B`Yachad - Jewish National Fund

Planting a “coral nursery” in the
Red Sea to restore a degraded reef
B'Yachad · 42 East 69th Street
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A Message
from our President
Stanley M. Chesley
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Inside this Issue
Dear Reader,
Thirteen-year-old Jessi Glueck writes about her family’s visit to Sderot
As the rise and fall of oil prices continues to make headlines, our attention here at JNF is
focused on a different natural resource: water.
Israel is currently suffering from the worst drought in 80 years. Look inside to learn how
JNF’s 200 reservoirs help provide water to 1.5 million Israelis, and why we have committed to
building 40 more over the next five years.
JNF leads the way in developing and funding creative water recycling technologies to
make every drop count, including reservoirs that supply recycled water for agricultural
irrigation, constructed wetlands that purify wastewater naturally, and a water treatment
system that will fill Be’er Sheva’s dry riverbed with flowing water year-round. Page 12
introduces a new initiative, the JNF Parsons Water Fund, that will make even more of these
unique solutions possible.
JNF has also helped to address a water crisis of a different kind – the deterioration of the
coral reefs in the Red Sea. Turn to page 16 to read about “coral reef gardening,” a method
developed in Israel that is being shared around the world.
We hope you enjoy this issue. Have something to say? Don’t be shy! Send your feedback
to [email protected].
12 The JNF Parsons Water Fund
Investing in innovative solutions to Israel’s water shortage
13 Q&A: Noah Kinarti
An interview with one of Israel’s leading water experts
14 A River Will Run Through It
The Negev capital of Be’er Sheva is undergoing a renaissance, thanks
to a 1,700-acre River Park springing to life in the city’s center
16 Watch Your Garden Grow…Underwater
Israel leads the way in coral reef restoration
17 JNF National Conference
Natan Sharansky headlines the annual gathering in Phoenix, AZ
26 Israel Beyond the Guide Book
Regards,
B’Yachad Editorial Staff
A look at an off-the-beaten-path tourist destination: the museum at
Ammunition Hill, with its brand new City-Line Amphitheatre
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return the Jewish people to their homeland. In over 107 years, JNF has evolved into a global environmental leader and become the central address for partnering with the land and people of
Israel. JNF has planted 240 million trees; built over 1,000 parks and recreational areas; constructed
security roads; educated students around the world about Israel; created new communities so that
Jews from around the world would have a place to call home; discovered new means of growing
plants under arid conditions, bringing green to the desert; and built over 200 reservoirs and water
recycling centers, increasing Israel’s water supply by 10%. Today, JNF is supporting Israel’s newest
generation of pioneers by bringing life to the Negev Desert, Israel’s last frontier.
A United Nations NGO, JNF sponsors international conferences on desertification, shares afforestation techniques, and funds research on arid land management. JNF is a registered 501(c)(3)
organization and continuously earns top ratings
from charity overseers. For more information on
JNF, call 888-JNF-0099 or visit www.jnf.org.
Executive Pastor Dan Hicks (left) and JNF-KKL Rabbi Yerahmiel
Barylka celebrate together after conducting a prayer near the reservoir.
Photo credit: Michael Huri
California Christians Lift Israel’s Spirits and
Water Level by Dedicating JNF Reservoir
By Simon Griver
With water levels at their lowest ebb in the country’s history,
an 80-strong delegation from a Los Angeles Christian community has dedicated a new reservoir in Northern Israel
built by Jewish National Fund-Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael.
The Dovrat–Scott Bauer Memorial Reservoir in the
Jezreel Valley near Nazareth will hold up to 450,000 cubic meters of purified wastewater to irrigate the fields of
Kibbutz Dovrat. The Church on the Way in Van Nuys,
Los Angeles, California donated the $1.25 million facility
through Israel Christian Nexus.
The donation of the reservoir was the initiative of Dr.
Scott Bauer, the late pastor of the Church on the Way.
Tragically, just two weeks after announcing his community’s commitment to fund the project in 2003, the then
49-year-old pastor collapsed and died from a brain aneurysm while delivering a sermon from his pulpit.
Eleven members of Dr. Bauer’s family attended the
dedication ceremony in Israel including his wife Rebecca, three children and their spouses, his parents Dolores
and Bill, and two newborn granddaughters — Hannah (6
months) and Lillian (4 months).
“Scott always loved Israel so deeply,” explained Rev.
Rebecca Bauer. “He believed in Israel. He prayed for Israel and he acted for Israel. That there is something in his
memory here is especially significant.”
The Dovrat facility is one of more than 200 such reservoirs built by JNF, which contain about 16% of Israel’s water
reserves. With a growing population of nearly 7.4 million
and poor rainfalls in recent winters, Israel’s water authorities are increasingly utilizing innovative technological
methods, such as desalination and recycling wastewater,
to meet the country’s water shortfalls. The reservoirs are
a vital part of the recycling process for storing the treated
and purified wastewater before it is used for agriculture.
Efi Stenzler, world chairman of JNF-KKL told the Californian visitors that the new reservoir was vital for Israeli
farmers. “Many of Israel’s fields are being left fallow,” explained Stenzler, “because the farmers cannot afford the
cost of water. This reservoir means that the kibbutz can
continue to work the land.”
Pastor Dan Hicks, executive pastor of the 12,000 member Church on the Way, said that Dr. Bauer saw water as
the ultimate symbol of God’s purity. “Scott knew what he
stood for,” he recalled, “and he stood for the State of Israel.
He had so much love in his heart for the People of God and
we are fulfilling his vision in completing this project, which
will contribute to the peace and prosperity of Israel.”
Israel consumes about 2 billion cubic meters of water annually of which more than half – 1.1 billion cubic meters – is
needed by agriculture. Some 75% of the water used by Israel’s
farmers is now derived from recycled wastewater — sewage
and industrial effluent — which is purified to potable standards but only used to water fields. Use of recycled water
frees up natural water sources for domestic consumption.
Located in the picturesque Jezreel Valley, the new reservoir will contain the purified water (continued on page 21)
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11 City of Courage
Jewish National Fund
14 –15
The power­­ — the secret if you
will — of a non-profit is not
that it holds the answers to a
crisis or a problem in its own
hands, but that in its nimblest
incarnation it brings those issues to the table where the
answers are found.
As a non-governmental organization with roots
more than a century deep, JNF has proven itself a
leader in bringing people together and getting the
job done. We do not act unilaterally; we are strong
and creative, we understand the value of partnership, and we have a proven track record.
Take the Negev for example. Ben Gurion’s
dream was languishing until we took the initiative. Only a few short years into JNF’s Blueprint
Negev, and Be’er Sheva is already experiencing a
renaissance, hundreds of families have moved to
new communities for quality of life, businesses are
sprouting up, and existing communities are feeling a renewed sense of pride. Of course we are not
doing it alone. One of the most exciting aspects of
achievement is sharing it with others who contribute to the success. Aleh Negev, The Arava Institute,
Ben Gurion University, The OR Movement, Kibbutzim Lotan and Yahel, Negev municipalities, the
Be’er Sheva River Park Authority, and the Israeli
government are all working with us to make the
dream a reality. That’s collaboration and that’s the
power of JNF.
Our power also lies in our agility. In Sderot, we
saw a need and we swooped in. We could not stand
by while we heard stories of the trauma and longlasting effects the years of terror have inflicted on
this border town. So in record time we are creating a secure indoor recreation center. In a few short
months, the children of Sderot will have something
to smile about. That’s being nimble and that’s the
power of JNF.
As for the water crisis that looms over Israel, we
are proud that our work to date has precluded a catastrophe. But that is not enough. I am thrilled to
announce the JNF Parsons Water Fund (see page 12),
a most creative and visionary way to address the future. That’s leadership and that’s the power of JNF.
In this economic climate, many of you must be
wondering what kinds of investments you should
make today. By investing in JNF, you not only help
build the land of Israel, your impact is felt for generations to come. That’s connecting and that’s the
power of JNF.
Water by the Numb3rs
1.25 meters
the last time Israel’s water shortage was this severe.
the approximate amount of water Israel consumes per year.
Its water resources yield far less.
3 million people
will be added to Israel’s population by the year 2020. The country will
require another 80 billion gallons of drinking water per year to cope
with this population growth and the ever-rising standard of living.
You can be featured in the
next issue of B'Yachad!
Submit your favorite photo taken on a trip to Israel with a
short caption describing the photo and why you chose it.
Email Sarit at [email protected] with your submissions.
Good luck!
200+ reservoirs and dams
have been constructed by JNF throughout Israel to combat the water shortage.
66 billion gallons
of recycled water and floodwater are added to Israel’s national water economy
by JNF reservoirs, meeting 40% of the country’s agricultural water needs.
112,000 acres
of orchards and field crops are irrigated by recycled waste water from JNF
reservoirs, saving scarce freshwater for domestic consumption.
90 billion gallons
of waste water in Israel do not get recycled.
This is the challenge JNF is committed to address.
Marc Leibowitz, chairman of the Ammunition Hill project, poses in front of
the plaque commemorating his military service on the Wall of Honor.
In late October, with more than 50 President’s Council Mission participants on hand along with their family members
who live in Israel, the Wall of Honor at Ammunition Hill in
Jerusalem was dedicated and several plaques were unveiled.
Throughout history, Jews have fought in defense of
their countries, often far beyond their proportions to the
general population. As a tribute to their heroism and courage, JNF has erected a Wall of Honor at Ammunition Hill,
site of the pivotal 1967 battle that made possible the reunification of Jerusalem.
The stories of the people who have been honored with
plaques are fascinating and timeless.
Laura Salbin had three brothers who fought in the U.S.
Army during World War II. The youngest, Ely, was killed
at 18 when his plane was shot down over Poland. The other two, Harry and Morrie, survived. Her family bought
plaques for each of them. Laura’s son Joel Leibowitz and
his wife also bought a plaque for their son Marc, who as a
U.S. citizen didn’t have to volunteer for military service in
the IDF, but did. Marc served in the Israeli Paratroopers
with the 101st Airborne Battalion as a squad commander
in Lebanon and the West Bank from 1992 to 1994.
Sheldon Berman bought two plaques — one for his
father and one for his son. Ted Berman, a”h, fulfilled his
duties to his country during WWII as a private in the U.S.
Army stationed in the Philippines from 1944–46. During
that time he served in many capacities, even as assistant to
the chaplain for High Holiday services.
Two generations later, his grandson Elie, a Baltimore
resident, answered the call of duty and volunteered for the
IDF from 2005–2007. Leader of his class, he was stationed
in the Jordan Valley for most of his tour.
The stories go on.
Individual plaques at Ammunition Hill can be purchased to commemorate the military service of loved ones
who served or presently serve in any country. All money
raised will support the preservation and expansion of the
battlegrounds and museum at Ammunition Hill (see p.26).
The wall of plaques will unite all servicemen, no matter
their country of service, to their Jewish heritage.
For information, visit www.jnf.org/ammunitionhill.
Yahel Park
Plans are well underway for a new recreational and educational park at Kibbutz Yahel. An oasis in the heart of the
Southern Arava Desert, Kibbutz Yahel is a vibrant community of nearly 200 residents founded upon the principles of
environmental awareness and sustainability. Located about
37 miles north of Eilat, the kibbutz boasts impressive agricultural achievements including the largest date plantation
in the region, a high yielding pomelo orchard, and a successful dairy herd.
JNF has partnered with Kibbutz Yahel to develop an
eco-tourism park aimed at boosting the existing tourist
industry, attracting new residents, and providing opportunities for employment. It will be a tranquil, green retreat
just off the Arava Highway, a perfect stop for travelers driving to and from Eilat and the Sinai desert.
The main attraction and anchor of the park will be Yahel Reservoir, filled with floodwater during the winter and
surrounded by date palms and picnic tables. The park will
also have walking paths, a lookout tower providing a view
of the Arava Valley, a ropes course, playground facilities,
gardens, a farmer’s market, a restaurant and a coffee bar.
A motion ride will simulate desert flash floods and educational tours will showcase Yahel’s amazing agricultural
accomplishments in the harsh desert environment.
Plans for the park at Kibbutz Yahel
Charles s. fax, vp, Campaign
“How are we doing?” I hear
this question frequently from
concerned donors as I travel
the country speaking and soliciting on behalf of JNF. I am
pleased to report that we finished the 2007–2008 campaign
year 2 million dollars ahead of
the previous year, raising almost $60 million.
My major emphasis, given the harsh economic
realities that the country will confront for some
time to come, is to try to develop new modes of
persuasion for the most generous donations that
people realistically can afford. As bad as the stresses
are on our economy and pocketbooks, the stresses
are even greater on the people in Israel, where the
needs are more profound than ever.
Having just returned from a JNF mission to Israel, I am reminded anew that the most effective
means to that end is a visit to our Jewish homeland.
There is no substitute for seeing the work that JNF
is doing above, on, and under the ground in Eretz
Yisrael. There is no surrogate for a first-person narrative from the population whom we are helping.
In Be’er Sheva, for example, we were able to examine the recent progress in construction of the River
Walk and contiguous parks, and we spoke to residents who are already benefiting from the dramatic
improvements that we have fostered. In Sderot, we
toured the secure indoor recreational facility that
we are building, and we spoke to Sderot’s civic leadership about the huge positive difference that this
will make in the lives of the populace. In Jerusalem, we participated in the dedication of the Wall
of Honor at Ammunition Hill, a monument to Jewish military service at the site of the famous battle
that enabled the IDF to re-capture the Old City in
1967. And at the Arava Institute at Kibbutz Ketura
in the Negev, we met with Jordanian, Palestinian,
Israeli and American graduate students studying
for their Master’s degrees in environmental studies,
developing professional skills and cross-cultural relationships that will last a lifetime.
Any one of these experiences, let alone all of
them in combination, are guaranteed to stimulate
a far greater personal and financial commitment
from a donor than an arms-length solicitation —
far removed from the locus of our achievements
— would elicit from the same donor. Go to Israel,
and persuade others to go with you.
There is another virtue to that advice.
(Continued on page 21)
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500 billion gallons
Campaign Update
Wall of Honor at Ammunition Hill
below the lower Red Line is where Lake Kinneret’s water level stood at the
end of October 2008. The line serves as a warning that if levels drop even
farther (towards the Black Line) the quality of water and the ability to keep
pumping will be compromised. The Kinneret, Israel’s largest freshwater lake,
would have to rise by 5.45 meters to fill up completely.
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JNF Across the country
JNF Across the country
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For info on upcoming JNF events, visit www.jnf.org and click on “JNF in Your Area”
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10. Th
e older children from Kehilath Israel’s religious school in Overland Park, KS joined together to raise money for the “Let Us Play!”
campaign for Sderot.
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e younger class at Kehilath Israel celebrated its fundraising success for “Let Us Play!”
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1. ( L-R) Melinda Feldman, Marcia Weingarten, Robert Weingarten,
and JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson at a reception for JNF major donors and friends hosted by Bud and Judy Levin.
2. On September 4, the Women’s Alliance hosted a wine tasting at
the home of major donor Deena Singer. After a tasting of boutique
Israeli wines, guests heard from featured speaker Dr. Galit Dayan,
wife of the consul general, and saw magnificent photographs of Israel by Eric Lawton. (L-R) Richard Shaffer, Eva Beim, and Carole
Shnier.
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n November 3, JNF’s Commercial Real Estate and Capital Group
(CRCG) held a breakfast event at the Beverly Hills Peninsula Hotel. UC Berkeley economist Robert Edelstein gave a presentation
entitled “Our Economy on the Eve of the Elections.” (L-R) CRCG
board member Jeff Schick with Joe Penner, CRCG board member
and chair of the JNF golf tournament.
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1 JNFuture hosted its 2nd annual gala, Swingin’ in the Garden of
Eden, at NYC hotspot Tenjune. Over 300 young leaders gathered
for an evening of swing music, a DJ and a silent auction and enjoyed sushi and dessert. Funds raised will support JNF’s Blueprint
Negev initiative. (L-R) Inbal Baum and guest, Alana Shultz, Zvi
Lantsberg, and Naomi Dabi.
2 (L-R) Westchester Jewish Conference assistant executive director
Nancy Zaro and social action chair Roberta Roos at the GoNeutral
Boot Camp, a crash course to educate the Westchester community
about environmental activism. Hosted by WJC and JNF, the event
drew synagogue leaders, social action committees, rabbis and cantors, educators, young professionals and students.
3 T
o commemorate Veterans Day, JNF supporters gathered to honor
Jewish soldiers throughout the world and learned about JNF’s Wall
of Honor at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem. (L-R) Florence C. Simon and Bernice Smilowitz.
4 (L-R) Long Island board president Mark Engel, JNF CEO Russell
F. Robinson, and past presidents Terry Lazar and Mel Ruskin at
the Long Island Region’s annual major donor thank you event at
Colbeh Roslyn.
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1 JNF recognized longstanding New England board members for
their commitment and dedication with 60th anniversary plaques.
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ver 100 dedicated volunteers gathered for Green Sunday which
raised much-needed funds to alleviate the severe water crisis in Israel. Front: (L-R) Volunteers Nick Hall, Adam Cohen and Boston
president Larry Cohen. Back: (L-R) Colonel (res.) Sharon Davidovich and co-chairs Jay Shapiro and Martin Lowenthal.
3 J NF and the Israel Baseball League hosted the Boston film premiere
of “Holy Land Hardball” and a VIP party with IBL executives and
players. (L-R) Art Shamsky, president emeritus Ron Lubin, VP of
campaign Todd Patkin, and Dan Duquette.
4 (L-R) Jim Rappaport, Ambassador Martin Indyk, VP of campaign
Todd Patkin, New England Consul General Nadav Tamir, and Jim
Apteker at a VIP luncheon to discuss the U.S. election results and
the Boston–Negev Philanthropic Fund, which focuses on entrepreneurial philanthropy to create homes in the Negev.
5 ( L-R) Elaine Elovitz, Women’s Alliance chair Judi Elovitz Greenberg,
and Lee Aronson at the “New England Celebrates Israel” event.
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1. C
hicago’s “Negev Nights” poker tournament, chaired by board
member Jason Friedman, drew a crowd of over 200 people and
raised funds for the Negev community of Carmit. (L-R) First place
winner Michael Schneider, Jason Friedman, second place winner
Seth Wenig, and third place winner Stewart Frankenthal.
2. C
hicago’s Loop Professional Forum Speakers Series had a strong
turnout for its Lunch and Learn program on November 6. Hosted
by Steven Elrod (right) and Rob Mintz (left) at the law offices of
Holland & Knight, the event featured guest speaker Yaakov Katz
(center), military correspondent for The Jerusalem Post.
3. (L-R) Volunteer dealers and bankers Arielle Turover, Jennifer Loeb, Susan
Morrow, Kari Malk, James Matanky, Rebecca Lewis, Wendy Berger-Shapiro
and Ellen Phillips at the "Negev Nights" poker tournament in Chicago.
4. C
lose to 500 people celebrated with Eileen and John Barrett, 2008
recipients of the prestigious Tree of Life Award, at a dinner in
Cincinnati that raised over $625,000 for the Sderot Indoor Recreation Center. Front: John and Eileen Barrett. Back: (L-R) Southern
Ohio regional president Karen Cohen, regional director Melissa
Ann Fabian, special event chairs and national board members Nina
and Eddie Paul, Annie Barrett, and dinner co-chairs Patti and Ray
Schneider, Barb Solomon, Randy Miller, and Ron Solomon.
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5. J NF past president Morry Wiener, Michele Wiener, and Tree of Life
Dinner committee members Elece and Les Kovel.
6. The JNF/Judge Carl B. Rubin Legal Society honored Al Gerhardstein
as the 2008-2009 Attorney of the Year. (L-R) National board members Eddie and Nina Paul, Southern Ohio regional president Louise
Roselle, Al Gerhardstein, JNF national president Stanley Chesley,
keynote speaker Micah Halpern, VP of Legal Society Jon Lieberman, and Southern Ohio regional director Melissa Ann Fabian.
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ver 300 supporters, friends, community leaders, and political luminaries came out for the annual Northern Ohio Tree of Life Award
Dinner honoring Lt. Governor Lee Fisher (right). It was a family affair as Fisher was presented with the award by his wife, Peggy Zone
Fisher and his children, Jason and Jessica. Keynote speaker Governor
Ted Stickland (left) lauded Lt. Governor Fisher for his multi-faceted
commitments to families and children and his dedicated public
service.
8. 2 007 Tree of Life recipients Stacie Halpern (left) and Lauren
Spilman (right) with Lt. Governor Lee Fisher.
9. Northern Ohio regional director Debbie Rothschild and Lt. Governor Fisher with the Tree of Life award.
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n September 9, the Western PA Region held its Tree of Life Dinner
honoring Jeffrey Lipton of Nova Chemicals. (L-R) Dinner co-chair
Hoddy Hanna, Western PA board chair Norma Kirkell Sobel, Shelley Lipton, Jeffrey Lipton, and dinner co-chair Sy Holzer.
13. JNF board member and Green Sunday co-chair Sally Seed was
honored as the JNF Volunteer of the Year at Israel Bonds. (L-R)
Janice Greenwald, Sally Seed, and Nancy Shuman.
14. At the Wisconsin Region's annual banquet, regional director Sidney Rivkin (left) and co-president Ruth Resnick (right) presented
a citation of honor to outgoing co-president Rena Safer for her two
years of service.
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hundred fifty people attended the banquet, which honored 14
community activists. Front: (L-R) Honorees Rabbi David and Sandra Brusin, and Muriel and Nathan Taffel. Back: (L-R) Honorees
Rhonda and Gary Schutkin, Cynthia and Mark Levy, Dr. Paul and
Judy Levine, Aaron and Dr. Deborah Bernstein, and Felicia and
James Miller.
16. Front: (L-R) Co-chair Selma Zeiger and outgoing co-president
Rena Safer. Back: (L-R) Regional director Sidney Rivkin, Midwest
Zone president and guest speaker Hannan Lis, dinner co-chairs
Robin Zaks and Linda Silberman, co-chair Richard Marcus, and
co-president Ruth Resnick.
Florida Zone
Southern Zone
Mid-Atlantic Zone
Northeast Zone
Western Zone
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JNF Across the Country
JNF Across the Country
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1.Th
e Women’s Campaign for Israel held a wine and cheese reception,
its first event in Orlando. Over 40 women gathered to learn about the
Indoor Recreation Center being built in Sderot. (L-R) Orlando board
president Valerie Shapiro, Brenda Faiber, guest speaker and JNF Israel
emissary Tali Tzour, and event chair Debbie Meitin.
2. ( L-R) Barrie Slonim, Tampa Bay co-president Betsy Marcadis, and
Marcy Kaufman at “A Chai Tea to Meet Tali Tzour,” hosted on October
24 by the Sapphire Society and Women’s Campaign for Israel.
3. O
ver 35 women from both sides of the Tampa Bay area enjoyed
the tea room and Tali’s heartwarming presentation. (L-R) Jennifer
Chernin, Sharon Rophie, and Ida Raye Chernin.
4. Th
e Palm Beach board of directors held its first meeting of the new
campaign year on November 10. Front: (L-R) Sara Chavkin, Marian
Wiseman, and Beverly Rubenstein. Middle: (L-R) National treasurer
and Palm Beach vice president of major gifts Art Silber, Palm Beach
education co-chair Kathy Seidel, Tree of Life Award Dinner co-chair
Carol Sherman, Sharon Pikus, Jane Karp, and immediate past board
president Sheila Wilensky. Back: (L-R) Southern & Florida Zones
director Glen D. Schwartz, Dr. Howard Begel, Michael Wiseman,
and board president Irving Wiseman.
5. B
roward held its annual Tree of Life Award Dinner on November 6 at
the Design Center of the Americas in Dania Beach, FL. The evening’s
theme was “Picnic in Be’er Sheva.” (L-R) Co-chairs Dr. Ira and June Gelb,
Courtney Brogan, and co-honoree Frank Brogan, FAU president.
6. (L-R) Co-honoree Frank Brogan, FAU president, Courtney Brogan,
Marsha Levy, and co-honoree Alan J. Levy, president and CEO of
Great American Farms, at the Broward Tree of Life Dinner.
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7. ( L-R) Broward board member Art Greenfeder, Lori Greenfeder,
Mindy Borkson, board member Elliot Borkson, Jane Levy, and board
members Barry Finkel and Bruce Levy at the award dinner.
8. ( L-R) Broward board president and Makor chair Beckie Fischer
enjoyed a moment with her son Joshua Traub, the evening’s student
speaker, at the Broward Tree of Life Dinner.
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1. (L-R) Executive committee member Sheldon Berman, Mid-
Atlantic Zone chair and national vice president of zones & regions
Andrew Klein, Ammunition Hill chair Mota Gur, and Mid
Atlantic Zone president and Makor member David Margules.
Gur presented the three men with photos of the plaques they
dedicated in honor of their fathers at Ammunition Hill.
9. Th
e first meeting of the South Palm Beach board of directors was
held on November 14 at the Boca Grove Plantation Club House.
(L-R) Broward/Palm Beach regional director Laura F. Sherry, Cynthia Hertz, board co-president Michael Lazar, Marty Teitelbaum,
Linda Selbst, and education chair Cantor Elaine Shapiro. 2. ( L-R) Major General Benjamin Gantz, IDF attaché to the U.S. and
Canada, with Franklin Paulson, executive committee member and
DC Herzl Society chair, at a major donor thank you reception.
1. O
ver 40 board members and key supporters from the Atlanta community gathered at the home of major gifts chair Abe Schear for the
Southeast Regional Kickoff Event. Guests heard from Itai Freeman
about the Be’er Sheva River Park, a project adopted by the community. (L-R) Linda Schear, Itai Freeman, and Abe Schear.
4. A
ndrew and Gail Quartner opened their home for the Mid-Atlantic Zone’s thank you reception.
2. Th
e first-ever JNF golf tournament in Atlanta, held in memory of
Paul Alterman and Peggy Alterman Shulman, drew 116 golfers
and raised both dollars and excitement for Blueprint Negev. Front:
(L-R) Israel emissary Ronnie Porat, Robert Alterman, Tara Alterman, and Southern Zone president Michael Miller. Back: (L-R) Jill
Lerner, tournament chair Mark Kaufman, Karen Isenberg-Jones,
Michael Alterman, and co-president Todd Starr.
3. N
ineteen riders from the Southeast, ranging in age from 14-70,
joined Team JNF on the Israel Ride from Jerusalem to Eilat and
raised more than $90,000 for Hazon and the Arava Institute.
3. ( L-R) National VP Toby Mower and Amy Gur, Women’s Campaign
for Israel chair.
5. (L-R) David Margules, Mota and Amy Gur, and executive committee member Jack Rose.
6. ( L-R) Kampelman Forum co-chair Gary Lieber, Major General Benjamin Gantz, and Maryland regional president Jonathan
Fishman.
7. ( L-R) Dr. Irving Taylor, Women’s Alliance chair Susan Levene, and
Maryland board member Jim Chisum.
8. ( L-R) Executive Committee members Selma and Richard Rynd,
Executive Committee member Dr. Bernard Kapiloff, and Lynn
Kapiloff at the installation of officers event in Baltimore hosted by
the Rynds.
9. ( L-R) Amy Gur presented a Sapphire Society pin to Sapphire Society chair Teresa Alpert and Rita Stein.
1. ( L-R) Philadelphia b’nai mitzvah Green Sunday participants Rebecca Lipstein, Alexis Oriel, Hannah Wischnia, and Elana Waldstein.
2. ( Clockwise from top left) JNFuture executive board members Lauren
Rosenberg, Jon Adler, Josh Katz, Joel Frisch, Ben Jablonski, Rachel Baum,
Dayna Finkelstein, and James Shatz at JNFuture’s first Philadelphia event.
3. ( L-R) Ilona Vaysman, Geri Shatz, Estee Solar, Helene Fuchs, Sherri
Middleberg, and Michele Berson at the first meeting of the Bucks
County Women’s Alliance.
4. S outhern NJ board member Debbie Drachman and her daughter
Nina lit Havdalah candles while Moshav sang to usher out Shabbat
and begin their concert at the JCC in Cherry Hill, NJ.
5. (L-R) Jeff Resnick, Haleh Rabizadeh, and Bob Benedon at the
Moshav Concert & Coffee House fundraiser in Southern NJ.
6. P
eter Fischer and his twins, veteran Green Sunday volunteers Caley
and Jake Fischer, made phone calls on behalf of JNF.
7. ( L-R) Robin Oriel, Steven Wolfe, Barrie Solomon, David Mazer,
and Nancy Bell, 2008 Green Sunday co-chairs for South Jersey,
Philadelphia, and Bucks County.
8. ( L-R) Judith Sacks-Bliss, Wendy Keil, Amy Holtz, and Andrea Gottlieb at the
Northeast Zone Leadership Campaign Conference at the JNF House in NY.
9. (L-R) Marcy Needle and Eve Kaplan at the Northeast Zone Conference.
10. ( L-R) Tali Tzour and North Jersey board members Ben Gutmann,
Bob Levine, Jerry Rosen, and Joan Oppenheimer at the Northeast
Zone Conference.
11. ( L-R) Co-chair Anthony Sartor, Tree of Life honoree Anthony Coscia,
co-chairs John Wisniewski and Leonard H. Berkeley, and Northeast
Zone director Joel L. Leibowitz at the NJ Tree of Life Award Dinner.
1. O
ver 40 golfers enjoyed the annual JNF golf tournament in Las
Vegas on November 16 at the Siena Golf Club. Chaired by board
president Larry Monkarsh, the tournament raised money for the
Sderot Indoor Recreation Center. (L-R) Larry Monkarsh, board
member Jack Davis, David Rose, John Blackmon, and Las Vegas
community director Judy Berkovitz.
7. K
eynote speaker Dr. Jonathan Adelman signed his book for executive board member Miles Sterling and Esther Sterling. Dr. Adelman
spoke to the crowd about the Iranian threat and the importance of
the Caravan for Democracy program on college campuses.
2. ( L-R) Micha Hamilton, Larry Monkarsh, Glenda Lippman, and
Andrew Arensen at the golf tournament.
9. Itai Freeman, project director for the Be’er Sheva River Park, met
with Darlene Casella, international projects chair for the Indian
Wells Rotary Club, to discuss Israel’s critical water needs, particularly in the Negev Desert. The meeting was held at the Sun City
Palm Desert home of Dr. Mickey & Emily Willen.
3. O
rganic farmer David Retsky guided more than 100 people along
the perimeter of County Line Harvest, his 28-acre farm in Petaluma, CA at JNF’s Eco-Farm Dinner on September 21. Participants
enjoyed the farm tour, kosher beer and wine tasting, a seven-course
vegetarian dinner and heard from two students from the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies.
4. N
ewly appointed University of California president Mark Yudof and his wife Judy were honored by JNF at a brunch at the
Orinda home of Sheldon Kahn and Sarah Liron on October 19.
(L-R) President Yudof, Nancy Sterling, and San Francisco board
co-chair Greg Sterling.
5. J NF board members and major donors were pleased to hear President Yudof speak about his commitment to restoring the UC study
abroad program in Israel, the importance of taking all the UC
chancellors to Israel, and supporting a campus environment where
pro-Israel opinions are welcome. (L-R) Israeli Consul General Akiva Tor and Judy Yudof.
6. M
akor member Lynn Wexler addressed more than 200 attendees
at a breakfast for JNF’s Caravan for Democracy on September 7 in
Orange County. Chaired by Debbie Orgen and Sarit Ron, the event
raised over $50,000 to support the Israel advocacy initiative.
8. ( L-R) Israeli Scouts representatives Nirit Hinkis and Orr Karny at
the breakfast.
10. ( L-R) Ofir Fisher, Negev director of the OR Movement, JNF Palm
Springs advisory board member Allan Nyman, and Roni Flamer,
CEO of the OR Movement, at the dedication of the day care center
at Givot Bar, funded by the Jewish Federation of Palm Springs and
Desert Area.
11. Three generations attended the second annual Woman’s Alliance Home
Tour. (L-R) Suzye Kleiner, Leona Fagelman and Sharyn Spillman.
12. Arizona board members enjoyed the "Gelt Machers Campaign"
victory party. Front: (L-R) Burton Kruglick, Sharyn Spillman,
Simon Eisenberg, Steve Freidkin and Barbara Allyn. Back: (L-R)
Scott Goodman, Dan Abrams, and Bruce Goldberg.
13. (L-R) Dr. Seymour Rife, 2008 Tree of Life honoree, Sharyn Spillman, and Nelson Lerner, all new members of the 10 CLUB, a
leadership division of the Arizona Region’s campaign.
www.jnf.org
www.jnf.org
5
JNF Education Front & Center with Ambassadors Program
Students at Congregation Brothers of Israel in Newtown, PA test
the water quality of a local creek for World Water Monitoring
Day as their JNF Ambassador, Naomi Baer, looks on.
or Sukkot—two Jewish, earthy holidays—that’s a great
moment to highlight what JNF does for the land of Israel,” explained Beller.
Now in its pilot year, the program is multi-denominational and involves grades pre-K through high school.
Eleven schools across the country are participating. In
August, the ambassadors were trained at the Coalition for
the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE) Conference. Upon their return home they began to implement
their newly gained knowledge in their respective schools.
At the Solomon Schechter School of Queens, the
fourth-grade students are putting their lessons into action in a serious way.
“We were writing our ‘dreams and wishes’ letters
to President-elect Obama,” said Steffany Perlman, the
school’s JNF Ambassador, “and, without me telling them
what to wish for, some of my students asked him to give
money to JNF for the Sderot playground project.”
Perlman maintains that because of the school’s new zest
for JNF and Israel brought on by the Ambassadors Program,
some of the bar mitzvah boys are printing their invitations
through JNF’s Simcha Program, and want the money donated to their pet project—the Sderot playground (see page 11).
“They figured that if they were going to donate money to Israel, it might as well be to the Sderot playground
which they were already learning about,” said Mayet
Brandwein, regarding her son Jordan’s decision.
JNF looks forward to growing the Ambassadors Program after its pilot year, with a goal of expanding to 50
schools nationwide. For information on how you can
help, contact Mara Suskauer at [email protected] or
212-879-9305 ext. 230.
Jim Joseph Foundation Funds Environmental Fellowship at NYU
Alternative Spring Break participants build a bench out of recycled materials at Kibbutz Lotan, an environmental kibbutz in Israel’s Arava Desert.
The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant
for the Jewish National Fund/ Bronfman Center Jewish
Environmental Fellowship at New York University.
Twenty students will participate in the fellowship,
which will focus on environmental sustainability issues and
their connection to Jewish values and tradition. By examining Jewish content through an environmental lens, the
program aims to engage unaffiliated Jewish students who
might not be interested in existing Jewish programming.
“The Jim Joseph Foundation is proud to be supporting
the development of the Jewish Environmental Fellowship program and the unique partnership between Jewish
National Fund and the NYU Bronfman Center,” said
Dvora Joseph, a Jim Joseph Foundation board member.
“We believe that this multi-faceted approach to Jewish
learning which allows students to explore an important
topic through a combination of traditional Jewish study,
interaction with peers and community leaders, hands-on
service to our environment, and self-exploration will be
both effective and impactful for the student participants.”
The Jim Joseph Foundation, established in 2006, is
committed to a sustained program of grant-making in
pursuit of a vision that leads to ever-increasing numbers of young Jews engaged in ongoing Jewish learning
and choosing to live vibrant Jewish lives. The Foundation manages close to one billion dollars, using all of its
resources to foster compelling, effective Jewish learning
for young Jews in the United States.
“We welcome the Jim Joseph Foundation into the JNF
educational family,” said Rabbi Eric Lankin, D.Min., chief of
institutional advancement and education at JNF. “This program will play an important role in our development of a
strategic plan for engaging college students across the country on the critical environmental challenge facing our world
and Israel’s global environmental leadership through JNF.”
The fellowship will focus on environmental issues such
as energy, water, food production, waste and recycling,
and building and landscaping. Each topic will be studied
from an environmental perspective, by learning about the
science and innovation relating to the subject; a Jewish
perspective, by examining modern and ancient texts; and
by looking at case studies of New York City and Israel.
Students will meet with environmental experts and
participate in volunteer activities. Conversations about
social justice and personal and communal responsibility
will be incorporated throughout.
In March, students will spend one week in Israel volunteering on an environmental kibbutz as part of JNF’s
Alternative Spring Break. They will study environmental
issues and solutions in a living laboratory and participate
in community service projects. When they return home,
they will work on a project of their choice that incorporates
what they have learned and engages the NYU community.
“We are extraordinarily grateful to the Jim Joseph
Foundation and to JNF for making this groundbreaking
experience possible for our students," said Sam Krentzman, special projects coordinator at the Bronfman Center.
“The fellowship will enable us to share Judaism’s deep
teachings about environmental and communal responsibility while taking action and relating those teachings to
realities faced in New York City and in Israel.”
By Jessi Glueck
Last July, while my friends relaxed on
beaches or enjoyed summer camp, I visited Sderot, a town where bombs fell
almost every day.
My family and I were in Israel last
summer, and my sister, mom and dad all
wanted to go to Sderot to show solidarity. My sister hoped to publish an article
about Sderot in her high school newspaper. I went because they were going, but I was scared.
The train ride from Caesarea seemed very long as I sat
with my hands gripping the seat and my heart pounding
with fear. My family was excited, but I felt small, almost
cowardly beside them. I could not help thinking: Rockets
might fall while we’re there. We might have to hide in a
bomb shelter. What if one of us gets hurt?
When we reached Ashkelon, Shimon, my dad’s friend
and a native of Sderot, met us at the station. He took us on
a tour of the surrounding area, pointing out monuments
to the War of Independence and small, beautiful oases. We
saw a little pond, ringing with birdcalls and surrounded
by green, fruit-bearing trees. There, for a while, my terror
faded. The outside world seemed far away.
Soon, we left this lush sanctuary and drove south, towards Sderot. The ride over the heat-baked earth was
bumpy and stifling and I kept sipping from my water
bottle, which was now warm enough to pass for hot soup.
We drove over a hill and saw a dark place filled with low
buildings stretching as far as the eye could see. The wall
surrounding it cast a long, ominous blue shadow. This was
Gaza, filled with terrorists groups and rockets and desperate unrest. The wall encircling it seemed much too small.
Then we finally arrived at Sderot. It was a lovely town,
Students at Adath Shalom Religious School in NJ show their
support for the children of Sderot at a JNF “Let Us Play!” event.
In November, third and fourth graders at Adath Shalom
Religious School in Morris Plains, NJ gathered for an
The remains of Kassam rockets fired at Sderot
lie in heaps at a local police station.
with tile roofs and white houses, but everywhere, there
were signs of fear and destruction. The school we passed
had tiny windows and a steel roof. A pothole in the street
turned out to be a rocket hit which had sizzled away the asphalt. Strangely, though, my own panic lifted a little as we
drove through the town. I’d arrived, and rockets had not
fallen yet. This was a town like any other, and people spent
entire lives here. I could get through a few hours.
Shimon took us to his lovely house and introduced us
to his son, Omer. My sister asked him questions in English,
he answered in Hebrew and my mom translated for them
both. He told us that a siren would sound when a rocket was fired, and then people rushed to their safe rooms.
“Are you scared of the rockets?” my sister questioned. He
smiled, shrugged, and answered, “It’s not that big a deal.
My sister still gets scared, though.” When asked what it
was like to attend a school with a reinforced roof and slits
for windows, Omer shook his head, and his blue eyes were
sad. “Going to school here is like going to prison,” he said.
We then left with Shimon to meet Coby, the chief of secu-
Students Across the Country Mobilize to
Support Their Counterparts in Sderot
afternoon of games and activities to raise funds for JNF’s
Indoor Recreation Center in Sderot.
“The idea was for our children to experience an afternoon of
safe playing and then understand the importance of providing
the same kind of opportunity for the children of Sderot who
are faced with Kasssam rockets and can’t play safely outdoors,”
said Charlotte Frank, education director at Adath Shalom.
The fundraiser was part of a national program called
“Let Us Play!” which brings together students at congregation and day schools across the U.S. to support JNF's
construction of a secure indoor recreation center for the
children of Sderot. The $5 million, 20,000-square-foot facility, the largest of its kind in Israel, will provide Sderot’s
youth with a safe place to have fun, connect with friends
and simply be children. The first phase of construction
was completed in late October.
To make a donation to JNF’s Indoor
Recreation Center in Sderot, visit
www.jnf.org/sderot or call your local
JNF office at 888-JNF-0099.
Through “Let Us Play!” students collect donations by
asking family and friends to sponsor their participation in
a day of games and sports. To date, 143 schools have signed
up. Every student that participates will receive special recognition from JNF, and schools that raise over $1,800 will be
permanently recognized on a plaque in the playground.
Students also learn about what it’s like to be a kid in Sderot.
“After all of the activities, we spent time explaining to the
children where Sderot is and why they should care about the
children there,” said Frank. “We discussed the importance of
teamwork and taking responsibility for making our world a
better place. The children have been returning their pledge envelopes as well as bringing in piggy banks and pocket change to
add to the money that will be sent to JNF for the playground.”
For more information or to register your school, visit
www.jnf.org/letusplay.
11
www.jnf.org
www.jnf.org
hile JNF has long worked closely with thousands of
Jewish day and congregational schools throughout
the U.S., the Israel Advocacy and Education Department
always looks for creative ways to develop even stronger
bonds with those schools and their students.
Enter JNF Ambassadors.
The program, which pairs teachers and parents in
schools across the country to work as JNF “ambassadors,” was developed to involve the community and
make parents directly responsible for the educational
programming in their children’s schools. Once selected
and trained, the pair is responsible for enhancing JNFIsrael education in their schools.
“The Ambassadors program is a way for JNF to form a
deeper connection with the schools we work with and help
them to utilize our array of education materials effectively,”
said Michelle Beller, JNF’s Education Programs Manager.
According to a recent study by the Lookstein Center for Jewish Education at Bar Ilan University, even
the best Jewish day schools only devote an average of 16
hours per year to Israel education. JNF ambassadors are
encouraged to pair JNF’s Israel education materials with
their school’s existing curriculum, integrating them as
‘learning moments’ throughout the year. This way, Israel education is constantly presented in bits and pieces,
without taking up too much additional class time.
“If a school happens to be learning about Tu B’Shevat
rity for Sderot. He was a big man, dark with the tan of many
summers. He showed us a house with a rocket hole blown in
its roof, then drove us to a viewing outpost high on a hill. As
we stood there, with all Gaza spread out before us, Coby said
quietly, “My daughter is afraid to take a shower. She worries
the sirens will go off and she won’t hear them. She always
leaves the door open.” We were all silent after that.
Next, we drove to the police station and saw racks
upon racks of metal shelves which held the remains of
Kassam rockets fired at Sderot. They were piled, mangled
and mashed, heap upon heap, hundreds stacked in messy
rows. Their ugly, blunted noses and tails were painted with
different colors showing which Palestinian terror group
had made them: Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad. I learned
the rockets were mostly homemade from sheet metal and
fuel. I looked at them wondering, “Why would someone
who could be painting a picture, running a business, or
raising a family choose to make instruments meant to kill
instead?” It’s a question I still don’t know the answer to.
“The violence won’t stop here,” Shimon said sadly.
“Next it will be Ashkelon, then Ashdod, then Tel Aviv. The
killing will not stop if we do not end it ourselves.”
We said goodbye to Coby and Shimon and headed for
the train station. We sped away from the desert, away from
Sderot, away from the rockets piled on shelves and the
rockets falling from the sky.
There was an orange sunset that evening. I watched
it through the train window and thought about everything I’d learned. I’d seen the terror and suffering and the
profound, impossible courage of the people of Sderot. I
promised myself that one day I would tell their story to the
world. I promised I would never forget.
Jessi Glueck, 13, is an eighth grader in Leawood, Kansas.
She travels to Israel every summer with her family, and is
an aspiring writer.
Playground in sderot
Israel Advocacy & Education
10
W
Sderot: A City of Courage
Funding Creative Solutions to Israel’s Water Crisis
JNF is proud to announce a new partnership with the
American Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel
(ASPNI) that will focus on education and environmental
projects throughout Israel. Stay tuned!
This Tu B’Shevat, Remember To Think Green
T
hese days it’s hard to open a newspaper or turn
on the television without being inundated with information about the environment. It was a hot topic
in the presidential election and will certainly remain
a major factor in political decisions for years to come.
But before hybrid cars and solar panels there was Jewish National Fund — an organization that made a name
for itself more than 100 years ago by purchasing land in
Israel and planting trees. Who knew that Theodor Herzl and his fellow leaders were such environmentalists!
Today, JNF still performs groundbreaking environmental work in Israel in addition to planting trees.
We lead the world in recycled water purification techniques, develop methods for arid land management,
and invest in alternative energy projects. No other organization has been doing so much work on behalf of
the environment for such a long time. In order to help
people reduce their impact on the planet, we recently
launched JNF GoNeutral — a cutting-edge environmental campaign aimed at educating people about
what they can do to make a difference.
Individuals can visit www.jnf.org/goneutral and
use our carbon calculator to determine how they are
personally affecting the environment. Congregations
can join our Synagogue Affiliate Program to take advantage of the educational content and programming
ideas we offer. And students can get involved by joining Green Corps, Green Team, or Project Green — age
appropriate environmental groups for students who
want to take the lead in getting their schools involved
with improving the environment.
As Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish New Year for the trees,
approaches, we encourage you to take a moment and
think about how you can make a difference. In Israel,
Tu B'Shevat is a time for families to get together, visit
forests and plant trees. A recent poll showed that 93%
of Israelis believe that Tu B'Shevat tree plantings are essential to enlarging the country's green belts. This year,
plant a tree in Israel to show your love for the land.
Whether it’s planting a tree to offset a flight you took
last year or conserving electricity in your household, every single action you take has an impact on the world
around you. Visit our GoNeutral website and get involved today!
An interview with one of Israel’s le ading water experts
T
N
oah Kinarti was, in a sense, born into Israel’s
water issues. A senior advisor to the minister of
the development of the Negev and the Galilee, Kinarti
is one of the leading water experts in Israel. His parents, Shlomo and Hannah, were among the founders
of Kvutzat Kinneret, on the southwest shore of the
Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), the country’s largest water
reservoir.
Since the early 1990's, Kinarti, now 67, has served as
a special advisor in the fields of settlement, infrastructure and water to three prime ministers (Itzhak Rabin,
Shimon Peres and Ehud Barak) and two ministers of
defense (Benjamin Ben Eliezer and Shaul Mofaz). He
was also head of the water team during the peace talks
(1992-1996), and signed Israel’s water agreements with
Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.
We sat down with him to discuss the current water
crisis in Israel.
B’Yachad: Where does Israel’s water situation stand today?
Noah Kinarti: Israel’s water situation is very dire at
the moment, and only if we take the right steps will
we prevent it from becoming catastrophic. We are very
close to what we call “The Black Line,” which means irreparable damage to our main water sources.
BY: How important are JNF reservoirs to Israel's water
economy?
NK: The reservoirs play a major role in the field of irrigation. They are one of the main reasons we are the
number one country in the world in using treated
waste water. Over 70% of our water is used for recycling and irrigation. Number two, by the way, is Spain,
with only 14%. So the reservoirs are VERY important,
but we need more—dozens of them.
BY: What else can be done?
NK: We need to do two things urgently: save as much
water wherever we can (which includes conservation
and recycling), and desalinate millions of cubic meters
of seawater as fast as we can. Conservation simply requires general and intense effort by each and every one
of us. Desalination is a different story because it requires government resolutions. Recently, the relevant
resolutions have been taken – almost 20 years after
they should have been – but the process is underway.
We already have a desalination facility in Ashkelon,
and in the near future we will have more facilities in
Palmachim, Hadera, Shomrat and other sites.
he surrounding desert landscape is sandy,
dusty, and desolate as far as the eye can see, but
at the Ramon Air Force Base near Mitzpe Ramon,
3,000 military personnel and their families —including 200 children— enjoy a beautiful green park
complete with picnic spots, playing fields, a promenade, and an amphitheatre for performances and
ceremonies.
With the support of congregations throughout
the U.S., JNF built the 7.5-acre Ramon Park to improve the quality of life for the residents of the base,
one of Israel’s most important military installations.
Now, JNF is developing a sustainable way of
maintaining the park while treating the base’s wastewater: constructed wetlands.
An environmentally sound method for purifying waste water, constructed wetlands duplicate the
physical, chemical, and biological processes that
occur in the unique ecosystem of natural wetlands –
where water, plants, animals, microorganisms, sun,
soil, and air interact to remove contaminants from
wastewater.
BY: Why has it taken so long to go ahead with such a
vital process?
NK: The Ministry of Finance opposed the idea for
decades, because the heads of its budget department
thought it would require a drastic increase in the price
of water to private consumers. All those years they believed in reducing water quotas for agriculture, which
nearly caused a national disaster! The fact that we
didn't start working seriously on desalination in 1990,
the year of one of the worst droughts we had ever
known, was Israel's principal mistake in this field. I am
glad that now we are moving in the right direction.
BY: How much water does Israel plan to desalinate and
how much will it cost?
NK: 500 million cubic meters of seawater over the next
five years, and another 250 million by the year 2020.
The cost will be between $2-3 per cubic meter per year.
BY: All in all, are you optimistic regarding our future
in this field?
NK: Desalination, educating the public to save water
and more reservoirs are needed. If we'll have these –
we should be fine.
Working with a company called Water Fund
Investments, JNF will fund the construction of wetlands to purify the base’s wastewater. Wetlands are
considerably cheaper and easier to construct, operate
and maintain than their conventional alternatives,
which require substantial amounts of electro-magnetic equipment, increased electricity consumption,
and complex maintenance.
Once the wetlands are completed, nature will
be left to work its magic on the base’s wastewater,
which will then be used to keep the park green for
years to come.
13
www.jnf.org
www.jnf.org
It is with great excitement and pride that JNF announces the JNF Parsons Water Fund.
Natan Parsons z”l, of Boston, was an inventor with
over 100 worldwide patents including one we all use daily
— sensory faucets and toilets — and served as JNF VP
for water projects. He was also co-founder of the Logica
Foundation, a charitable trust set up to fund scientific and
social endeavors in Israel and the U.S.
Spearheaded by Parsons before he passed away,
the Water Fund will address the dire water crisis in
Israel philanthropically but based on sound business
Jerusalem. Water is collected on the school’s rooftop,
sent down through pipes, held in a container and then
used to flush toilets. The school has taught its students
about conservation, reduced its water consumption by
82% and saved a lot of money to boot.
An advisory committee is under formation in Israel.
Its members, who will consult on the projects, include
Tammi Schor, division director for the Israel Water Authority; Professor Alon Tal, leading environmentalist at
Ben Gurion University; Professor Uri Shamir, director
of the Water Institute at the Technion in Haifa; Shimon
Tal, former water commissioner, and Moshe Cohen,
chief water engineer for KKL.
“This represents leadership, partnership and a new
way of thinking,” said Mower. “It is looking at the
situation for the long term; it is vital that we are not
shortsighted. Israel has plans to deal with the water
crisis through 2010; we must have plans that take us
through 2050. That requires us to be creative and innovative in our solutions.”
Harnessing
Nature’s Ingenuity
Water in israel
Environment
12
Students at the Eliashar School in Jerusalem learn about water conservation through a program that harvests rainfall on the school’s rooftop.
principles. JNF has always played a leadership role in
addressing Israel’s long-term and short-term needs;
this fund is the next installment in that vision.
“The goal is to raise $100 million to develop water
sources for Israel and her neighbors,” said project chair
Dr. Morton Mower, a World Chairman’s Council member and himself an inventor. “The projects will all be
approved by the Israel Water Authority who will also
give grants to each project. Additionally, the agricultural associates who benefit from the individual projects
must commit to their physical and financial maintenance over the long term and manage them based on
sound business principles. After a pre-stated period of
time, the initial investment made by the Fund will return to the Fund to be reinvested in future ventures. It
is a work of true partnership.”
For the donors, nothing changes. They will still receive tax deductions and naming rights.
Philanthropic investments will be made in the areas
of advocacy and education, the construction of 40 new
reservoirs (and the inclusion of covers to prevent evaporation), R&D, accessing new sources of water (drilling
for new aquifers), and river clean up.
One of the more exciting short-term opportunities lies with 1,000 schools that will harvest rainfall.
The program is inexpensive to implement and has
already been successful in the Eliashar School in
Q&A: Noah Kinarti
A River Will
Run Through It
It is already working.
A renewed sense of energy is in the air in Be’er Sheva.
Newly built promenades are being used by runners and
cyclists alike. An internship sponsored by JNF is successfully matching up Ben Gurion University students with
employment opportunities, keeping the brains in the Negev rather than losing them to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. The
Old Turkish City is undergoing a gentrification and there
are more families on the waiting list for new homes in surrounding suburbs than ever before.
The Negev Desert blooms and it all starts in Be’er Sheva
But back to the park. “This park has to meet the needs of
a diverse population,” said Freeman, “which includes students; Orthodox and Bedouin alike for whom modesty is
an issue; mothers with many children and a small budget,
and families playing ball. It has to be a park for everyone.
“Water will be the lure, the attraction,” he continued.
“Using only recycled water that will be pumped up and
sent back, it will give the illusion of flowing water. The challenge, like that faced in San Antonio, is developing a park
within a flood plain, which Be’er Sheva is. Everything in its
path has to be considered and that’s what we are doing. But
the finished part of the promenade – about two miles out of
the total five – has already created the ‘wow’ factor. The local community has begun to get excited about what’s going
on and they are starting to get involved. This coming Hanukkah thousands of teens, families, soldiers, and school
children will celebrate here as part of JNF’s ‘Illuminating
the Negev’ project. And that is what it’s all about.”
B
e’er Sheva, known as the capital of the Negev, is home
to 200,000 residents. Through it runs Nahal Be’er
Sheva (Be’er Sheva River), a muddy trickle of water except on the few days a year when flash floods run down its
banks. The city’s image mirrors this landscape. Despite its
historical significance and vibrancy, many see Be’er Sheva
as culturally and geographically isolated from modern Israel. Jewish National Fund, with its partners, is working
to transform Be’er Sheva into a shining example of Jewish
ingenuity through a massive water, environment, and economic development project.
What Be’er Sheva needs is a renaissance, and JNF,
through its Blueprint Negev initiative, is spearheading the
effort. At the centerpiece is the transformation of Nahal
Be’er Sheva into a 1,700-acre civic paradise along with the
reconstruction of areas of historical significance like the
ancient well route where the patriarch Abraham walked.
The polluted riverbed that intersects the city from east to
west has already been cleaned up, and landscaped promenades are beginning to line its banks. Additional plans
include creating a park with an artificial lake filled with recycled water, planting 40,000 trees, building nature trails,
hotels, botanical gardens, fruit groves, a 10,000-seat amphitheater for the performing arts and more.
Nahal Be’er Sheva will be an engine for the city’s rebirth. The promise of a thriving waterfront district is
already attracting new businesses and enticing visitors
passing through the city to stop, relax, and enjoy a green
desert oasis that offers a wealth of cultural possibilities for
family recreation, including an art museum and cultural
center. Beautiful new homes and apartment buildings oriented toward the park and the river have already sprung
up and young families are moving to these exciting new
neighborhoods. Nahal Be’er Sheva is the linchpin of the
Negev community’s revival, bringing new life to the region
and a reason for its residents to remain and prosper.
JNF is using its expertise in water rehabilitation to
recycle the city’s water and transport it to a 20-acre lake.
The water will be cleaned, stored, and then sent down
the dry riverbed year-round as clean water for recreation
that will bring renewed life to downtown Be’er Sheva. The
riverbanks will be home to 1,700 acres of new parks, spanning five miles. JNF has already begun to build some parks
along the river, and renovate historical sites including Beit
Eshel and the Turkish Bridge.
The hope is to increase the population of Be’er Sheva to
400,000. Through the Be’er Sheva River Park, Be’er Sheva’s image is being transformed into that of a green and
vibrant modern city, truly the capital of the Negev.
Promenade Plantings
Promenade under construction
Beit Eshel Restoration
Promenade
How is this being accomplished?
The very same engineering team that revitalized San
Antonio, Texas, with the creation of the Riverwalk, is
helping to do just that in Be’er Sheva. Their focus is the waterfront, ensuring it has the right mix of uses and activities
to attract residents on a regular basis. They have learned
that a good waterfront project will not only increase tourism and trade, but will create employment opportunities,
preserve and restore historic buildings, and truly enhance
a city’s image.
“We want to accomplish two main goals with the river
project,” said Itai Freeman, project director for the Be’er
Sheva River Park management. “We want to enhance the
local identity by giving the residents an icon, and, after
years of broken promises to the region, to make people
believe that big and long-term projects can be done. We
want to make good on the promise. We know it can be
done because we spent a lot of time researching it and
have taken our inspiration from San Antonio, TX and
Phoenix, AZ.”
In 1930, San Antonio had 230,000 residents and no visitors. In 2000, 1.5 million people called it their home and it
boasted 13 million tourists. It grew from the nation’s 41st
largest city to its 7th largest. All because of the riverfront.
“The water ties the different parts of the city together,”
said Edward Garza, a former mayor of San Antonio and
principal of the global planning, design, and management
firm AECOM, which designed the riverfront. “It offers opportunities to live, work, and play.”
“What worked in San Antonio will work in Be’er Sheva,”
said Freeman. “The riverfront will transform the city into a
desirable place of choice in which to raise a family. It is the
most critical project.”
Turkish Bridge
JNF is of course not working alone, and plans for revitalizing the Negev are not focused only on Be’er Sheva.
With goals of growing the Negev’s population, closing economic and educational gaps, reducing the unemployment
rate, creating quality of life for all residents, and building
a stronger Israel, the plan includes a government investment of over $4 billion, non-profit investment of $600
million, and private investment of $2.5 billion. Blueprint
Negev includes infrastructure; housing loans and incentives; education; employment opportunities; tourism;
partnerships; bolstering existing towns; greening military
bases; building new communities; working with Bedouin
councils; protecting the environment; and discovering and
protecting water resources.
It was David Ben Gurion’s dream to make the Negev
Desert bloom. It is finally becoming a reality. As the Israeli
newspaper Yediot Hanegev wrote in a recent article: “Go
take a short trip to the Be’er Sheva River, and you’ll come
back encouraged and with a lot of faith in your heart.”
A Lifetime of Devotion
JNF 2008 National Conference - Sept. 14–15 - Phoenix, AZ
W
the conference, celebrating Israel’s 60th anniversary, was the most successful to date and
enjoyed by long-time JNF donors, newcomers, Israeli partners, and young leaders alike.
On their visits to Israel, Robert and Shirley Levitt met with dignitaries including (from left) Yitzhak Shamir, Yitzhak Rabin, Moshe Arens, and Natan Sharansky.
Watch Your Garden Grow…Underwater
Israel Leads the Way in Coral Reef Restoration
A JNF mission participant dives into
the Red Sea to plant a coral nursery.
It’s like what JNF does with trees in the earth, but instead
it’s coral underwater.
On a recent mission to Israel with JNF, a few lucky participants found themselves on a boat off of Eilat, engaged
in a fun and fascinating project.
After a brief lesson from marine biologists about the
loss of coral reefs around the world, they super-glued little
pieces of coral onto objects that resembled golf tees, loaded
them onto a grid and floated them down into the Red Sea,
where they were left to grow. The underwater equivalent of
planting saplings in a forest, no drip irrigation required.
“It is a simple but brilliant answer to a problem that has
surfaced around the world,” said Ralph Rotman, one of the
JNF guests on the boat that day. “Of all the countries in
the world who are suffering damage to their reefs, Israel is
the smallest and has the smallest reef. But leave it to some
smart Israeli to devise a potential solution that could positively affect the entire world.”
Over the past 20-30 years, coral reefs throughout the
world have been degrading at an alarming rate. There are
many culprits, including coastal development and agriculture, warming sea waters and acidification linked to climate
change, over-fishing, unsustainable tourism, and pollution.
Enter the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO)
in Haifa, Israel and the research of Dr. Baruch Rinkevich
and Dr. Shai Shafir, which JNF is helping to fund. With
the idea of actively restoring reefs as opposed to just conserving them, they built the first mid-water floating coral
nursery in the world and are sharing the concept with other
countries, including Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines,
Jamaica, and Tanzania.
“Coral reefs are often portrayed as ‘the rain forest of
the sea,’” said Shafir. “This refers to their being one of the
most productive biological ecosystems on earth, to their
high level of biodiversity, and above all, to their function as
the building blocks of the ecosystem framework.”
According to the International Coral Reef Initiative, coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean
floor, but support about twenty-five percent of all marine life, with over 4,000 species of fish alone. Reefs act
as natural breakwaters, minimizing impact from cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons, and form the basis for
tourism and fishing industries. The United Nations has
They worked in a medical warehouse, packaging antiseptic
equipment for the army; leftovers were sent to third world
countries. Arriving in uniform each day, they braved the
warehouse’s freezing temperatures by bundling up in coats
and hats and drinking cup after cup of tea. They absolutely
loved it. “It really made the experience, being able to do
something pragmatic to help Israel,” said Shirley.
Now her pragmatism is taking a different shape.
The Robert & Shirley Levitt Synagogue will be a central
meeting place for religious services, holiday celebrations, Jewish educational programs, social activities and simchas, and
will ensure Carmit’s spiritual vitality and population growth.
“Shirley Levitt, in loving memory of her husband Robert, is fulfilling the dream of David Ben-Gurion by making
the desert bloom and ensuring the sustainability of Israel
for generations to come,” said Steven Green, Southeast regional director of JNF. “She is truly a visionary.”
“The Carmit synagogue and community will serve as a
constant reminder of the lifetime of love and devotion that
Robert and Shirley have had for one another and for Israel,”
said Matt Bernstein, chief planned giving officer for JNF.
estimated the total annual economic value of coral reefs to
be between $100,000 and $600,000 per square kilometer.
Active restoration, as a central concept in reef management, has also been drawing increasing attention because
most efforts to conserve degrading reefs have failed to yield
significant results, and traditional rehabilitation measures
have not successfully compensated for the fast decline.
Moreover, in many reef areas, the poor state of the reefs
has reached a critical point where management activities
can no longer effectively conserve remnants of precious
reef populations or prevent further habitat degradation.
The NIO’s strategy of “gardening coral reefs,” is a twostep process. First, instead of direct transplantation, large
pools of farmed corals and spats are constructed within
specially designed underwater coral nurseries. “These nurseries are not attached to the bottom of the sea,” explained
Dr. Shafir, “because then they would be exposed to the
same dangers that the reefs are falling victim to. Instead, a
buoy is attached to the frame that houses the nursery and
floats it at a depth that we choose, often depending on the
season. We like to keep them shallow enough so they can
get sunlight but in the stormy season we can lower them to
protect them from sustaining damage.”
Eilat’s small farm can grow between 6,000-10,000 corals; it
takes about a year for them to mature enough to transplant.
“Basically, what we’ve done here is copy the forestry
concept,” said Shafir, “and the idea is really taking hold
around the world because you can use it almost anywhere.
What we told ourselves is that if a reef can be destroyed
it can also be rebuilt. It’s not just about conservation, but
also about active restoration.”
17
www.jnf.org
www.jnf.org
And why the Negev? “The Negev was Ben-Gurion’s wish,”
she said. “I don’t know if he wished it after 60 years or 160, but
it seems the plausible place for Jews to go. It is Israel’s future.”
Shirley’s deep connection to Israel took root 15 years
before her 1968 visit with Robert. After a 12-hour overnight
train ride from Paris to Marseilles, she took a five-day trip
across the Mediterranean
on the SS Jerusalem cargo
ship, which also carried 300
displaced persons, to spend
a summer alone in Israel.
Upon disembarking in
Robert (z”l) and Shirley Levitt.
Haifa, she saw a crowd of people holding up photographs of family members and shouting
“Do you know so-and-so?” World War II had ended eight
years earlier, but people were still searching for relatives.
Shirley returned to Israel seven more times with Robert, never for less than two or three weeks. The most recent
trip was 12 years ago when she and Robert, who served for
many years as chief labor counsel for Western Electric,
volunteered for a month with the Israel Defense Forces.
National Conference recap
Jewish national fund
16
hile traveling in Israel in 1968, Shirley and Robert
Levitt of Greensboro, NC were deeply moved by the
land, people, and heritage and asked their tour guide what
they could do to support the fledgling Jewish State. His response was not unlike what one might hear today: “Make a
donation to Jewish National Fund —they are Israel!”
Almost forty years later, the couple remembered the
words of their guide and created four annuities with JNF.
After Robert passed away in March 2008 at the age of 91,
Shirley decided to leave a permanent legacy in Israel by
funding the construction of a $2.5 million synagogue in the
Negev community of Carmit.
A project of JNF and the OR Movement, Carmit is a
new planned community in the Negev Desert designed to
primarily attract American professionals and retirees who
want to make aliyah. Modeled after the gated communities
of the American Southwest, it will boast a variety of highend amenities and will be home to 2,600 families. Carmit
is part of JNF’s Blueprint Negev initiative to bring life to
the Negev Desert.
When asked why this project resonates with her, Shirley, 93,
a retired guidance counselor and special education instructor,
explained, “It is visible, it is structural, and it is eternal—that’s
what attracted me to it. A park or a playground is not eternal
and doesn’t have the essence of G-d and religion.”
Nowhere was the energy of the conference more palpable than in.
the session on JNFuture, the gateway to JNF for the next generation.
participants received information on a multitude of JNF projects and learned
ways to advocate for Israel and inspire the next generation of donors.
JNF President Stanley Chesley captured the essence and
spirit of JNF in general and the conference in particular
with his very first words at the opening plenary: “I have
been part of the Jewish organizational world for 50 years
but have never seen commitment like this!”
Touching on all aspects of the campaign, his was the
first official address to the 300 participants at JNF’s 2008
National Conference at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Phoenix,
AZ, on September 14-15 titled, “It’s a Desert Thing.”
“Israel has brought us together in this room and given
us the ability to stand tall as Jews,” he said. “This is our
time, you are our leadership and I am proud to be your
president.”
Chaired by Jeffrey Levine, Greater NY Zone president,
and Marc Kelman, Western Zone president, the conference, celebrating Israel’s 60th anniversary, was the most
successful to date and enjoyed by long-time JNF donors,
newcomers, Israeli partners, and young leaders alike. “No
audience is more committed to the State of Israel,” said Efi
Stenzler, KKL world chairman in his remarks, “and I have
come to make you a promise: that we are doing everything
we can to be worthy of your attention.”
With a chock-full agenda, participants received the latest information on a multitude of JNF projects, learned
ways to advocate for Israel and inspire the next generation
of donors, heard from well-known speakers on Middle
East diplomacy and the U.S. presidential election, and enjoyed a night at The Navajo Museum keynoted by author
and activist Natan Sharansky.
Nowhere was the energy of the conference more palpable than in the session on JNFuture, the gateway for
the next generation to JNF. The standing-room-only session was a real testament to the health and vitality of this
107-year-old organization and in what seemed like the opposite of protocol, the older generation gave their chairs
up to the younger generation. With terrific passion, the
panel members each spoke about the uniqueness of both
JNF and JNFuture and how it empowers them.
Creative Ways to Give to Charity
Looking Ahead With JNFuture
G
(L-R) Todd Genger, JNFuture marketing chair, Manhattan Borough
President Scott Stringer, and Ben Jablonski, JNFuture chair.
O
Why Faith Matters
which is so meaningful,” she said. “This is a great way to
have your commitment continue even when you can no
longer make a gift, and it does not affect the inheritance
you leave for your family. You can set this up now, when
the cost is manageable, and, just as I have, you’ve locked in
a gift in perpetuity to a cause that is close to your heart.”
JNF’s Planned Giving Department can be reached at
800-562-7526.
Financial Planning in Trying Economic Times
By Matt Bernstein, CFP, JNF Chief Planned Giving Officer
As I write this column the stock market is down again over 170 points and
the losses for the year are really piling up. A recent article in the Wall
Street Journal bemoaned the fact
that retirees who are subject to required minimum distributions are
being pinched unfairly because their
2008 distributions are being based on market values from
December 2007 when they were considerably higher. The
news could not be worse. My only hope is that by the time
you read this, circumstances will have changed and our
dispositions will be a bit more positive.
The Wall Street Journal article really caught my attention. In an environment where retirement accounts are
losing value and the choice is to take less or reduce expenses, a good way to diversify the risk is to put money
into a vehicle that will guarantee a fixed rate of income
regardless of market conditions. JNF can offer a solution
to this problem and a way to help Israel at the same time.
As many of our donors know, JNF runs one of the most
successful charitable gift annuity programs in the country.
We believe our success is due to the fact that we offer very
competitive annuity rates and that our donors enjoy the
stability of receiving a steady income check, all with the
knowledge that their annuity gift will ultimately support
JNF projects in Israel.
So how does this work? A JNF charitable gift annuity
is a simple agreement that offers our donors a lifetime 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 even be
designed to act like a supplemental retirement plan by deferring income for a number of years.
Here are some of the single life annuity rates we currently offer:
Age
Age
Age
Age
60
65
70
75
5.7%
6.0%
6.5%
7.1%
Age 80
Age 85
Age 90+
8.0%
9.5%
11.3%
To receive more information including a detailed illustration of how a JNF charitable gift annuity might benefit
you please call 800-562-7526 and speak with any of our
Planned Giving specialists. We are ready to answer all of
your questions. Or visit www.jnf.org and click on "Planned
Giving." We look forward to hearing from you.
By Rabbi David Wolpe
Reviewed by Melanie Greenberg
In his recent book, “Why Faith Matters,” Rabbi David Wolpe
discusses the role of faith in the contemporary world. What
is most refreshing about Wolpe is his ability to discuss faith
in a way that is apt to make sense to non-believers.
All too often authors such as Wolpe seem focused on
trying to win a debate—between faith and science, faith
and logic, faith and philosophy. In so doing, they tend to
alienate the very audience that they are striving to reach.
Wolpe, however, takes a more practical approach by suggesting that these concepts are not mutually exclusive. He
is, in essence, making the case that to be a person of faith
does not preclude one from being a critical thinker. It helps
that he can serve as an example of his own point. Rabbi
Wolpe is clearly a man with a wide breadth of interests and
knowledge, evident by the range of texts cited throughout
his book. It is anticipated and not all that persuasive for
one to make a case for faith by quoting scripture. In so doing, one has little chance of reaching few but the converted.
However, by referring to passages by Kant, Jung, Voltaire,
Francis Bacon, and T.S Eliot, Rabbi Wolpe is likely to get
the attention of an audience predisposed to otherwise ignore this type of discussion.
Another way in which Wolpe’s book particularly caters
to the non-believer is that he is able to share from the per-
spective of someone who has had his
own struggles with religion, having
abandoned it for a time himself. The
book details his own spiritual path—
his rejection of faith as an adolescent,
his years studying philosophies that
dispelled the “myth” of religion, and
his ultimate return to Judaism. He
discovered that, through religion, he
would never understand why things
happened but could find the necessary tools for coping with his hardships—and he has had
hardships in abundance. He describes for us his personal
battle with cancer as well as his wife’s and the role that faith
played in getting him through his struggles. Rabbi Wolpe
does not suggest that prayer enabled him to put an end to
his suffering. However, through his journey he came to
discover that the point of religion is not that it eradicates or
even explains our difficulties but that it gives us the foundation we need to get through them.
This does not mean that to engage in a religious tradition
means to cease all questioning. On the contrary, Wolpe argues that the very concept of faith encompasses that huge
and seemingly insurmountable question of “why?” Unlike
Darwin who posits that our sole reason for existence is to
pass on our genes—a view Wolpe sees as nihilistic—religion
encourages us to seek, to ask, to think more deeply. This is
not to say that Wolpe discredits the theory of evolution—
he certainly does not. However, he argues that a belief in
evolution does not necessarily require a belief that man
(L-R) Inbal Baum and guest, Alana Shultz,
Zvi Lantsberg and Naomi Dabi.
my mom, who got an e-blast from JNF,” said party attendee
Greg Davis. “After that experience, which was amazing, I
decided to join the JNFuture leadership cabinet. It’s really
cool to see how ASB has been a springboard for JNFuture,
an entryway for more involvement in the organization.”
On deck for JNFuture is a young professionals mission
to Israel in February.
“What we are trying to do is to create a whole new generation of leaders and to get young people excited about
JNF and its modern undertakings in Israel,” said JNF campaign executive Gabrielle Carlin.
For more information, visit www.jnf.org/jnfuture.
exists only so that he can survive. One can believe in evolution, he reasons, and still maintain that there are spiritual
mysteries that are wholly unrelated to and unanswered by
Darwin and his theories. It is simply an example of where
he sees science and faith to be congruent in ways in which
they are generally perceived to be incompatible.
In large part, Wolpe is striving to debunk the cynicism
surrounding religion. He suggests that one of the most
common misconceptions about religion is that it generates
violence—that it merely serves as a means to justify wars
and power-grabbing. Wolpe argues that humans are by
nature predisposed to be self-seeking and self-destructive.
The arc of history backs this assertion. He suggests that,
if anything, faith provides people with a moral foundation
that can be used to combat our otherwise selfish natures.
There is evidence to back the claim that people involved
with a religious organization are more likely to volunteer,
donate, stay faithful to their spouses, spend time with their
families—in essence, to stay grounded in a system of values. Faith used to justify violence, he asserts, is not true
faith but the perversion of faith.
Wolpe makes what one could call a practical argument
on behalf of faith. He does not try to persuade by feats of
logic as much as by common sense. He merely reasons
that faith has the proven potential to improve the lives of
both individuals and their communities. Put simply, that
is why it matters.
Melanie Greenberg lives in New York, where she works as
a freelance writer. She is currently working on a novel entitled “Good Deeds” based on her experiences in Cambodia.
19
www.jnf.org
www.jnf.org
n November 13, over 300 people gathered at NYC
hotspot Tenjune for JNFuture’s 2nd annual gala,
Swingin’ in the Garden of Eden.
The third major event for JNFuture, JNF’s new young
leadership division, Garden of Eden came on the heels of
this summer’s wildly successful Shabbat in the Park, which
brought together over 250 people for the first-ever Shabbat
celebration in Central Park.
Since its launch in June 2007, the rapid growth of
JNFuture has proven that Jewish National Fund remains
extremely relevant to young people who care about Israel
and the environment — even after more than a century
of existence. What began as a small group of 20- and 30somethings in New York has expanded to Chicago, LA,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Denver and become an integral part of the organization.
Guests at Garden of Eden enjoyed an evening of live
swing music, a DJ, open bar, and silent auction, and
munched on sushi and dessert. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer made a guest appearance, and close to
$30,000 was raised for JNF’s Blueprint Negev initiative.
“My parents have been involved with JNF but before
this event my only personal connection was through buying a couple of trees,” said Dan Getman, who came to
Garden of Eden because his friend was on the host committee. “When I heard that JNF was having a swanky event
at an awesome venue, I thought, ‘Why not, I should go.’
It’s a great organization.”
While many have connected to JNFuture through friends,
a large number have become involved through another JNF
program geared towards young people: Alternative Spring
Break (ASB), a community service trip for 18 to 30-year-olds.
“I went on ASB two years ago after hearing about it from
Jewish National Fund
Planned Giving
18
eri Shatz wanted to do something important through
Jewish National Fund for the State of Israel, but, said
the Bucks County, PA resident, “there’s a real limit to how
much more I could give each year.”
The answer: Shatz bought a $100,000 life insurance
policy and named JNF as the owner.
“I wanted to make a statement with this decision,” she
said, “and I hope others, particularly other women, follow
suit. It’s important for women to be part of the major gift
conversation. For Sapphire Society members who have
filled out their pins, this is a way to open up a ‘second century of giving.’ Our donors will have the opportunity for
permanent recognition for this action.”
Actively involved in JNF’s volunteer speakers bureau
and national chair of the Sapphire Society, its women’s
major gifts division, Shatz has now endowed JNF with a
major gift forever in her name.
Here’s how it works: Shatz purchased a life insurance policy
with a face value of $100,000 and
named JNF as owner and irrevocable beneficiary. To fund the
policy, Shatz will write a check
to JNF in the amount of $1,000
each year. JNF will, in turn, pay
the premium to the insurance
company. This will allow her
to preserve her tax deduction.
Upon her demise, JNF will reGeri Shatz
ceive the $100,000, and establish
an endowment in Shatz’s name whose purpose is to permanently fund her Sapphire gift.
“I will continue to make a major gift to the annual campaign of JNF, and now will be a Sapphire member eternally,
JNF Reservoir Dedication - from page 3
60 Years of EL AL & Israel
four-engine C-54 plane from the Israeli Air Force
and named the aircraft “EL AL” inspired by the biblical phrase from the book of the Hebrew prophet
Hosea, meaning “to the above” or more poetically
“to the skies.”
Hurriedly, the plane was painted with the name
“EL AL” and “Israeli National Aviation Company” in
both English and Hebrew with, most beautifully, the
Israeli flag on the tail. The makeshift aircraft was
decorated with furniture borrowed from the Israeli
Air Force and the volunteer in-flight crew was from
the Air Force as well. Meals were provided by a local kosher restaurant. Extra fuel tanks were fitted so
that the aircraft could travel the 10-hour nonstop
flight from Geneva to Israel. The aircraft landed with
President Weizmann, his wife Vera and an entourage
at Israel’s Ekron Air Base near Rehovot to a military
band playing Hatikva, Israel’s national anthem.
By November of 1948, the new Israeli national
airline became incorporated under the name EL
AL Israel Airlines Ltd., with the Israeli government
holding 80% and the remaining 20% held by Jewish organizations in Israel. The mission of EL AL
was, and continues to be, to “secure and maintain a
regular civil air link between Israel and the outside
world in times of peace and war.”
and JNF that he was grateful for the new reservoir. “This
means that it is economically viable for us to continue
growing corn, tomatoes and other crops as well as animal
fodder,” he said.
Dolores Bauer, the mother of the late Dr. Bauer was so
overwhelmed with emotion that she could not deliver her
planned speech. “When I look out over the reservoir I feel
that I have come home,” she said.
Members of The Church on the Way dedicate the Dovrat
– Scott Bauer Memorial Reservoir in Israel.
21
First EL AL scheduled passenger flight (July 31–August 1, 1949)
arrives at Orly Airport, Paris following a flight from Tel Aviv via Rome.
Order unique JNF
invitations for your
special day and honor
your guests by planting
trees in Israel!
To learn more about the Simcha program, visit
www.jnf.org/simcha or call 1-800-542-8733.
Using recycled waste water for agriculture — provided by reservoirs like the new Dovrat-Scott Bauer
Memorial Reservoir — allows more of Israel’s scarce
freshwater to be used for domestic consumption.
But this recycled water also sustains Israel’s agriculture industry, a vital component of the economy.
For example, at Moshav Lachish, located in the
heart of the arid Negev Desert, the scant amount
of freshwater available for agriculture held farmers back from expanding their output in years past.
Because of quotas, they regularly ran out of water
by August and their crops died by September. Orchards produced low yields and profits were small.
But today, instead of being forced to reduce
their growing area by 40–50% to compensate for
this lack of water, farmers at Moshav Lachish are
able to produce over 20,000 tons of grapes per year
which they export to England, China, Russia, and
South Africa, thanks to a JNF recycled water reservoir. Purified waste water from Jerusalem and Beit
Shemesh travels 60 kilometers to Moshav Lachish,
where it is used to irrigate 15 varieties of grapes as
well as peaches, almonds, and pomegranates. Each
dunam of orchard and vineyard receives an additional 200 cubic meters of water than it did when
irrigated with freshwater, increasing the quality
and size of the yields. The moshav has a regular supply of grapes from May through January.
Similarly, at Kibbutz Kedma, a JNF reservoir has
literally rescued the agriculture industry.
“In 2002, agriculture in Kedma collapsed as a
result of two drought years and a severe water
shortage,” said Nir Canetti, who is responsible for
reservoir operations and water supply maintenance
and supervision. Today, a recycled water reservoir
has allowed the kibbutz to increase its vegetable
production by 4,000 dunams.
www.jnf.org
Campaign update - from page 5
As often as I go to Israel, each time I discover something
new that reinforces the importance of our work. Recently
I went to the Mount of Olives for the first time, to walk the
ancient (and modern) Jewish cemetery and espy the Old
City from the east. My guide was Chen Harkov, director
of external relations for the Ir David Foundation, which
is responsible for the unbelievable archeological digs due
south of Temple Mount. Chen took me to “Kever Achim,”
the communal “grave of our brothers (and sisters),” high
on the mountain, and she told me this story:
In 1948, as the Jewish defenders of the Old City were
retreating, they were forced to leave behind the hastily
buried bodies of the fallen. When the IDF re-conquered
the Old City in 1967, one of its first tasks was to retrieve
those bodies and rebury them in a communal plot on the
Mount of Olives. Above the plot are plaques with the
names of the fallen. Many of these heroes were children
who had survived the Shoah only to die for Jerusalem, and
the names of their parents were unknown. Their plaques
record only first name, last name, and date of death. And
one more thing. The IDF did not exist in 1948. So in 1967,
these children of the Shoah were posthumously inducted
into the IDF, and the military insignia graces each plaque
on the grave.
As long as Israel exists, and as long as we visit her, we
will never forget what they did or who we are. I look forward to seeing each of you in Israel this year.
Miracles in the Desert
Jewish National Fund
A mere vision in 1948, EL AL Israel Airlines today is
one of the world’s most advanced and efficient airlines and the ultimate success story of international
civil aviation. The birth and growth of EL AL can be
directly tied to the dramatic and historical events
responsible for shaping the State of Israel.
The establishment of Israel as an independent
state on May 14, 1948 paved the way for EL AL
to become Israel’s national airline. In September of that year, the Israeli government wanted to
bring home its newly designated President Chaim
Weizmann and his wife Vera from Switzerland in a
stately manner. So, government officials chose a
from the kibbutz itself as well as surrounding industrial zones
and Arab villages. The Dovrat reservoir is just 10 miles west of
the Sea of Galilee, Israel’s largest freshwater reservoir, which
after last year’s disappointing rainfall, is at record low levels.
After unveiling the large stone slab with the dedication to his father, Pastor Brian Bauer said, “Everything
my father did, he did with passion, and he instilled in us a
passion for Israel. This project represents the fulfillment of
everything he valued as sacred.”
General Shimon Erem, founder and chairman of Israel
Christian Nexus, which unites 50,000 churches around the
world including the Church on the Way, emphasized that
the reservoir was a milestone for his organization. “Until
now Christian communities have contributed to various
charities in Israel,” he observed. “But here in the Valley
where David fought the Philistines, your church has taken
on an entire project from start to finish and become part
and parcel of Israel’s water infrastructure.”
Many of the visiting Christians were Hispanic immigrants to the United States. Rev. Rodolfo Perez came to
Los Angeles 25 years ago from Guatemala. “The culmination of this project is a special moment for us,” stressed
Rev. Perez. “Our love of Israel is also important because it
is another thing that brings together the Hispanic immigrant community and American-born Christians.”
Eyal Kalifa, the general manager of Kibbutz Dovrat,
which supports 300 residents, told the Californian visitors
New England Zone
Midwest Zone
Out & About with
JNF's Major Donors
(L-R) Southeast regional co-president Lauren Mescon (Sapphire
Society) and Women’s Campaign
chair Janis Dickman (Sapphire
Society) visited the portion of the
Be’er Sheva River Park adopted by
the Southeast during the Queen
of Sheba Mission to Israel.
Florida Zone
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph White (Century Club), of the Boston Chapter
of the National Jewish Civil Service Employees Inc., received
a plaque from Colonel (Res.)
Sharon Davidovich (left) for their
dedication to Israel and generosity
in collecting $100,000 for a muchneeded fire truck in Israel.
(L-R) Carolyn Marcus, dinner cochair and board member Debbie
Stayman (Herzl Society), dinner
co-chair Myron Stayman (Herzl
Society), Broward board president
and Makor chair Beckie Fischer
(Sapphire Society) and son Joshua
Traub at the Broward Tree of Life
Dinner.
(L-R) Michael Weinstock (Herzl
Society) visited with a student at
the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies during his
participation on the Israel Ride in
November.
(L-R) Dinner co-chair Myron
Stayman (Herzl Society) with
Tree of Life co-honoree Alan J.
Levy, president and CEO of Great
American Farms, at the Broward
Tree of Life Dinner.
Irv and Muriel Berzon (Century
Club) attended a dedication at
American Independence Park and
visited JNF water projects during
their stay in Israel.
South Palm Beach board member
Marty Teitelbaum (Century Club)
and Shelley Teitelbaum (Century
Club) at the Broward Tree of Life
Dinner.
(L-R) Florida Zone Women’s Campaign chair and board member Ida
Raye Chernin (Sapphire Society),
Tampa Bay co-president Betsy
Marcadis (Sapphire Society), JNF
campaign executive Beth Glickman
Morris, and Tampa Bay co-president Mark Miller (Herzl Society) at
an executive board meeting.
(L-R) Broward board president
and Makor chair Beckie Fischer
(Sapphire Society) with dinner cochair and board member Debbie
Stayman (Herzl Society) at the
Broward Tree of Life Dinner.
(L-R) Dinner co-chairs Dr. Ira and June
Gelb, Courtney Brogan and Tree of
Life Award co-honoree FAU President
Frank Brogan, dinner co-chair and
board member Debbie Stayman (Herzl
Society), and dinner co-chair Myron
Stayman (Herzl Society) at the Broward
Tree of Life Award Dinner at the Design
Center of the Americas.
Michael Zimmerman (President’s
Council) with South Palm Beach
board member and education chair
Cantor Elaine Shapiro (Sapphire
Society, President’s Council) at
the JNF National Conference in
Phoenix, AZ.
Richard Noone (Herzl Society),
Nathan Hefez and campaign
executive Sara Hefez, Brian Nagle,
and Vicary Graham of BNY/Mellon Wealth Management at the
Consul of Israel’s 60th Anniversary Gala.
Boston president Larry Cohen
(Century Club) and Laurie Hall
(center) were presented with a
$100,000 surprise donation in
honor of their marriage. Ronald
S. Lauder and New England Zone
director Sharon Freedman joined
them in celebration in Be’er
Sheva, Israel.
(L-R) Chicago regional president
Scott Schreiber (President’s Council) with Scott Golant of Deerfield
at JNF’s “Negev Nights” poker
tournament.
Bob Wigoda (Herzl Society) shook hands with Natan
Sharansky at the 2008 National
Conference in Phoenix, AZ.
23
www.jnf.org
(L-R) Florence Soble (Century
Club) and South Palm Beach
board member Stephen Soble
(Century Club) at the Broward
Tree of Life Dinner.
Natan Sharansky signed his new
book at the JNF National Conference in Phoenix, AZ for North
Carolinians Lyn Green (Sapphire
Society) and Michael Green
(President’s Council).
(L-R) Newly inaugurated Sapphire Society president Amy
Parsons, former ambassador Martin Indyk, Boston president Larry
Cohen (Century Club), New
England Consul Rony Yedidia,
and VP of campaign Todd Patkin
(World Chairman’s Council) at
Boston’s Sapphire Society 2009
kick-off event.
(L-R) Broward president and
Makor chair Becky Fischer (Sapphire Society), Chicago regional
director Rick Kruger, and Harold
Kaplan (Century Club) at the
National Conference.
(L-R) JNF national president Stanley M. Chesley, the Honorable Susan J.
Dlott, U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich, Janet Voinovich, and honorees
Eileen and John Barrett at the Southern Ohio Region’s Tree of Life Award
Dinner. The Barretts were honored for their outstanding humanitarian
efforts in Cincinnati.
(L–R) Keynote speaker Micah
Halpern with last year’s Attorney
of the Year, Louise Roselle (Sapphire Society) and her husband,
Gary, hosts of the 2008 Attorney
of the Year event honoring Al
Gerhardstein.
JNF chairperson for Kansas City
Miriam Glueck and her husband
Robert visited Sderot with their
daughters Katie and Jessi during
a family vacation in Israel. (L-R)
Jessi and Robert Glueck on the
train to Sderot.
The Komisar family of Wisconsin, a group of multi-generational Sapphires, is the largest family of Sapphire Society members within JNF.
Family funds have been designated to the Sderot Indoor Recreation
Center. (L-R) Maureen Komisar (Sapphire Society), Claire Komisar
(Sapphire Society), Morton Komisar, Maureen’s son Noah Schatz, Martin Komisar, Gail Komisar (Sapphire Society), Susan Goldstein, Randi
Komisar (Sapphire Society), and Eric Schacter.
Josh Resnick (Century Club),
national chair of the general
campaign, with Natan Sharansky
in Phoenix at the JNF National
Conference.
Harvey Cohen (Century Club,
President’s Council), past
president of Southern Ohio Karen
Cohen (Century Club, President’s
Council, Sapphire Society), past
Tree of Life Award recipient Dick
Weiland, and Chessie Vigran at
the award dinner.
Greater New York Zone
(L-R) Palm Beach board president Irving Wiseman (Century Club),
South Palm Beach board member and education chair Cantor Elaine Shapiro (Sapphire Society, President’s Council), Palm Beach board member
Marian Wiseman (Century Club, Sapphire Society), and Palm Beach
board member and education co-chair Elaine Miller at the National
Conference.
(L-R) Palm Beach board member
Marian Wiseman (Century Club,
Sapphire Society), Broward
board president Beckie Fischer
(Sapphire Society), and Chicago
regional director Rick Kruger at
JNF’s National Conference.
Women’s Alliance co-chair and
NY board member Shirley Amdur
(Century Club) and NY board
treasurer Michael Wechsler (Century Club) at a Women’s Alliance
reception at the Amdur home.
Andrew Wilshinsky, one of JNF’s
youngest Century Club members,
planted a tree in Israel during the
recent President’s Council Mission.
Lew Schepps (World Chairman's
Council) dedicated his “Gateway
to the Negev” project in Be’er
Sheva while on the President’s
Council Mission.
JNF's Major Donors
22
www.jnf.org
JNF's Major Donors
Southern Zone
Mort Weisberg (President’s Council) traveled to Israel to attend the
wedding of Ohio Representative Josh Mandel to Illana Shafran. While
there Mort and his friends took pride in participating in a dedication at
American Independence Park. (L-R) Debra Sharpe, Alan Kolsly, Debra
Sinkle Kolsy, Mort Weisberg, and Kimberly Clos.
Eli Wieberdink (left), grandson
of JNF chairperson in Minneapolis Lisa Heilicher, presented a
check to Midwest Zone director
Rick Krosnick which was used to
send a child from Sderot to camp
during JNF’s “Mom’s for Israel”
campaign.
Los Angeles Zone
Dr. Robert Lichtenstein (Century
Club) received a plaque for his
$100,000 contribution to the
Livnim Reservoir. (L-R) Major
Gifts chair Bud Levin, Dr. Robert
Lichtenstein, and his friend, Ozzie
Silna.
(L-R) JNF national VP Dr. Morton Mower (World Chairman’s Council),
national VP Toby Mower (World Chairman’s Council, Sapphire Society),
executive committee member Dr. Bernard Kapiloff (Century Club),
Lynn Kapiloff (Century Club, Sapphire Society), Ammunition Hill chair
Mota Gur (Century Club), and Women’s Campaign for Israel chair Amy
Gur (Century Club, Sapphire Society).
(L-R) Delaware regional president
and Makor member Jerome
Grossman (Century Club) with
Mid-Atlantic Zone president and
Makor member David Margules
(Century Club).
(L-R) Executive committee
members Roy and Adele Igersheim
(President’s Council) with good
friends Rita Stein (President’s
Council, Sapphire Society) and Dr.
Chester Stein (President’s Council),
chair of DC’s President’s Council.
Joel Leibowitz and Makor member Evelyn Spritz (Century Club,
President’s Council, Sapphire
Society) at the Northeast Zone
Conference.
(L-R)VP of campaign Chuck Fax
(Century Club, President’s Council), Northeast Zone president
Bob Benedon (President’s Council), and Makor member Evelyn
Spritz (Century Club, President’s
Council, Sapphire Society) at the
Northeast Zone Conference.
Makor member Edgar House
(Herzl Society) was the JNF guest
speaker at the Moshav concert.
(L-R) Jonathan Halevy and Rick
and Donna Forman (President’s
Council) at the Moshav Concert.
Western Zone
24
(L-R) Israel Advocacy and Education chair Bob Levine (World
Chairman’s Council, President’s
Council), Sapphire Society chair
Geri Shatz (Century Club, Sapphire Society), and Helen Levine
(World, Chairman’s Council, President’s Council, Sapphire Society) at
the NJ Tree of Life Dinner.
(L-R) JNF NJ regional director
Lynn Norton Robins, Northeast
Zone president Bob Benedon
(President’s Council), and Susan
Bass Levin, commissioner of NJ
Dept. of Community Affairs.
JNF's Major Donors
jnf's Major Donors
Larry Russ (Century Club, President's Council) and his father,
Roman unveiled the plaque for
their family’s project, The City
Line amphitheatre at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem.
Mid-Atlantic Zone
25
www.jnf.org
www.jnf.org
(L-R) Dr. Samuel and Marlene
Halperin (Century Club), Major
General Benjamin Gantz, IDF
attaché to the U.S. and Canada,
DC president Baruch Fellner
(President’s Council), and Karen
Fellner (President’s Council, Sapphire Society) at a major donors
thank you reception in DC.
The Maryland Region held its installation of officers event and
welcomed Jonathan Fishman as the new regional president. (L-R) MidAtlantic Zone president and Makor member David Margules (Century
Club), Mid-Atlantic Zone chair and national VP of zones & regions
Andrew Klein (Century Club), Maryland regional president Jonathan
Fishman (Herzl Society), and immediate past president Steve Cohen
(President’s Council).
(L-R) Executive committee member Louis Cohen (Century Club),
Earl and Lorraine Raffel (Century
Club) and Mid-Atlantic Zone
president and Makor member
David Margules (Century Club).
(L-R) Executive Committee
members Nelson and Sara Fishman (President’s Council) with
Maryland regional president
Jonathan Fishman (Herzl Society)
and his wife Gail.
(L-R) Major Gifts chair Ellen
Rosenberg (Sapphire Society),
Women’s Alliance chair Susan
Levene (Sapphire Society) and
Women’s Campaign for Israel
chair Amy Gur (Century Club,
Sapphire Society).
On a VIP mission to Israel,
major donors Alan Fisher and Dr.
Barbara Sommer (Century Club,
President's Council) received a
plaque from Israel emissary Amir
Halevi (right) in recognition of
their support for Caravan for Democracy High School Edition.
Executive board member Dr.
Peter Pflaum (Century Club) and
Orange County board member
Hazel Dyer (Sapphire Society) at
Merchav Am, a new community
in the Negev, where they visited
the synagogue named in memory
of Peter’s parents, Leontine and
Alfred Pflaum.
(L-R) Bucks County board member Michael Moss (Herzl Society),
Philadelphia board member Richard Gering (Herzl Society), and
Bucks County board president
and Makor member Edgar House
(Herzl Society).
(L-R) Northern NJ board
president Barry Honig (President’s Council), Gisele Ben Dor
(Century Club, Sapphire Society),
JNF Israel emissary Tali Tzour,
Allison Mangot (Herzl Society)
and Eli Ben Dor (Century Club)
at JNF’s National Conference in
Phoenix, AZ.
Northeast Zone chair of the
Women’s Campaign for Israel
Louise Dabrow (Sapphire Society)
with Natan Sharansky at the
National Conference.
(L-R) Northeast Zone president
and Makor member Bob Benedon
(President’s Council), JNF executive director of finance Stephen
Bach, and Bucks County president
and Makor member Edgar House
(Herzl Society) at the Northeast
Zone Conference.
Century club members Burton
Kruglick (left) and Don Shifris
(right) presented the Burton
Kruglick Campaign Award to Dr.
Seymour Rife, 2008 Tree of Life
Award recipient.
Arizona Sapphire Society members enjoyed the second annual home
tour in Paradise Valley, AZ. (L-R) Dr. Carol Ford, Women’s Campaign for
Israel chair Natalie Eisenberg, guest speaker Tali Tzour, Cookie Shifris,
Valerie Richter, Elaine Kort, and Sharyn Spillman.
Dr. Lance Sieger (Century Club)
and OC regional president Dr.
Rochelle Sieger (Century Club,
Sapphire Society) visited JNF
projects after the President’s
Council Mission in October,
including the Be’er Sheva River
Park and Aleh Negev Rehabilitative Village in Ofakim.
Evelyn Binsky (Sapphire Society),
vice chair of the Palm Springs
Advisory Council, welcomed Itai
Freeman to Palm Springs and
Desert Area.
(L-R) Ayelet Nachman, OC campaign executive, presented Inga
Behr (Century Club, Sapphire
Society) with a plaque in memory
of her husband.
Three generations of JNF supporters in the Goodman family
attended the Caravan for Democracy breakfast on September 7.
(L-R) Executive board member
Jeff Goodman (Century Club),
Jack Goodman (Century Club)
and Josh Goodman, with a plaque
in honor of Jack’s 90th birthday.
Steve Scheiner (Century Club)
accepted a gift from the Arizona
Region board of directors for his
15 years of service to JNF and four
years as board president.
JNF supporters gathered at the home of Jan Tuttleman and Craig
Lambert to hear about one of JNF’s partners, the Arava Institute for
Environmental Studies. (L-R) Arava Institute students Hadas Kammon
and Suleiman A. Halasah, Craig Lambert, Jan Tuttleman (President’s
Council), San Diego community director Batsheva Feldman, Arava
Institute director David Lehrer, and San Diego regional president Joni
Steinman (Sapphire Society).
Northeast Zone
(L-R) Rob Zuritsky (President’s
Council) and Makor member Joe
Wolfson (Herzl Society) at the
Philadelphia and Bucks County
board installation at Beat Street
Station in Manayunk, PA.
(L-R) Joel Leibowitz, Louise Dabrow (President’s Council, Sapphire
Society), Makor member Evelyn
Spritz (Century Club, President’s
Council, Sapphire Society) and
national board of trustees member Alan Dabrow (Century Club,
President’s Council) at the board
installation.
Israel Beyond the Guide Book
A Must-See Tourist Attraction
· JEWISH NATIONAL FUND ·
JNF Travel & Tours
The way to say,“I believe in Israel!”
Upcoming Missions
THE ALEXANDER MUSS INSTITUTE FOR ISRAEL EDUCATION (AMIIE) WORKS TO PROVIDE A SUPERIOR
EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN ISRAEL TO LEARNERS OF ALL AGES FROM COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA AND ABROAD. AMIIE PROMOTES, BUILDS AND STRENGTHENS LIFELONG BONDS
BETWEEN JEWS AND ISRAEL THROUGH EDUCATION, EXPERIENCES AND UNDERSTANDING.
Dear AMHSI Alumni
A
Programs & Tours
AMHSI: A Family Affair
MAKOR MISSION
March 4–12, 2009 (Makor members only)
KKL International Bike Mission: March 20–29, 2009
By Arielle Tamir
CAARI Program: January 14–March 4, 2009 (2–8 week options)
Alternative Spring Break
March 7–29, 2009
Taste of Israel Tour: March 1–19, 2009 & October 18–26, 2009
I am sure it was predestined from the time I was in the
womb that I would go on the Alexander Muss High School
in Israel program. My mom had told me about it for as long
as I can remember; she is an alum and so is my older sister.
So of course I thought I’d never enjoy it. Little did I know
how much I would fall in love with it.
From the first day’s ice breaker (literally, we broke ice!)
to the last tear shed together at the Kotel, I knew my classmates would become my lifelong friends. That’s because
together, we experienced 4,000 years of Israeli history as
well as modern Israeli life.
Together, we discovered deliciously fattening schnitzel
in a pita, pargiot in a pita, and pizza… in a pita. Together, we laughed at our teacher Yossi’s jokes; together, we
cried on top of Masada declaring “Sheinit Masada lo tipol” (another Masada won’t fall!); and together we shared
a connection with a country so small yet so strong. The
bonds we formed, with our friends and our land, will nev-
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS MISSION
February 15–21, 2009 + 4 day Eilat extension
Come with me to Israel Mission
March 22–April 1, 2009
PRIDE OF ISRAEL MISSION
April 19–26, 2009
FUTURE OF ISRAEL MISSION
May 6–19, 2009
QUEEN OF SHEBA WOMEN’S MISSION
May 11–20, 2009
PHOENIX REGIONAL MISSION
October 14–22, 2009
PRIVATE TOURS:
Private Family Trips: Unique and personalized itineraries that are customized to suit every family
FAMILY TRAVEL:
JNF B’nai Mitzvah & Generations Tour (2009 dates coming soon!)
WEEKLY TOURS
Jewish Heritage Tour (with optional Eilat & Petra extension)
Grand Jewish Heritage Tour Ultimate Israel Tour
For more info: Call: (877) JNF-TOUR · E-mail: [email protected] · Website: www.jnf.org/travel
For enrolling applicants:
For each enrolled participant that you refer to
AMHSI you will receive $100 off your tuition.
That’s right, earn money for having your friends
join you for the experience of a lifetime! Refer as
many friends as you like to any session – there is
no limit to how much you can earn toward your
own tuition!
For all alumni:
Jordana Wachtel , Alumni Relations and Resource Development Coordinator
s the Alumni Relations and Resource
Development Coordinator, I am very
excited to be your connection to AMIIE
and its flagship program, AMHSI. The
organization and the school are both
continuing to excel and expand and you
should be proud to be part of the alumni
family of more than 19,000! As a “family,”
we want to hear from you — whether you’re graduating
from college, starting a new career, getting married, having
a baby, or any other exciting news or milestones — share it
with us. The alumni section on our website (www.amiie.org)
features many of these announcements and alumni accomplishments. Check it out to read about your quinmates
and to share your news with them too. You can email us
news and photos at [email protected].
Speaking of email addresses, when was the last time you
updated your AMHSI record? In the same alumni section
on the website, update your contact information so that we
can stay in touch with you about news, events, and more.
Also, we need your help in locating lost alumni! Encourage your AMHSI friends to update their information as well,
Refer a Friend, Receive a Trip!
or you can send us their info and we’ll contact them. This
information is essential in maintaining our network and
directory. Please help us reconnect.
Finally, if you are looking for volunteer experiences
or would just like to get involved, there are opportunities around the country for you to support recruitment
in your area or to
plan a reunion and
the organization and
other alumni events,
school are continuing maybe even join the
local AMHSI board.
to excel and expand
Contact your local director of admissions
(see “Contact Us” on the website) to find out more information, including when one of your past teachers may be
at an event in your area.
We look forward to hearing from you soon! Stay
tuned for news on a second AMHSI campus, our first
AMHSI alumni trip (email [email protected] if you are
interested in participating), and other exciting updates!
Wishing you the very best on behalf of the faculty, staff,
and students at AMIIE.
If you refer five friends to AMHSI, you will receive
a FREE trip to Israel! It's as simple as that. Hurry
before this promotion ends!
*Offer valid only to AMHSI participants; NOT Day
School or community group participants.
27
Israel Hi-Tech Computer &
Adventure Summer Program
June 28th - July 27th, 2009
Discover Israel and learn information,
communication and computing technologies with
AMIIE and The Israeli Youth Computer Movement.
This is a unique 4-week hi-tech program in Israel
for high school students entering their freshman
or sophomore year. The Israeli Youth Computer
Movement, with 18 years of experience, teaches
computing technologies in an environment of
innovation, creativity, and start-up thinking, all
while showing you the beauty and history of Israel.
Design Websites, Create Video Games, Learn Programming,
Produce Multimedia Movies & Videos, Master Animation & 3D
Graphics, Explore Integrated Start-up Projects, Hike the Golan
Heights, Swim in the Mediterranean Sea, Go Rafting in the
Jordan River, Ride Camels in the Desert, and much more...
Sign up now! Space is limited.
Make a donation today!
• Join the Werner Society and help fund the
Arielle Tamir (Summer ‘08) and her sister, Danielle Tamir (Summer ‘05)
er be broken. I thank Yossi Katz and the Alexander Muss
High School in Israel for giving me a summer I will never
forget and a future I can’t wait to begin!
difference between the price of tuition and the
actual cost of educating an AMHSI student–
$1,200 a year.
• Join the Alumni Society and pave the way for
future alumni –$1,800 payable over three years.
• Want to sponsor a classroom, dorm, or garden?
Check out www.amiie.org or contact the AMIIE
office for other giving opportunities!
www.jnf.org
www.jnf.org
Israel might be about the size of New Jersey, but within
that small country is a wealth of exciting things to see
and places to visit. Even if you’ve been to Israel 20 times,
there is always something new to discover. Make sure
your next trip includes a stop at the historic Ammunition
Hill in Jerusalem.
When you sit down in the museum's new amphitheatre, the 3-D model before you is somewhat nondescript.
You can tell it’s the architecture of Jerusalem but beyond
that, it looks, well, plain.
Then the room darkens, the movie begins, colorful lasers light up the model, the surround sound system kicks
Did you receive this issue at an old address? Know
any alumni who didn’t receive it at all? Visit our
website at www.amiie.org to update your contact
information so we can stay in touch.
Amiie
Travel to Israel
26
The City-Line model at Ammunition Hill
tells the story of life in a divided Jerusalem.
in and you are taken back in time. The story of Jerusalem
is told in a whole new way.
The City-Line amphitheatre is an exciting hi-tech sound
and light display that just opened at Ammunition Hill. It
presents the story of the five-mile-long line that divided
Jerusalem between 1948 and 1967, and concentrates on the
battles along it during the Six-Day War that led to the historic reunification of the city.
The model was designed and built by the directors of
Ammunition Hill, thanks to a generous donation by Larry
Russ of Los Angeles, CA and with the help of Jewish National Fund.
Together with his wife Sunny, his father Roman, and
brother Isi, Russ was in Israel recently to unveil and dedicate the project. “It was a very moving, touching ceremony,”
said Russ. “I was overwhelmed by how beautifully the project was carried out. It exceeded our expectations and I am
confident it will prove to be a significant educational tool
that will finally tell the story of Jerusalem in a way that both
kids and adults will understand and hold on to.”
The Jerusalem Demarcation Line is a five-mile section of the border that divided the full length of Jerusalem
with dozens of fortified positions, bunkers, barbed wires
and minefields built by the Jordanian Army. This military
frontline was fortified and reinforced during the course of
19 years – from the 1948 War of Independence until the
1967 Six-Day War. During those years, the Jewish citizens
of Jerusalem lived in the shadow of the Jordanian military
positions under the constant threat of enemy infiltration.
This military alignment collapsed during the Six-Day
War, when the IDF captured Ammunition Hill after a bitter and tough battle in which 182 IDF soldiers were killed.
Israel destroyed the entire demarcation line after the war,
but left Ammunition Hill standing as a memorial site.
Today the best way for future generations of Israelis and
tourists alike to hear about and relate to life under a divided Jerusalem is the Jerusalem City-Line model.
Larry and Sunny Russ became involved with JNF about
five years ago. Together with his survivor parents, Roman
and Ida Russ, they committed themselves to getting the
City-Line project built.
“My uncle Shimon escaped Poland to compete in the
Maccabee games in 1931,” said Russ. “Shimon taught me
to be a Zionist and he raised a family in Jerusalem who
helped build and protect Israel when life was very challenging and difficult. This project just seemed to click with
all of us as a way to honor our brave Israeli cousins as well
as the many relatives my parents lost in the Shoah.”
The Ammunition Hill site incorporates a museum, a
computerized data center, a library, an archive, an exhibition hall, and a center for assemblies and conferences. It is
a must-see stop for visitors to Jerusalem.
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