduce young single professionals ages 3045, to the meaningful work JNF does on the ground, left many with a renewed connection to the land and people of Israel. “JNF packed in as much as possible to give them a unique experience, including visits to classic tourist sights and activities, like visiting the Kotel on Shabbat,” said JNF Chief Administration Officer Stephan Bach, who helped lead the mission.

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In addition to enjoying all the great things to see and do in Israel’s major cities, the mission included visits to JNF partner sites and provided participants with unique first-hand experiences. Lauren Lipsky, 33, from Manhattan said that although she had visited Israel in the past, the trip “provided some once-in-alifetime opportunities, like meeting a Nefesh B’Nefesh flight bringing 221 olim (immigrants) to their new home in Israel.” Participants also visited important social and historical sites that tell the story of Israel and what it stands for, while stregnthening the connection between them and the land and people of Israel. “JNF did a standout job of bringing in speakers at various sites, such as JNF Ammunition Hill Liaison Yoel Rosby, who spoke about the importance of the site during the critical battle for Jerusalem in 1967, and traveling to Southern Israel to connect with recent olim and listen to what life is like as a new Israeli,” Lipsky said. The Young Professionals Mission, Bach explained, “connects people who are in the same place in their lives:

They’re Jewish, single, and experiencing Israel. Seeing our partner organizations is another connection. When they hear about how Israel takes care of people with disabilities and about the heroes of 1967, it changes their lives.” Bach also noted that it didn’t hurt that several new couples emerged by the end of the trip. n Registration for the July 10-17, 2016 Young Professionals Mission is open at jnf.org/travel/missions. For more information on this trip or any JNF mission, contact Matt Leebove at 303.573.7095 x976.

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

MAJOR DONOR WEEKEND March 25 - 28, 2016 Arizona Biltmore 2400 East Missouri Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85016

PEDAL FOR A PURPOSE

Join Team JNF on the 2016 Israel Ride!

Join JNF for an exclusive weekend of activities for members of our Major Donor Societies.

Jerusalem to Eilat

To book your room and RSVP for the weekend’s activities, please visit jnf.org/azweekend

For more information, please contact Glen Schwartz at gschwartz@jnf.org / 212.879.9305 x880 or Deb Rochford at drochford@jnf.org / 480.447.8100 x980

Nov. 8 – Nov. 15, 2016

Receive $150 off registration with the code “JNF”

The Israel Ride is your opportunity to explore the beauty and breathtaking landscape of Israel from the seat of a bike — all for great causes. Participating in one of three cycling options, which range from 150 to 370 miles, you will triumph over your personal riding goals on this adventure of a lifetime.

www.israelride.org/jnf JEWISH INSPIRATION. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.

Exploring Israel’s Magnificent North with Alexander Muss High School in Israel ELIZA DAVIS AND ANNA ROSENFELD ARE

American high school students. Students can choose from a variety of sessions during the academic year and summer that are rigorous, adventurous, and memorable, as they often take field trips to explore the locations and time periods they are studying in history. During their time at AMHSI-JNF, Eliza and Anna, 16- and 17-years-old respectively, both juniors in high school, traversed Israel all the way from the South to the North. This is one of AMHSI-JNF’s trademarks—students explore the land by experiencing Israel’s history chronologically. They literally travel the country from one historical event to another with fun stopovers that include swimming, kayaking, hiking, scenic meditation, or other special activities that are a part of their curriculum. During lessons on the Middle Ages, students headed to Belvoir, a 12th century Crusader fortress, where they learned about Crusader history in the Holy Land. From there they continued to Tzfat, the highest city in the Galilee that rose to fame in the 16th century as a center of Kabbalah. Students stayed for Shabbat and absorbed the spirituality that permeates the city.

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Eliza described that special weekend as her “Muss moment,” the moment when students realize that they, too, are part of the monumental history which they are studying. Neither Eliza nor Anna had been to an Orthodox Friday night service before this trip, and this particular experience made them think about how different life back home will be once the program ends. “My family is the only Jewish family in my town, and it’s the same with Anna’s,” shared Eliza. “I will need a decompression chamber,” joked Anna. Both are planning to further explore this newly acquired bond with Judaism and Israel upon their return. On another trip to the North, students learned about the current political situation in the Galilee and the Golan Heights as well as the security issues facing Israel. They visited Tel Faher, known as “the Golani lookout,” a former Syrian outpost in the Golan Heights that was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. Visiting the Syrian bunkers on this trip enabled the students to understand the strategic importance of the Golan. At AMHSI-JNF, the learning process is not only chronological, but also experiential. Students visit Kibbutz Misgav Am, the northernmost settlement in Israel near the border with Lebanon, meeting local farmers and hearing their stories. They also visit Kibbutz Gadot, where they chat with Tzion (Ziggy) Keresanti, who was photographed at the Kotel moments after its liberation during the SixDay War. The picture of the three paratroopers has become one of the most iconic photos of the war. Ziggy shares his experiences fighting as a member of the Paratrooper

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two of the 143 students who studied at Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI-JNF), also known simply as Muss, during the 2015 Fall semester. Anna, from Rye, NY, and Eliza, from Weston, MA, met while boarding the plane to Israel and bonded over their course load. The two friends roomed together on the Hod Hasharon campus. Founded in 1972, AMHSI-JNF is the first program of its kind designed to connect high school students to the land of Israel and the Jewish people through an intensive and interactive academic experience. The program offers students an opportunity to earn high school and college credits while experiencing a taste of authentic Israeli life. In 2013, AMHSI merged with Jewish National Fund to promote Zionism and Zionist education among North

ALEXANDER MUSS HIGH SCHOOL IN ISRAEL

Brigade at Ammunition Hill and other battles in Jerusalem with the students. Exploring the Golan also helps students understand events leading up to the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War, as well as the importance of the future of the Golan in any peace discussions with Syria. One of the most beautiful and significant stops on the Golan Heights is to the Gamla Nature Reserve. The reserve overlooks the ancient city of Gamla that was overrun by the Romans during the Great Revolt in 67 CE. Before its capture, 5,000 Jews jumped off the cliff to their deaths rather than be captured and enslaved by the Roman army. Today, Gamla is known as the Masada of the North. The site was captured by Israel 1,900 years later in 1967. At AMHSI-JNF students are able to meet with and experience the unique population of Northern Israel and discover Israel’s diversity. Local residents of the Druze village of Ussifya host students for dinner and explain the Druze religion and culture. Meeting and dining with members of the Druze community allow students to better understand how this community has integrated into Israeli society and they gain a clearer understanding of the relations between Jews and other minority groups living in Israel. This is just a taste of what AMHSI-JNF students get to experience during their semester abroad in Israel. Anna and Eliza plan to keep in touch and visit each other after their time at AMHSI-JNF. They also have made plans to come back to Israel. “I got this huge Israeli flag,” said Anna. “I will hang it up in my room when I get back home.” n

ELiza Davis and Anna Rosenfeld

amshi.org • 800.327.5980

REMEMBER THE FAMILY.

COME HOME FOR A VISIT. Find your unique trip to Israel with JNF! May 1-12, 2016

A trip for student wannabes: Experience Israel the way students at Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI) do on the AMHSI-JNF Adult Trip to Israel.

Spirit of Israel Tour

May 18-26, 2016; November 2-10, 2016

A luxury experience with access to sights, leaders, and unique opportunities to witness and participate in Israel’s extraordinary history and future.

Negev & President’s Societies Mission

Optional Extension for Negev Society members only: May 26 - 28, 2016

Sunshine Tour

May 29-June 7, 2016

Culinary, Wine, and Music Tour

June 3-11, 2016

A gastronomical exploration of Israel’s food, wine & music scene.

Young Professionals Tour

July 17-24, 2016

An experience for young singles enjoying the sights and spirit of Israel on a unique and unforgettable trip.

President’s Society Mission

November 6-10, 2016 Optional Pre-Mission: November 2-6

An exclusive opportunity to experience Israel with JNF major donors and delve deeply into JNF’s work.

November 10-16, 2016

A womens-only trip for an unforgettable experience of what Israel has to offer.

AMHSI-JNF Adult Trip (Spring & Fall)

(for active adults 55+)

(for singles 30-45)

Queen of Sheba: Women for Israel Tour

May 22-26, 2016

An exclusive opportunity to tour Northern Israel and see how JNF is transforming the region. A trail of Israel’s history and leadership, from the War of Independence through today’s modern Israel.

For more information, contact 877.JNF.TOUR (877.563.8687) or visit jnf.org/travel