Donor Spotlight: Jesse and David Wellner

DONOR SPOTLIGHT JESSE & DAVID WELLNER

JESSE AND DAVID WELLNER ARE BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION DONORS, AND BROTHERS, LIVING IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

Jesse lived in Israel for an extended period of time, including on a kibbutz when he was 18, and David and his wife, Danna, both participated in Birthright Israel in 2005 and 2007, respectively. Their personal connection to Israel and Judaism is rooted in being the grandchildren of four Holocaust survivors. With their joint contribution to Birthright Israel Foundation this year, Jesse and David honored their grandmother, Ada Gams, who instilled in them the core values of respect, gratitude and giving. They believe it is of critical importance that Israel remains a safe and welcoming place for their children – David has two young children, ages five and two – and want to ensure that Birthright Israel continues to be a thriving program for the next generation of young Jews.

WE SAT DOWN WITH JESSE AND DAVID TO LEARN A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THEIR CONNECTION TO BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL AND WHY THEY DECIDED TO MAKE A DONATION TO BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION.

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL CONNECTION TO ISRAEL?

DAVID: Before traveling to Israel, I read Exodus, which today remains the most inspiring book I’ve read – and may or may not be my Gmail password. As a Jew, you grow up hearing a lot about miracles – the sea splitting, the candles staying lit – what struck me is that the story of Israel is the ultimate miracle, and in my mind it’s the best kind, one that our people really had to make happen on our own.

JESSE: My personal experience with Israel began well before I spent the summer of my eighteenth year on Kibbutz in the Negev desert, before I spent my junior year of high school studying in Jerusalem, before I visited for the first time at the age of 16 with a group of Jewish teenagers on a magical tour of holy land. My siblings and I, being the grandchildren of four survivors of the Holocaust, were at a very young age steeped in the unimaginable history from which we came. The state of Israel and the blazing blue and white of her flag represented a strength and pride that shattered the dark and suffocating cloud of the Holocaust. For me, the love and fascination began with a single photo that my father had hung on the wall of my childhood bedroom. David Rubinger’s 1967 photo “At The Wailing Wall” of the young Jewish soldiers with faces not unlike my own standing for the first time at the foot of the second

temple. The power of that image sparked a flame in my core that will forever instruct my world view. To this day I can’t look at that photo without the prideful rush washing over me.

WHY DO YOU SUPPORT BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL FOUNDATION?

DAVID: There are a lot of worthy causes out there, but supporting Birthright Israel Foundation gives me the rare, unique opportunity to ‘pay back’ an organization that had a meaningful contribution to my life experiences.

JESSE: In business we spend countless hours and vast treasure to determine the optimal way to market products and services, which in many cases lack inspiration. We long for the product “that sells itself.” Anyone who’s had the privilege of visiting the state of Israel knows the instant they set foot on the Eretz that the lifelong love affair has begun. The Eretz is the product that sells itself and all we have to do is book the trip. The sense of satisfaction I get knowing that I’ve played some role in enabling that love affair is overwhelming. I’m incredibly grateful to the founders, operators and supporters of Birthright Israel for delivering such a compelling vehicle to advance the cause to secure the existence of the Jewish State of Israel.