Inside AMIT, Spring 2021 by AMIT Children

FOR LIFE! March 2021 : Nisan 5781

AMIT Sharks The Shining Stars Alums Explore A to Z(ionism) in Podcast Leadership Program Prepares Students for Life

What Will Your Legacy Be?

YOU can help ensure a strong and vibrant Israel through your commitment to AMIT.

Create Your Legacy by Joining AMIT’s Legacy Society AMIT’s Legacy Society recognizes those exceptional individuals who have included AMIT in their long-term plans through their will or other estate plan vehicles. Trudy Abramson, FL Estelle & Jacob Apelberg, MD Judy & Ronald Aronson, Israel Anne Badeaux, TX Barbara Barron, NY Betty Baumgarten, MN Barbara Bloom, MD Claire Bressler-Subar & David Subar, Israel Elaine & Seymour Brief, FL Adrianne & Leon Brum, FL David Brust, CA Barbara & Melvyn Ciment, MD Joan & Norman Ciment, FL Joseph Cohen, NY Madeline Danishefsky, NY Rosalyn & Herman Efron, MD Dorothy & Eli Elyshevitz, NY Janice Feld, FL Jeanne Finkelstein, FL

Carol Flatto, FL Kenneth Gainer, NY Stanley Ganer, NY Leah Garrick, CA Susan Gelfand, NY Lea Gilon, NY Marvin Glyder, MS Esther & Jack Goldman, NY Sylvia Gross, CA Harriet & Arnold Gussin, NY Shulamit & Joakim Isaacs, Israel Cynthia & Howard Jacobs, WA Hermann Kaiser, NJ Karen Kaplan, IL Marilyn & Edward Kaplan, FL Craig Keeber, WA Sandra Kloner & Rolyn Franzen, MD Shirley Knox, FL Joyce & Harold Koch, CO

Irene P. Koff, NY Mildred Kole, FL Joan & Harold Kramer, CA Pola Kuppermann, NY Helene & David Lerner, IL Adele Levine, NY Sylvia & Norman Levine, FL Matthew Levison, NY Linda & Alan Lewis, FL Benjamin D. Lewy, GA Esther & Jonah Loewenthal, NY Karin & John McQuillan, WY Howard Mirenburg, NY Marilyn & Leon Moed, NY Miriam Muskin, OH Sam Oberstein, MI Kathy & Milton Parnass, NY Marian Eisenberg Rahm, FL Susan & Fred Raven, NY Rox Reich, FL

Vivian Rosen, FL Catherine & Herbert Schuck, NY Rita Schwalb, NJ Sally Sidman, IN Fern & Arthur Sisser, NY Sondra & Myron Sokal, NY Francine & Aaron Stein, NJ Henry Stern, NJ Jeanette Stern, NY Suzanne Stern, MD Ethel & Lester, z”l, Sutker, IL Lilly Tempelsman, NY Marlit Wandel, NY Marguerite & Ronald Werrin, PA Sondra Willner, MD Stanley M. Wolf, MD Jacob Zarember, AZ Pamela Zimmer, CT Elinor & William Ziv, OH

*As of February 25, 2021. There is no minimum gift required to be part of this distinguished group. Please notify Genene Kaye of any inaccuracies or omissions.

AMIT is thankful for the generosity and foresight of our supporters who have remembered the children of AMIT through a bequest. Rose & Maurice Atlas, z”l Roslyn Besdine, z”l Mrs. Irmgard Deutsch, z”l

Mr. Harvey Greenberg, z”l Dr. & Mrs. Jacob & Helen Greenfield, z”l Mrs. Sylvia Holder, z”l Mrs. Sylvia Korngold, z”l

Mrs. Dina Kuperman, z”l Mr. Ralph Nachman, z”l Mrs. Bashie R. Selevan, z”l

If you would like more information about leaving a living legacy, please contact Genene Kaye at 212-477-5465 or genenek@amitchildren.org 2

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE BY AUDREY AXELROD TRACHTMAN

he story that we recite at every Passover Seder is our national history— how Jacob’s extended family went down to Egypt, were enslaved, and were finally freed by G-d. But it’s not enough that we tell it, we are mandated to feel “ourselves” as if we left Egypt. It’s a tall order for people like us who have never experienced slavery. That very act of imagination— both the slavery and the transition to freedom— makes our tradition come alive and the Seder a unique experience. There is a corollary requirement, not just for Passover, that I find equally powerful. One of the Torah’s foundational texts is “to love the stranger because we were strangers in the land of Egypt.” There hasn’t been a time in history when someone wasn’t blaming a Jew for something. And yet, G-d doesn’t absolve us of our responsibility to treat others with kindness and respect. The human psyche is hardwired to actively forget suffering, yet we are commanded not to ignore oppression. We’re commanded to relive a national trauma, personalize it and then do what we can to alleviate the suffering around us. My 14-year-old granddaughter, Leora, and I have a book club. We’ve read books about a Native American boy who leaves his reservation, an impoverished African whose whole family is saved on his behalf, and American Japanese citizens victimized as traitors during WWII. The stories are powerful, and you can’t help but put yourselves in these characters’ lives. What began as a way to share our love for literature (and spend time together) has developed into an ongoing conversation about the meaning of

freedom and the need to empathize with those who suffer. It’s not simple to address these issues as a teenager (or an adult for that matter) and that’s true for our AMIT students as well. A critical part of AMIT education is providing every student an array of opportunities—meaningful partnerships with universities and arts institutions, collaborations between schools with very different populations, exposure to a range of opinion—all designed with the express purpose of making our students aware of the existence of possibility and prepared to choose it. But that’s only half the challenge. Empathy is not something you can turn on or off—it’s a value to be nurtured. Our staff work hard and smart creating an environment where students naturally put themselves in other people’s shoes. This year, unfortunately, it was easy to find suffering close to home. A month ago, it was a boy whose bar mitzvah was cancelled because he was in quarantine. His schoolmates made a minyan outside his window so he could recite his Torah portion and then danced with him virtually. Reshet-wide, AMIT mapped out every single students’ needs—whether emotional, academic, or financial—and then got them the help to succeed. At AMIT, empathy is a lived value—individually, school wide, and organizationally. My wish for all of us this year is that freedom comes with meaning and success, and that G-d gives us the wherewithal to do the hard work of putting “love the stranger” into concrete action. Chag Kasher V’Sameach - A Happy Passover to all! Keep your emails coming at audreyt@amitchildren.org

President Audrey Axelrod Trachtman

Director General Dr. Amnon Eldar

Executive Vice President Andrew Goldsmith

Vice President, Marketing & Communications Daniela Gontownik

Director of Marketing & Communications Shelley Labiner Designer Michael Shirey

AMIT enables Israel’s youth to realize their potential, and strengthens Israeli society by educating and nurturing children from diverse backgrounds within a framework of academic excellence, Jewish values and Zionist ideals. AMIT is an acronym for “Irgun Mitnadvot L’Ma’an Yisrael V’Torata” (organization of volunteers for Israel and her Torah). Visit us online at www.amitchildren.org AMIT Magazine (ISSN 1085-2891) is published biannually, fall and spring, by AMIT. Marketing postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: AMIT 49 West 37th St., New York, NY 10018

TABLE OF CONTENTS

President’s Message

Executive VP’s Impressions

AMIT Sharks

11 T he Shining Stars of AMIT State Technological High School 15 A MIT Nachshon Alums Explore A to Z(ionism) 18 U lpanat AMIT Schreiber Tzfat Photography Show 22

AMIT & The Law

AMIT TED Talks

30 Leadership Program Prepares Students for Life 34

Dvar Torah, Our Lives: Past and Future

AMIT Highlights & Successes

Development News

Signed articles do not necessarily represent the opinion of the organization. Reproduction of any material requires permission and attribution.

AMIT Offices Around the World AMIT NATIONAL OFFICE

MID-ATLANTIC

SOUTHEAST

AMIT FRANCE

New York City Tel: 212.477.4720 info@amitchildren.org www.amitchildren.org

Baltimore/Boston/ D.C./Philadelphia Tel: 410.484.2223 AMITNewEngland@amitchildren.org AMITMidAtlantic@amitchildren.org

Florida Tel: 954.922.5100 AMITSoutheast@amitchildren.org

Tel: +33-611-487-314 France@amitchildren.org

WESTERN

AMIT UK

AMIT ISRAEL Petach Tikva Office Tel: +972-3-912-3171 info@amit.org.il Jerusalem Office Tel: 02-673-8360

MIDWEST Chicago Tel: 847.677.3800 AMITChicago@amitchildren.org Cleveland Tel: 216.591.1119 AMITCleveland@amitchildren.org

Los Angeles Tel: 310.859.4885 AMITLA@amitchildren.org

Tel: 212.477.4725 RobinR@amitchildren.org www.amitchildren.org.uk

IMPRESSIONS BY ANDREW GOLDSMITH

t’s common in Israel for deeply personal questions to be asked by a complete stranger. Salary, life choices, even the number of children you may have (“why don’t you have more???”) are fair game no matter the location, occasion or who else is within earshot. The expression “too much information” was coined after a 10-day trip to Israel by a stillin-shock gentile (that’s probably not true but it could be). But no, our people aren’t known for being shy. Mostly that’s a good thing—we didn’t always enjoy freedom of speech as a people and perhaps we’re making up for lost time. This past year we’ve had an awful lot of chatter and with a tumultuous presidential election and a record fourth Israeli election, there’s ample fodder for discussion. It does get heated awfully fast. At my Shabbat table the political spectrum includes a borderline fascist (that’s a son-in-law, but he redeems himself by shoveling my driveway and it’s been a horrid winter), Trumpers, Bidenites, a future kibbutznik (yes, I’ve explained it doesn’t really work), and one who believes fervently in Socialism, albeit peppered with pragmatic self-interest—i.e., she doesn’t mind taking money from a capitalist (her father) for all sorts of bourgeois items, especially shoes. After all, there’s no reason a revolutionary can’t be well dressed. That’s ok—we don’t march in step as a people and we’re allowed to disagree. A Jewish family without conflict simply wouldn’t be Jewish. We’d have to develop new jokes and the epic moment of “Naaseh V’Nishmah” 2,000 years ago at Sinai was miraculous because we all actually agreed with each other for a brief moment in time. The culture of AMIT, like that of the Jewish family, is that we can (and do) disagree passionately. The thousands of members of the AMIT family (inclusive of supporters, leaders, teachers and students) represent the full gamut of political opinion all living together under a big tent. But no matter the passion,

belief, dress, background or level of observance, the culture is such that we simply and ALWAYS do what’s best for the children of Israel. Sounds simple right? Afterall, if we all share common purpose the rest should be a piece of cake. It isn’t. There are those who don’t (or won’t) get it. They’ll drag politics (usually via an elected official or an agenda cloaked in a cause) into the organization and get quite angry when it’s quickly rejected. Sometimes, feeling righteous in their anger, they do nasty things. A few months ago, AMIT’s president was viciously attacked on social media for some such issue—it was hurtful and frankly disgusting—but nothing new for anyone in a public leadership role today. For those folks, well, we try explaining the culture and if that doesn’t work, we politely show them the door. But dealing with a few knuckleheads isn’t the real challenge. AMIT has political roots and vestiges remain, especially in our policy role with world Zionist organizations. AMIT was founded pre-state and constantly evolves to stay not only relevant but vibrant. There are many organizational carcasses on the side of the historical highway that stubbornly didn’t; we’ve morphed over time into something somewhat different but altogether quite wonderful. We are today undeniably an educational powerhouse and more and more a national social change agent. That comes with huge responsibility and we answer to, well, pretty much every stakeholder in the Jewish people. We’re organizationally apolitical because we recognize that anything less would seriously jeopardize the greater good. Is it complicated? Remaining apolitical in the politically charged atmosphere of today is like dancing at an Orthodox wedding—It’s virtually impossible not to get your toes stepped on. But with that said it certainly won’t keep us from dancing and, quite marvelously, there’s always room in the AMIT family circle for one more to join in. Chag Kasher V’Sameach

Nurtures Youth Entrepreneurship BY GLORIA AVERBUCH

srael is notoriously plagued by widespread caretaker abuse of children in daycare centers. It’s a horrific problem that has shocked the country through chilling video evidence and devastating parent testimony. It has also spurred thousands of angry Israelis to take to the streets in demonstrations to call for action.

The first virtual competition included mentorship of the students by leaders in various professions and workshops that focused on the necessary skills to compete, such as how to pitch an idea, how to create a compelling presentation, how to build a business plan and much more.

But now, with the compassionate concern and talent of a group of AMIT students, there is an app to help alleviate the problem. And it’s all thanks to the first AMIT Sharks competition.

AMIT Sharks Creation The advent of AMIT Sharks coalesced in a meeting in July 2020 between Galia Kedmi Fragman, head of entrepreneurship at AMIT and co-founder of the Entrepreneurship Academy and Incubation; Yaakov Michlin, highly successful entrepreneur and start-up expert, CEO of BioLight and former CEO of Brainsway, and an AMIT alum and proud AMIT parent; and Nechami Holander, the AMIT regional manager of Ecosystem Partnerships. At that meeting, the three discussed their vision to expose AMIT students throughout the network to the world of entrepreneurship through a unique app development competition. It is modeled on the primetime Israeli television show, “Ha’creshim” (The Sharks), a version of the American entrepreneurial themed reality show, “Shark Tank.”

Says Kedmi Fragman, “We turned the COVID-19 pandemic into an opportunity to reimagine and redesign our curriculum. AMIT Sharks was envisioned with three concepts in mind: entrepreneurship and the will to create is in our human DNA; the lockdown and constraints encourage innovation fostering; and location is no longer a barrier. All of our students can participate, experience the world of entrepreneurship, and work with our ecosystem partners and mentors, regardless of their background and geographical location.” The idea was immediately popular, as it is fun and exciting, and kept students occupied in something uniquely hands-on during COVID isolation restrictions. Registration included 92 teams, four students per team, for a total of 368 participants. They were comprised of about half boys and girls, from 8th grade up and from 20-plus schools. About 50 percent of the teams were from schools in the periphery.

Benefitting From Top Mentorship About 50 notable mentors and industry leaders assisted the students through remote meetings. They were comprised of four main groups of expertise: innovation, funding and fundraising, product management and engineering, and the art of storytelling and presentation building. The first stage of the competition narrowed the teams down to 35, with which the mentors worked directly for two weeks. The competition was again whittled down to 10 finalists who received even more focused mentor guidance, including specific feedback and tutoring in honing presentation skills. A panel of five distinguished Israelis was assembled to judge the finalists. They are wellknown in various fields, from entrepreneurs, inventors and businesspeople to the first Israeli Olympic medalist.

And the Winner Is… Israel’s Minister of Science and Technology, Yizhar Shai, officially opened the final competition with brief remarks and wished everyone good luck. Each finalist judge was tasked with giving a ranking from 1-10 for every individual pitch with their consideration including the “wow effect,” as Yaakov Michlin calls it. The competition was very close between first and second place, and in fact, the second-place team’s pitch was also so successful that it has an offer to be purchased from a major company. The winner was an app called ToddlerProtector, created by an 8th grade girls’ team from AMIT in response to the child abuse problem. It works by using various sensors to send alerts to parents when it detects physical or emotional distress in a child by using measures such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and more. By sending notifications to parents

“We turned the COVID-19 pandemic into an opportunity to reimagine and redesign our curriculum. AMIT Sharks was envisioned with three concepts in mind: entrepreneurship and the will to create is in our human DNA; the lockdown and constraints encourage innovation fostering; and location is no longer a barrier.”

in real time, the parents can track when the readings occur, if they repeat, and their rate of repetition. (The app is useful as well for parents in the event they forget children in their cars, another unfortunate problem.) The ToddlerProtector team’s final marks were high, with one dynamic presenter receiving all five 10s from the judges. Also included for the winning team was a 10,000 shekel cash prize. “The problem which was identified is a valid one, and there is a big market for it,” says Kedmi Fragman of the winner, emphasizing the potential importance of the app. “The team’s solution is innovative and simple to implement,” she adds.

The Future AMIT staff is working to continue the development journey for the students and their apps. The top three teams will continue to work with start-up experts. The winning group is currently meeting with Israel’s leader of investors. The second-place team is in talks with a major company to be included in their platform, while the third-place team is meeting with commuter train services to explore potential projects relevant to their app. Kedmi Fragman has a strategic plan for scaling, she says. But she envisions the Sharks as one of the steps in the process. In addition to the schools and students, “we promote a holistic

approach in which the various ecosystem players take an active part in our programs. This includes the parent community, commercial firms, start-ups and others.”

AMIT, the Future of the “Start-Up Nation” In the meantime, as of this writing, Michlin is attempting to get the winning team on the next season of the Israeli “The Sharks” television program. His enthusiasm for the young creators of ToddlerProtector is compelling. “In my 15 years in this business, I’ve seen a lot of startups. This group gave an amazing pitch. There’s a real market for what they created.” “It was a tremendous opportunity for students to get more real-life experience,” concludes Kedmi Fragman of the AMIT Sharks debut. “Israel, as the ‘Start-up Nation,’ is a global leader, and we need to continue to claim innovative and technological positions. Therefore, we need to foster entrepreneurial behavior and spirit with our students early in life. It is especially important for our many students from the geographical periphery, as we need to expose them to the many opportunities that could be available to them and to drive social mobility. We want to get as many students as possible on board. Exposure, experience and empowerment make all of our students start dreaming. We help them dare to dream big.”

of AMIT State Technological High School in Jerusalem BY GLORIA AVERBUCH

axim (Max) Plotnik immigrated to Israel from Russia and spoke little Hebrew, lived with his grandmother and was burdened with a difficult background. Roee Epstein, a native Israeli from a religious family, had emotional issues and severely struggled in his former school.

Consequently, despite the fact that the students are from significant economic and socially difficult backgrounds, many have had success and built promising futures. Some have risen to extraordinary levels of achievement. And it’s because of the strong focus, philosophy and deep commitment of the school’s staff.

Ostensibly, these two have little in common. But what they do share is successful careers that were built with the education, nurturing and support they received at AMIT State Technological High School in Jerusalem.

Eti Itzaki, the principal of the school and an educator since 1993, says that Max and Roee come from a background typical of the school’s population. She does not understate the challenge of educating the students at AMIT Technological.

The School Philosophy

“This is a school for those who were not able to reach their potential elsewhere. These kids call themselves ‘the forgotten,’” she explains. “They come from so many different places—such as Ethiopia, Russia—from the periphery—and from the underserved neighborhoods in Jerusalem. Our school is located in one of these neighborhoods.”

AMIT State Technological is not your average educational institution. Students aren’t typical teenagers, and the staff doesn’t have the luxury of working within a traditional system. They have had to create, and work, “outside the box.”

That’s why she concludes that above all, “It’s important that the students know we see them, that they have a place.” AMIT Technological is truly that place. “This is very tough work to do, but we are resolved in our work, and in the fact that we never give up,” she says. “We teach the students how to be winners. This can be very challenging with this group of youth. In addition to their scholastic achievements as a test for success, we teach them to believe in themselves. We have to help them feel that they are capable—that they can set goals and believe that their every dream can come true.” She attributes the school’s success to three major factors: constant training and dialogue forming and following a clear vision and commitment from both staff and students; the school’s therapy center, which supports that vision through, for instance, art or dance therapy; and a supportive staff-to-student ratio (45 staff for 122 students).

Two Shining Stars AMIT State Technological graduates Plotnik and Epstein are standouts. They are also currently AMIT teachers. Itzaki calls them both “exceptional teachers who bring a high level of empathy.” She adds, “They are perfect role models. As former students, they managed to overcome difficult odds to succeed. Through their example, our students see that this is possible. What the two have as teachers is rare and what they provide most uniquely—special guidance and understanding— is even greater.”

Maxim Plotnik Max graduated from AMIT State Technological in 2013. Overcoming challenges during his high school years, he graduated with a bagrut and a diploma in practical electrical engineering. He went on to complete junior college in this field. Certified as a practical electrical engineer, he currently works in his own business. He has also taken physics classes at the Open University. His army service included being a commander in the AMIT State Technological School’s cadet program, per his request to give back to the school.

The 25-year-old from the Kiryat Yovel Jerusalem neighborhood is currently teaching at the school as a substitute replacement during COVID-19.

Roee Epstein Roee came to AMIT Technological in the 11th grade from a religious school, where he struggled with emotional issues. With the skilled support of AMIT staff, his intelligence shone, and in his three years he consistently finished in the top of his classes. The almost 22-year-old resident of Moshav Kfar Adumim graduated with a diploma in Auto Technology, then attended the AMIT Chamudot Junior College in Jerusalem, and was subsequently drafted into the IDF. He currently serves as a commander in the School’s cadet program. Max had been Roee’s teacher at AMIT. When Roee began teaching, Max told him, “I knew you could do it..” Why did you end up at AMIT Technological High School? Max: I was in a religious school up to 9th grade, but I was not a good student in religion. That made my grades worse. A social worker told me about AMIT, where you can learn a profession. I always knew I wanted to be an electrical engineer, and I wanted to start my career as soon as possible. I’ve since brought four of my friends to study at AMIT. They are all very happy and have thanked me for bringing them. It’s a very, very special school. Roee: I had anger issues because of all the encounters with teachers at my old school. I wasn’t a good student, and I had a hard time with the specific system. I had a friend who had studied at AMIT, and he told me that at the school they really speak to the heart; they are there when you need them, even outside of school. That type of personal relationship convinced me to check it out. When I got to AMIT, because of the good relationships and support of the staff, I wanted to invest in my studies, and my grades went up to the top rank. How did the school help you? Max: I was in a class of eight, and we each had the special attention we needed. I have a lot of

What is your hope for the future? Max: As the saying goes, “Man plans, G-d laughs.” But actually, I think the message from G-d is that I came to this school to teach. I have an opportunity to do that now, so maybe getting my teaching license will progress from that. Roee: I’m trying to repay the school by helping students from my position as a teacher, from studies to everything else. I am really close to the students and can relate to their feelings. I help them, listen to them. They can contact me when they need to about troubles at home. In the future, I hope to be a life coach. What would you tell the supporters of AMIT?

needs; that was my problem in my previous school. I have a lot of interests and questions. Not all the students at AMIT come from good places, but everyone on the staff does their best to give individual attention. They don’t give up. I feel how special AMIT is even more now as a teacher there myself. They are really there for the students. They consult each other; they are there for the cause. They have what we call in Hebrew an “achva” (brotherhood). Roee: AMIT staff really helped me to control my anger, put it aside. They spoke to me, concerned, and asked me when I needed help. This gave me the motivation to stay and learn, and the power to go on to higher education after high school. One of the things I especially liked about the school is that the teachers really cared about how I did outside of just studies, such as with the mental, physical and economic conditions. That gives me a warm feeling. It doesn’t matter how long ago I graduated; the teachers will always be my friends. I see how all the teachers relate to the graduates before me when they come to visit, how they remember their names and treat each one like they are the most important person. It really gives the whole place a sense of family.

Max: Really, none of this would be possible if it weren’t for you. Even as a kid I was not foolish enough to think that no one pays. That it just drops from the sky, no one paying. I am very grateful on behalf of the kids. It’s so inspiring that we have such people as you in this world. Roee: First of all, I really want to say thank you. You are responsible for the help I got. You are responsible for the teachers, the staff, the school building, funding trips—making it possible for all of us to benefit.

BY HEIDI MAE BRATT

id Theodor Herzl, the spiritual father of the Jewish state and modern political Zionism, envision that one day the reality of a thriving Israel and its right to exist would be digitally discussed and promoted around the globe, and heard in such far-flung places as Tanzania, Vietnam, Peru, Oman and Chechnya—to name a few? Safe to say, perhaps not. But Azriel Fein and Moshe Schwartzberg had a dream—and have a mission. The two recent graduates of Yeshivat AMIT Nachshon have created a lively, informative podcast, “Within Zionism,” that they say, “tells the truth” and educates listeners about Zionism and anti-Semitism as it explores different avenues of Israeli history, sociology, culture, sports and other topics of interest.

Azriel, 19, who goes by the name Azi, said the pair, who follow the news assiduously, wanted to start something that would refute what they saw as a preponderance of anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic information, especially on social media, and open a dialogue. “We knew we had to do something, especially after the most recent attacks from Gaza,” Azi said. They bandied about doing a YouTube channel or a newsletter but settled on creating a podcast because of its growing popularity and episodic nature. They delayed the launch because “we were overthinking it,” said Moshe, 18. “We really wanted to have a studio and equipment for the first episode.” Then the first COVID lockdown hit and both high school seniors were confined to their Beit Shemesh-area homes.

“ We have had several debates with people who ended up changing their opinion. We have helped future peace by creating friends from the different countries in the Middle East.”

“I was bored during quarantine and I called Moshe and said, ‘Get your computer. Let’s record this,’” recalled Azi. Recording over Zoom, using two different microphones and then massaging their tete-a-tete with the help of a free software editing program, the inaugural podcast of “Within Zionism” was born: a look at the back-to-back holidays of Yom HaZikaron and Yom Haatzmaut, Israel’s Memorial Day and Independence Day. Since that first podcast, the pair, even during their IDF preparation program this year, have continued to record and post their podcast. They have interviewed several activists and prominent Jewish leaders, including former MK member Yehuda Glick; David Lasday, COO of the Israel Lacrosse Association; activist Rudy Rochman; and educator Rabbanit Sharona Halikman, among others. They have also recorded podcasts on teens talking about coronavirus, the history of Zionism and more. Lots of research goes into all their podcasts, they say, and they’ve grown their team to include others. They have also spread into other platforms and estimate that they have nearly 3,000 listeners across all their platforms, with an average of 100 listeners per episode. Their highest number of listeners are in the United States and Israel, but

France, Germany, Bahrain, Pakistan and a long list of other countries tune in to hear Azi and Moshe and their guests. “I think it’s amazing that these two young men have found a way, during the craziest time in the history of our world, during this global pandemic, to create what they did and to use this time to raise the voices of their generation to create a dialogue around the world talking about Israel, about Zionism and the Jewish people,” said Bryan Leib, a former Congressional candidate from Pennsylvania, who now works as a senior adviser to Azi and Moshe and was a guest on one of their episodes. “This is so powerful and what they are doing and what they have created speaks to the very core of who these two are. To put themselves out there for the world to hear, especially because how contentious these issues are. They are using their own voices to spread the truth about Israel and Zionism,” Leib said. A deep love of Israel and Zionism was always a part of the fabric of their lives. Both Azi’s and Moshe’s families are from the United States and both made aliyah when they were young. Azi hails from Cedarhurst, N.Y., and is the son of Ellie and Donny Fein. He has three brothers, Shmuel, the eldest, and younger brothers Shraga and Akiva. He was 7 years old when his family made aliyah. Moshe was a tot of 2½ when his parents, Debora and Hanan, left Miami to move to Israel. He is the oldest of five, along with siblings Daveed, Shmuel, Noa and Yakira. Azi and Moshe have also created new ways to connect with others. Most recently, they had a meetup with young people from the UAE, Morocco and Bahrain, where some young people dialogued for close to three hours with their Israeli contemporaries. “We reached out through social media and posted a sign-up sheet. There were five people from Morocco, three from UAE and one from Bahrain.

We wanted to create friends and further peace in the Middle East,” they said. The two also created a WhatsApp group for this Abraham Accords effort. Through all this, Moshe said, “We have had several people reach out to us on different platforms, and all of them have been positive. We have had several debates with people and some of them have ended it with them agreeing with us, or with the understanding they need to learn more about their opinion.” Said Azi, “Our future goal is to create a platform where people can feel comfortable talking about Zionism whether they’re pro or against. We believe that a big thing that is holding back our society from ending anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism is the fact that the ones who are pro-peace very rarely speak up because they are either afraid or they do not believe that a change is possible. We want to get more people to understand the importance of talking about this subject.” Azi added, “As we mentioned before, we have had several debates with people who ended up changing their opinion. We have helped future peace by creating friends from the different countries in the Middle East. And we are sure with the podcast alone we have made people think about what Israel really is, and what Zionism really means. “I want to emphasize how important we see it is to talk about this. So many people I have talked to tell me that they avoid (discussing Zionism) because it is too political. They need to understand that Zionism is not all political. You don’t need to ‘be into politics’ to express your gratitude in this amazing and historical country. The “Within Zionism” podcast is not political at all and we have so many great conversations.” While they have been operating on a shoestring budget with little more than their passion and the miracle of digital technology and communications, Azi and Moshe are making a major impact right now, Leib said.

“It occurs to me that these two young men will soon be entering the IDF to protect their homeland,” said Leib. “But the way I see it, they are already doing that. They are already protecting their homeland, fighting for Eretz Yisrael and for Zionism. But their weapon of choice is not a gun—it is the microphone.”

Shahar Menachem

Roni Vuda

Ulpanat

AMIT

Schreiber Tzfat

Yaheli Dadon

Shilat Zariichen

lpanat AMIT Schreiber in Tzfat had 7thand 8th-grade students in the art chug (extracurricular class) create a unique virtual photography display of their artwork. The idea of a virtual exhibit was born out of the circumstances of distance learning during the pandemic.

Along with explanations and relevant songs, each piece of photography is displayed as you browse through the exhibition. The school offers extracurricular activities in art, drama and music. As part of the art club, the teacher decided that photography would be a great area of focus this year given that so much of Shira Martzbach the learning has been from a distance. The girls learned how photography is a type of art and how today, because smartphones are so advanced, you can capture great photos even on a phone. The students learned principles of photography, including angles, lighting and more. They also learned about typography and how to combine pictures and text.

Roni Trebelskyu

Noah Trebelsky

The specific task for the photo exhibition required each girl to choose a song or poem that had a message meaningful to them. They then had to choose one line from the song or poem and think about how to showcase it through photography. The product combined the photo, text and song. Shira Asulin

A MODERN LOVE STORY BY CARMIT BIRNBAUM

ove is in the air—at least when it comes to AMIT Kfar Blatt’s new partnership with the Fischer Behar Chen Well Orion & Co. (FBC) law firm. AMIT Kfar Blatt is no ordinary school. Rather, it is a unique and multi-dimensional environment, a youth village for at-risk teens from Petach Tikva. It includes residences called mishpachtonim— from the Hebrew word for family—for students who live with surrogate families. Kfar Blatt has a junior high school and a senior high school that offers a technology diploma track in addition to the regular full bagrut (matriculation) track. Its community center has a rich array of extracurricular activities to teach life skills and build student feelings of self-confidence and accomplishment. Students can receive a wide range of therapy and emotional support, which helps them overcome traumas they may have experienced due to their challenging backgrounds. And, there is also the AMIT Gloria & Henry I. Zeisel and Family Junior College, which runs the Lewis and Wolkoff Preparatory Army Program.

The FBC law firm is also an exceptional place. Based in Tel Aviv, it specializes in commercial law and was awarded the 2015 Israeli Law Firm of the Year by IFLR 1000. It has represented the State of Israel, Bank Hapoalim, J.P. Morgan, and many more well-known names. But it is also driven by community service. It operates the Senior Citizen Support and Social Facilitation Clinic in collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Center college in Herzliya, allowing law students to gain practical experience while assisting senior citizens and Holocaust survivors in realizing their rights. The firm also encourages pro bono projects and supports interesting nonprofit organizations. Given their respective tracks, it is no surprise that the two places have a history together—FBC firm partners are longtime donors to AMIT Kfar Blatt. But one day, a firm partner came to Kfar Blatt to visit the school. Spending time at the school and meeting its people was an eye-opening experience for this partner, prompting her to want greater involvement by the law firm. What evolved from that day was an even

more extensive partnership prioritizing mentorship, investment and experiential learning. Both Kfar Blatt and FBC are community driven environments with a focus on deep and complex work, so the organic relationship currently blossoming is potentially vast. For example, firm employees contribute in a meaningful way to Kfar Blatt, both financially and, perhaps with even greater value, on the ground. They regularly contribute money and food to the families of students in need, especially on holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Passover. And once a year for the last four years, staff from the firm have upgraded a mishpachton apartment at a cost of tens of thousands of shekels. In this full-day, festive event, staff shop at IKEA and then arrive at the Youth Village, working together with the students to paint, design and furnish a mishpachton. Additionally, female students enrolled in the Zeisel Junior College, where they study Legal Administration, can now connect with lawyers at the firm thanks to the new partnership. During an annual “Ecosystem” day, the young women visit the firm’s office for positive, inspirational

“I personally am a big believer in the real-world component and experiential learning, even early on in school. It instills in students an element of love and pride for the profession.”

and experiential learning. They sit in the conference rooms and engage in conversations with the lawyers and the firm’s director, hearing motivational stories from female lawyers. The model of those powerful women in their professional space provides a great example for the students and allows them a vision to aspire toward. The students see that they can be just like them or anything they want to be. According to Moshe Uziel, director of the Zeisel Junior College and an AMIT Kfar Blatt alum himself, this model is relatively unique. “Schools in Israel typically don’t emphasize industry experience and time in the workspace. But the Kfar Blatt/FBC program recognizes that it’s crucial for students to see and experience it so that it can truly feel concrete and accessible.” He adds: “I personally am a big believer in the real-world component and experiential learning, even early on in school. It instills in students an element of love and pride for the profession. It also helps a lot in developing a history, relevance and set of tools for actual industry needs.”

“ At the school I went to before AMIT, I never found my place. It was hard. And then, sheer luck brought me to AMIT. Suddenly, teachers were paying attention to me, working with me one-on-one in the afternoon. Suddenly, I was getting all these tools to learn and to succeed.”

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The added bonus to having this experience early on in their learning is that after their army or national service, the young women have an opportunity to circle back to this professional environment where they already have an established connection. Any graduate who has learned about the profession and is interested in the work there, can reconnect with one of the firm managers to discuss possible placement. The partnership provides an element of employment security and options, as even after some passage of time, the firm wants to stay connected with the Kfar Blatt alumnae and help them. It is a known but often downplayed truth that the ladder to success often builds upon prior connections to established people and institutions. “Lucky breaks” and first jobs are usually about having a network, more than pure happenstance. This is one of the reasons why children of successful, connected parents often grow up to become successful, connected adults themselves. And, why those without such connections often struggle to change their life circumstances. This AMIT Kfar Blatt/FBC partnership creates the foundation of such connections for young women who may otherwise never have had them.

Shira Bakala is a recent success story who has emerged from this path and is now working at the law firm. She came to AMIT’s Kfar Blatt Youth Village in 10th grade and progressed through the high school. While enrolled in grade 13 at the Zeisel Junior College’s Legal Administration program, she experienced a life-changing day of “Ecosystem” learning at the FBC firm offices. “It was fascinating,” she says. “To hear about what they do. To see the courthouses. I realized I really wanted to work in law. And even then, I think I knew I would want to work with them if I could.” After graduating, Shira did her national service. When that started to wind down, she reached out to the office manager at FBC, whom she had connected with on her visit there. “I told her I was starting to search for employment and that I would love to work there. They weren’t looking to bring on new people at the time, especially because of Corona.” So, after her service ended, Shira took a temporary job at a grocery store while planning her next steps. Bolstered by the confidence gained from her connection with the firm, Shira persisted in reaching out to its offices. And

eventually her persistence paid off: they found a role for her in one of the departments as a legal secretary, where she handles projects and is gaining exposure to the world of law. “I love meeting new people there, learning about what they do. It’s a fun place to be,” she explains. “It suits me. I don’t like to stay put. I like learning new things. And people are invested in what they do there, making a difference. They come in smiling, with good energy. It makes you realize that work doesn’t have to be just about money. It can be meaningful, too. I definitely want to stay in the world of law.” Shira credits this opportunity and all her clarity to AMIT. “At the school I went to before AMIT, I never found my place. No one really noticed me. It was hard. And then, sheer luck brought me to AMIT. Suddenly teachers were paying attention to me, working with me one-on-one in the afternoon. Suddenly I was getting all these tools to learn and to succeed.” She pauses, searching for the words to capture how AMIT, FBC and their partnership has impacted her. Then she clinches it. “It all feels like a dream come true.”

A Window to A World to Inspire Students BY GLORIA AVERBUCH

arcelle Machluf shares a background much like the majority of AMIT students. She grew up in Ashdod facing a trio of challenges—sexism and the economic and cultural challenges—of being from an immigrant family and living in the periphery. To the child who would one day attend Harvard for a post doc, her local librarian scoffed at her desire to borrow certain books. “You’re a girl, what are you going to learn?” the librarian told her. “Every part of life I had to struggle,” she told AMIT students. Yet she has gone on to dramatically defy the odds. Today, Professor Machluf is dean of Biotechnology and Food Engineering and head of the Lab for Cancer Drug Delivery & Cell Based Technologies at the Technion.

Prof. Marcelle Machluf (Photo Credit: Courtesy)

She was also a presenter in the new AMIT TED Talk program, where she passionately shared her life and work with impressionable AMIT students from all over Israel who marveled at her story. The AMIT TED Talk program, titled “A View of the Future From the World of Ted Talks,” was launched in fall of 2020; this pilot program will continue through June. The program reaches 700 female and male AMIT students from 11 varied schools throughout the country, with an emphasis on AMIT’s peripheral schools. The bi-weekly TED Talk speakers include leading figures in a wide array of industries—from scientists and social entrepreneurs to AI experts and hospital management. What’s more, of the initial 12 elite speakers (six men and six women), half of them are AMIT alumni, including a senior adviser to Israel’s Economy and Welfare Ministry; a manager of electronic warfare for a major Israeli company; and a senior urban planner who serves as an adviser to municipalities and government offices.

TED Talks was created by AMIT’s Partnerships and Ecosystems Department and is overseen by Limor Friedman, department director, with help from Nechami Hollander, one of the organization’s coordinators, who worked hand-in-hand with Friedman to develop the program. According to Friedman, the TED Talks intentionally reach students at a crucial age—the beginning of high school (7th and 8th grades) and is even more important for the 70 percent of AMIT students from the periphery. The goal, says Friedman, is to “give them as much exposure as possible to a world they would never otherwise encounter, and to open their minds and give them a vision and inspiration of what they might want in their future.” Following the weekly TED Talk, students engage in a structured reflection process in the classroom as part of their growth and learning process, exploring how the topic relates to them, their lives and their dreams. The program also contributes to potential partnerships with extraordinary professionals, those who can “ultimately help the students break the glass ceiling.”

“They help open students’ minds and give them inspiration and an understanding of what profession they may want to pursue in the future. For students who grow up in the periphery, having real-life interaction with these highlysuccessful people is a gamechanger.”

When Friedman and her team reached out for TED Talk speakers, the strength of the response “caught me by surprise,” she says. She explains that despite being voluntary, “They were thrilled to be included. Their enthusiasm was genuine.” That sincerity is clearly evident. Among her many accolades, Machluf was one of the few distinguished Israeli citizens selected to light the torch for the 70th celebration of Israel Independence Day in 2018. She relayed through her TED Talk that what made her even more excited than lighting that torch was “to light for you (the students) a new world of dreams.” Machluf’s personal story is one to which the students respond. Friedman is deliberate in creating a personal connection between the students and

the speakers. She understands that more than even the topics of the talks are the speakers’ life stories of how they got to where they are. To that end, the first 15 minutes of each talk is dedicated to the speakers’ challenges and how they overcame them. In the case of Machluf, this meant relating the story of growing up an only child with her mother and grandmother and being told by the world around her what a girl couldn’t do—yet going on to become an innovative researcher whose findings have led to significant breakthroughs in cancer treatments.

Why TED Talks? TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Talks are powerful communication tools viewed at a rate of 1.5 million times a day. In addition, AMIT students benefit as they are an ideal education tool, particularly with the isolation and non-classroom learning during COVID-19. The AMIT Ted Talks are also “concise and entertaining,” explains Friedman. “They help open students’ minds and give them inspiration and an understanding of what profession they may want to pursue in the future.” She is also convinced of the role model effect of the TED Talk format. “For students who grow up in the periphery, having real-life interaction with these highly successful people is a game changer.” TED Talks are a part of a larger effort of ongoing AMIT programs that are being launched by the Partnerships and Ecosystems team, created two years ago with the primary goal of breaking down the school boundaries and recognizing that learning takes place in a much broader community of education. This unique ecosys-

tem, including partnerships with the local community, parent body, industry, businesses, military, academia and more, provides students with a tremendous amount of exposure to the real world and enables AMIT to better prepare students for the world of tomorrow. Partnerships such as those generated in the TED Talks allow for these critical connections and opportunities for the students. There are also future plans for AMIT Ted Talks to activate and enhance the learning experience. Friedman describes a next stage: to hold workshops beginning in May for the students to learn how to share their own personal story and crystallize their dreams. This includes working on communication through body language, how to build a PowerPoint presentation and how to give a lecture, ultimately creating their own TED Talks. “It’s important to ensure that that student experience is holistic. After hearing from 12 inspirational speakers over the course of the program, it is critical to us that students be able to reflect, develop their own dreams and stand up in front of their peers and share in a group setting.”

The Reaction and Response Of those involved, the school principals have been effusive in their praise of the TED Talks. “I believe that this will generate a change among many students—that the future will look different by virtue of the images they encountered in this journey,” says Eli Nisenholtz of AMIT Bar Ilan High School for Boys in Netanya.

“ I believe that this will generate a change among many students—that the future will look different by virtue of the images they encountered in this journey,”

Rabbi Shalom Malul of AMIT Ashdod Yeshiva High School explains, “As a school principal for the past 10 years, one of the hardest things of all to witness is adolescents without a direction, without a dream, without desire. The TED Talk program precisely addresses that problem,” he says, proclaiming it “Exciting. Enchanting. Empowering!” Perhaps most significant is the enthusiasm of the students. They actively participated and wrote comments in a lively chat during Machluf’s talk. They asked questions about her research, and many expressed gratitude and awe in her accomplishments. Wrote student Leal Shoshan, “Your story is really exciting. In the beginning you asked (from a quote), ’The question is not who will give to me, the question is who will stop me.’ I will take that sentence from this lesson and also will take it with me for life.”

AMIT

LEADERSHIP

PROGRAM Prepares Students for Life

BY ELLEN AVRAHAM

mpowering its students is a key element to AMIT Nordlicht’s success in helping at-risk youth find their strengths and turn their lives around. The students at AMIT Nordlicht Religious Technological High School in Jerusalem come to this school after dropping out of more mainstream schools—or being thrown out—and many spend time on the streets before they arrive. They have serious academic gaps, learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Most lack a belief in their abilities, which isn’t surprising since school has never been a place where they encountered anything particularly positive. The new Mechina L’chaim—Preparation for Life—program began at AMIT Nordlicht last year when the 11th-grade boys, who usually run a Purim carnival for the entire school, decided that they wanted to do something more meaningful. One of the boys has a sister with cerebral palsy, and he suggested holding the carnival for youngsters with physical disabilities. The princi-

pal, always happy for the students to take initiative, was supportive of the idea with the condition that the students themselves do all the work needed to make it happen. And make it happen they did. The students got to work right after the Hanukkah vacation and planned the event from A to Z. They reached out to schools for children with special needs and secured their participation, raised money to buy food and supplies, and solicited various professionals—a clown, a magician—to volunteer. They also secured donated candy and treats, advertised the event on Facebook, designed t-shirts, and ran booths with games and activities. It was a tremendous success. Afterward, the school created the Mechina L’chaim leadership program to build on the experience and give the students another avenue to gain valuable life skills. Open to any 11th and 12th grader who is willing to commit the

necessary time and effort, Mechina L’chaim teaches financial responsibility, emotional resilience, preparation for military service, making smart decisions, and tools for successful partnerships and family life. They spend part of their weekly meetings focused on what they want to achieve for their entire grade, the activities they are planning and who has what responsibilities to make them happen. The other part is devoted to group dynamics and each participant’s personal goals. Led by two university students, Mechina L’chaim guides the students in a process of learning how to set goals and work toward achieving them while dealing with conflict, difficulties, frustrations and setbacks. The group has planned several events so far this year despite the limitations of the pandemic and the need to hold some of their meetings remotely. Traditionally, the school holds a community-wide erev Slichot prior to Rosh Hashanah, with the participation of well-known cantors who lead moving piyutim (liturgical poems recited prior to, and on, the High Holidays). Since large gatherings were not possible this year, the leadership group decided to combine a smaller recitation of piyutim led by the school’s rabbi with a nighttime hike up Masada and a sunrise prayer service atop the historic mountain.

The students were given a budget to work with and had to make decisions about the best way to plan a program that would be fun, educational and meaningful for their classmates. Their original idea was to kick the event off with a barbecue. They then realized that would leave them short of funds for the bus and the posthike breakfast they wanted to serve on top of Masada, so they revised accordingly. Working together, they defined the tasks and created committees to tackle them. The result was an event that many are calling a highlight of their high school experience. As per tradition, the erev Slichot began at midnight. Nearly all the students in 11th and 12th grades chose to attend, thanks to the publicity committee’s efforts. They started with a light soup supper in the school, followed by a shiur and piyutim with the Rav. Afterward, they traveled down to the Judean Desert for their hike up Masada in the darkness. The hike was broken up by three activity stations designed and run by the leadership group to encourage their classmates to contemplate and discuss their connections to Jewish tradition, to G-d, and to their own sense of self. It was both fun and meaningful, enjoyed by all the participants, while the students in the leadership group learned a great deal through the process of planning and implementing the event.

The 12th graders in Mechina L’chaim are currently busy planning their grade’s year-end class trip. As in all AMIT schools, at AMIT Nordlicht the annual class trip is elevated into a “significant journey” that combines educational elements with nature, Jewish values, love of the land and Zionism. The leadership group has been given a budgetary framework and now has a free hand to select all the other aspects of the journey—including where they will go, what they will do each day and how they will incorporate encounters with Jewish values and a religious/ spiritual element. They need to create a program that will appeal to their classmates while taking care of all the logistics and planning. “The skills our students learn in Mechina L’chaim are the same skills that they will need in order to create meaningful, fulfilling lives in the future,” explains Moriah Bloch, the 12th-grade coordinator who helped create the program. “School is a microcosm of the world. Our students need to be prepared to deal with all sorts of challenges in their lives: on the personal level, in the army and with bosses. They need to know how to dream large and also how to fail. They come up with ideas and need to convince their peers. They learn how to speak up for their opinions, state their case and also how to compromise. These are all valuable skills for life.”

One of the students in Mechina L’chaim is an 11th grader. His parents have a hard time getting by in life and don’t have a lot of extra time or energy for raising Yossi and his siblings. They also don’t see much point in Yossi putting effort into getting good grades or striving to have a significant army service. Since he’s been at AMIT Nordlicht, Yossi has been a good student but quiet and withdrawn most of the time. Block suggested that he try the leadership program, and he surprised himself by how much he likes it. Suddenly, he’s speaking up in meetings, suggesting ideas and taking an active part in running activities. “The program gives me space to express myself,” he says. “I feel more confident and I can see how important believing in myself is.” Yossi has decided that he wants to aim for an officer track position when he joins the IDF, and he is looking forward to contributing. “I’ve learned that I have good ideas and I like how it feels to work together as part of a team and accomplish something big.” Shmuel, in 12th grade, also has learned a great deal in the program. “Mechina L’chaim has made me understand how important leadership is,” says Shmuel “We learn how to come up with ideas and implement them, how to convince others and cooperate. We have real power to run things in the school, and that’s a great feeling.”

Dvar Torah BY RABBI HAIM SHAUL

Our Lives: Past and Future

ur celebration of Passover is not just how to remember the past monumental event of the birth of our nation, but also to embrace the newness and opportunity for our own rebirth and renewal. This duality, framing our past and looking forward to better days, is the core of our Haggadah. Expressing Gratitude: In the Psalm we recite on this holiday, the verse, “They praise G-d for his kindness and relate his wonders to other people” is repeated four times. We humans have the capacity for complaining about our lives as well as being thankful. Unfortunately, for many of us, our capacity to complain seriously outweighs that of being grateful.” There is a humorous story about a mother walking on the beach with her young child. Suddenly, a huge wave crashed on them and swept the child away. The distraught mother cried out to G-d, “Please save my child!” The next wave crashed again and deposited the child at her side, unharmed. The mother hugged her child tightly and exclaimed, “Thank you, G-d, forever!” A moment later, she looked at her child and then turning her eyes to heaven and asked, “So, nu, where is the hat that was on his head?” The story is humorous precisely because we sense a kernel of truth in its absurdity. How often in our lives do we forget kindnesses and focus instead on annoyances, even when the disparity between them is in the magnitude of saving a child versus the loss of a hat. Therefore, at the very inception of our nation, the first thing we were taught to do at the Seder is to give thanks and thereby earn our name, ”Yehudim,“ the ones who give thanks. Looking to the Future: Abraham Lincoln once said, “My great concern is not whether I have failed, but whether I am content with my failure.” Lincoln lived by his own advice, for after failing in business, suffer-

ing personal setbacks and losing eight elections, he became one of the greatest and beloved presidents of the United States. Very often, we dream of a project or something we’d really love to master, such as learning a new language or mastering a musical instrument, but we hesitate to move forward because it seems beyond our ability or too much effort. In that way, we shy away from many things which are achievable. Success in any area in our lives comes from experience, and experience comes from learning from mistakes, so in reality, any failure is a step closer to success. As a successful businessman said to a newcomer, “You just start and something will happen.” Just as a composer may have only one melody in mind, as he begins to write one idea seems to inspire another, and an entire symphony springs to life seemingly out of nowhere with the original melody nowhere to be found. Who would have dreamed even 100 years ago that the Jewish nation would return to the Land of Israel and create a vibrant, forward looking country of their own? Countless Small Steps at a Time: And as our nation celebrates our founding, we should be open to renew ourselves to new possibilities and opportunities and not be struck with self-doubt and the burden of past mistakes or the anxiety of perhaps future failures. As we declare, next year in Jerusalem! Rabbi Haim Shaul is the senior rabbi at the Ohel Moshe Synagogue at the Moise Safra Center in New York City. His Dvar Torah is dedicated to the memory of Mauricio Levitin, z”l.

HIGHLIGHTS & SUCCESSES Yeshivat AMIT Tzfat Wins Prestigious SpaceLab Competition AMIT Florin Taman Jr. & Sr. High School for Boys in Tzfat won the prestigious SpaceLab competition run by the Ramon Foundation. Their project experiment will be tested in outer space! The school is in the northernmost part of Israel, and many of the students come from disadvantaged backgrounds. AMIT Tzfat took first place with over 100 teams in the competition. The student body has grown from 178 to 500 students over the last seven years, 50 percent who come from Tzfat and the rest from smaller communities in the region. Over this time the bagrut (matriculation) scores have gone up from 55 percent to 92 percent, and 100 percent of the graduates serve in the IDF. The winning project is called “The Power of Moringa: Purifying Water through Moringa Seed Powder and Copper Wires.” The goal was to find a way to reduce the amount of water that astronauts have to carry into space because water weighs down the spaceship and reduces much needed space to carry important equipment for experiments. The idea was to find a way to reuse existing water.

AMIT Robotics Team Unmasks Its Potential In the early, chaotic days of coronavirus in Israel, all Israelis, and especially medical staff, experienced a dangerous shortage of protective equipment and masks. In the south, the AMIT B’Levav Shalem Robotics Team in Yerucham decided to partner with the Yerucham Science Center to help solve the problem by producing masks themselves. People started placing orders from different hospitals, clinics and some nursing homes. Masks were produced, boxed and delivered to the facilities. Around 4,000 masks were produced. They were first funded by the Yerucham Science Center, and later by other outside groups who supported the endeavor. The Robotics Team was accomplished even before rising to the challenge of the mask crisis. It has participated and won awards in various international competitions. The B’Levav Shalem school focuses in a myriad of ways on the complexities of Israeli society, from courses to volunteer work. Its mission also has a deep commitment to community service.

HIGHLIGHTS & SUCCESSES ParkWatch: A Solution to the Problem of Disabled Parking ParkWatch is an app that provides a solution to the problem of disabled parking. Unauthorized vehicles, parked in lots for the disabled, prevent people who really need these spaces. Through a barcode identification, the app checks whether a vehicle in disabled parking is authorized to park in it, and if not, the information is reported directly to the authorities. By law, it is forbidden to park in these parking lots without a disability certificate. Unfortunately, the police do not have enough resources to enforce this law effectively and hence the need to improve this phenomenon. ParkWatch allows people to report offenses of this type in a simple way from their smartphone. ParkWatch is a joint venture between AMIT and the Israel Accessibility Association.

A Genius Student Creates a Smart City A plot that blocks a sidewalk. A sewer pipe that exploded. Residents of Yerucham will be able to report hazards to the municipal hotline through W-YZE, an app created by Morag Amar, a 12th grade student at Midreshet AMIT in the city. Amar is the first in Yerucham to approach matriculation at the level of 10 units in mechatronics, a field that combines mechanical, electronics and software engineering. This year it will be tested at the level of 10 study units in computer science as well. Amar has represented Israel in international technology competitions. She is also part of Yerucham’s robotic team, “the Y-team,” which teaches students from the neighboring Bedouin village, Rahma. The idea for the app came up in the Y-team, where they decided to turn Yerucham into a smart city. The app will connect the residents with the Shefa (“Improving the City” section) of the municipality. The big innovation is that all of the residents of the city will be updated on every problem and the pace of its solution. “I plan to study software engineering in the future,” said Amar, who learned her first programming language via the internet. “I love Yerucham and the app is part of my commitment to the city.”

HIGHLIGHTS & SUCCESSES AMIT Students Serve Community During COVID Lockdown Continuing the AMIT tradition of caring for those in the community, 12th-grade students at Yeshivat AMIT B’Levav Shalem in Yerucham helped out during the coronavirus lockdowns in Israel. Nearly all 60 students answered the call to provide aid and comfort by volunteering; in this case, they packaged about 500 food baskets for the Yerucham elderly in need. These student volunteers embody the tradition of their town, located in the Negev and known for its strong bonds and caring community. Members serve each other as well as the state. Students’ volunteer efforts are not just one-time events. Rather, they are part of a larger initiative which began in 2020 and work consistently to contribute to the welfare of others in their community. David Alkoby remarked, “It is very important for me to volunteer. In my opinion, volunteering should be an integral part of a teenager’s life, a place to express all the values we are taught.”

Students Speak About Their Dreams The Peres Center for Peace & Innovation commemorated the fourth anniversary of the passing of Shimon Peres, z”l, the ninth President of the State of Israel and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. The ceremony featured a panel of students from a wide variety of educational networks. AMIT was the only religious network that took part in the memorial, with two of our students. Lielle Balata, AMIT Yud Ashdod, and Yossi Eliyahu, AMIT Atidim Or Akiva, spoke about the importance of creating connections and bonds within the Israeli society and emphasized AMIT’s values of Klal Yisrael. Lielle , “When I grow up, I want to be a doctor, but it is much more than that. I want to break the glass ceiling. I am an Ethiopian and a woman and sometimes I feel like I have obstacles.” “My dreams are diverse. I want to be a sailor in the IDF. I want to study science, religions and cultures. I hope to use the knowledge I gain to bring people and religions together,” said Yossi. Over 100,000 students from across Israel tuned into the virtual memorial, which was the first of its kind in Israel.

DEVELOPMENT The Bessies Virtual Gala Academy Awards, AMIT Style

AMIT held its first-ever national virtual gala, The Bessies, on Sunday, November 22. Due to the pandemic, we went big and virtual as circumstances did not allow for in-person regional events. Named after AMIT founder Bessie Gotsfeld, z”l, the gala showcased five student filmmakers whose work was selected from more than 50 films created by AMIT students this year. AMIT also honored supporters from around the country who have demonstrated enormous passion for AMIT’s mission. They included: Elana & Shami Minkove, New Rochelle, N.Y.; Miriam & Bernard Neuman, Chicago; Laura & David Eisenberg, Boston; DeeDee & Anna Wilkowski, Long Island (N.Y.)-Midreshet AMIT; Stella & Samy Ymar, Greater Washington D.C.; Eleanor Chiger & Jay Kaplowitz, Boynton Beach, Fla.; Yaela & Neil Baine, Philadelphia; Russell Hendel, Baltimore; Miriam Muskin, Cleveland; and Yael Weinreb, Los Angeles. The Bessies program was hosted by Ayelet Zurer, star of “Shtisel,” “Munich” and “Angels & Demons.” It featured the five AMIT finalist filmmakers who created their films despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak. There were special appearances by Mayim Bialik; Tzachi Halevy, star of “Fauda”; and musical superstar Idan Raichel. Nancy Spielberg, writer and producer, served as a guest judge of the student films. Two AMIT students

DEVELOPMENT did a news broadcast featuring some of the latest happenings throughout AMIT schools. We heard from a beloved teacher, Miriam Peretz, an educator who lost two sons in combat. The AMIT Eliraz School in Petach Tikva was named after her second son. We also saw firsthand how Tzippi, the principal at AMIT Elaine Silver Technological High School in Beersheva, stayed by her student Tzuriel’s side as he went through a kidney transplant, so his mother could tend to her four other children. Tzuri considers her a second mother. During the gala, all participants were able to vote for their favorite film in real time. The winning film, “Don’t Read Balcony, Rather Synagogue,” was created by Roei Prins, 19, and a graduate from Yeshivat AMIT Kfar Ganim High School in Petach Tikva. Today he is studying at a hesder yeshiva in Ramat Gan. Together we laughed, we cried and felt proud as we heard about some of the innovative and yes, groundbreaking, work that AMIT is doing and the impact it’s having on our more than 41,000 students. Almost 1,500 people watched the Gala! The gala is AMIT’s biggest fundraising effort of the year and not only is your support helping to prepare our children to compete in the 21st century, but you are responsible for lifting up so many from disadvantaged backgrounds and enabling them to reach their full potential and thrive as productive Israeli citizens. During the Gala, through the generosity of the Norman and Bettina Roberts Foundation and an anonymous donor, donations received were matched.

DEVELOPMENT Joan S. and Leon Meyers Foundation Dedication

Bill Meyers, Sara Meyers Sadinoff, Leon Meyers, Rabbi Yuval Elimelech, Dr. Amnon Eldar

This year we were so grateful to receive a dedication from the Joan S. and Leon Meyers Foundation for an Alternative Learning Space at the AMIT Karmiel Junior & Senior High School. This dedication was made in loving memory of Joan S. Meyers, z”l, a longtime AMIT supporter. Previously, the Foundation dedicated the Joan S. Meyers Wing in 2013, a Computer Lab in 2015 and the Joan S. Meyers Library in 2016. This is the fourth dedication to the Karmiel community made by the Foundation and will help impact the future of the special education students at AMIT Karmiel.

The Joan S. and Leon Meyers Foundation was created and funded in memory of Joan after her passing. She had a passion for the underserved. Her mother, Dorothy Silverstein, was the National Vice President of Mizrahi Women in the 1970s and shared her love of AMIT with her children and grandchildren. Joan was very involved with her local AMIT chapter in New Rochelle. Joan was a ceramicist and had a passion for the arts and she always rooted for the underdog. The family became very interested in the community of Karmiel since it serves an at-risk population and did not already have other donors invested in its well-being. They also recognized that the school is truly a hub for the community and, in addition to a good education, the school offers social services to the community. Sara Meyers Sadinoff recalled that when they were in Israel to dedicate the wing in Karmiel, there was a major snowstorm. Instead of holding the dedication event at the school, food was delivered to students’ homes. This was truly spectacular. And, for this reason, they feel really committed to this community. This new dedication funds an alternative learning space, which is a special room allowing students to work with their hands in a creative manner. The space is specifically designed for students with learning disabilities as well as those who have emotional issues. Students who go to this space are given the tools to create something, tapping into their creativity while learning skills. The room is also used by gifted students who seek an outlet for their creativity.

DEVELOPMENT Men’s Virtual Poker & Scotch Event Hits the Jackpot! This year, we flipped the script for our annual Men’s Event and turned our in-person Poker and Scotch event into a fantastic socially distant Scotch Tasting and Poker Tournament. To say it “went down smoothly” is an understatement!

Custom Glencairn glass for Scotch tasting

In late October, more than 100 guests from all over the country logged on to support AMIT and eat, drink and have fun. Every participant received a hand packed, custom “tasting box” with five top-shelf scotches, snacks and an AMIT branded Glencairn with which to sample the scotches. It truly was a national event as participants from Texas, California, Massachusetts, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut and beyond all came together to share their love of scotch and poker.

Hand packed custom Scotch tasting box every participant received

A professional scotch expert guided us through the scotches and explained the different tastes, notes and smells of each. Simultaneously, guests participated in an online poker tournament and “hung out” with friends in their Zoom rooms. We held COVID-friendly outdoor “viewing parties” in Florida and Boston, where players came together to drink, watch and support a great cause. At the end of the night, people were able to watch the final hands being played. Josh Sydney of Boston won first place, Avner Skoczylas of Great Neck, N.Y., took second, and Jason Kuflik of Woodmere, N.Y., came in third. The winners enjoyed their choice of $500 worth of scotch, a free night’s stay at the Bowery Hotel for two, and a day with an exotic car.

Poker participants Mati Grauer and Brian Farbman

This year’s Chairs, Avi Adelsberg and Andrew Gadlin, along with the committee, worked tirelessly to ensure the event succeeded despite the challenges faced. Our Honorary Chairs, creators and true stewards of this event, David Stonehill and Jimmy Haber, finally got to relax and really enjoy the event for the first time as they sipped their drinks and watched the next generation of dedicated AMIT supporters take this event to the next level. They cannot wait to see where it goes next.

DEVELOPMENT “So… What Exactly is AMIT NewGen Again?” Some of us have heard this question quite a bit, so we thought it would be sensible to explain here. AMIT NewGen is for couples and singles, men and women ages 20s through 40s (approximately, we are not strict). We are diverse religiously, and we celebrate the spectrum of Jews in Israel. We love Israel and we want to help Israel’s children through education. NewGen staff promote AMIT programming to a younger crowd in general, run NewGen-focused Facebook and Instagram feeds, and especially encourage NewGen adults to learn more and to GET INVOLVED.

The NewGen staff kicked off 2021 with a “Meet AMIT” virtual event on Tuesday, February 9. It was an entertaining and informative virtual “parlor meeting” providing an evening of discussion that deepened our guests’ understanding of WHO AMIT is, WHAT AMIT does, and WHY AMIT matters in the NewGen age group. Approximately 30 guests participated, and the conversations were lively and fun. An emphasis was placed on how there are so many enjoyable and easy ways to be involved and make a real impact. Some to note: • Follow us on Facebook and Instagram (and hit like & heart!) • Re-post our material on your own feed (this is super impactful!) • Subscribe to our new bi-weekly NewGen Newsletter (we won’t over email you!) • Consider joining your local board (especially easy now that it is all virtual!) • Attend a virtual event and bring a friend (you can stay in your sweatpants!) • Be in touch with your concerns, suggestions and questions (NewGen@amitchildren.org) • And don’t ever think your opinion or your $18 doesn’t make a difference! Despite the continued quarantine and lack of in-person events, we have seen AMIT NewGen interest and participation grow from coast to coast. Even though many people are tired of Zoom and, if we’re frank, just tired in general, the message of AMIT Children to “Build Israel One Child at a Time” is just as important, powerful and compelling today as ever. We look forward to an amazing lineup of 2021 AMIT events, and we are excited to see what this new year brings! To subscribe to our new NewGen Newsletter, please email your name and city of residence to NewGen@amitchildren.org

DEVELOPMENT Two AMIT Daughters Continue Their Family Legacy in AMIT For two of our outstanding NewGen families, philanthropy is something learned and passed on to the next generation. And the next. And the next. Fourth generation AMIT supporters, Lilly Golombeck and Ruthie Gontownik, chose to celebrate and honor their B’not Mitzvahs by directly supporting AMIT. Lilly, daughter of Caryn and Avi Golombeck, dedicated an annual extra “something special” for each holiday for the kids of Beit Hayeled, aptly naming the yearlong pledge as “Chag Lilly.” Caryn and grandmother Anne Golombeck are current Board members. Great-grandmother Marilyn Moed served on the Board of Directors from 2011-2019 and has been on AMIT’s Board of Governors since 2019. The students at Beit Hayeled got delicious cupcakes for Rosh Hashanah, an ice cream outing to their favorite ice cream store for Succoth, costumes for Purim, and much more from “Chag Lilly.” The dedication by Lilly and her parents to provide something special for the kids of Beit Hayeled for the entire year is so appreciated and really makes a difference for the students, especially during this challenging year.

Lilly and Caryn Golombeck

Ruthie Gontownik, daughter of Daniela and Zev Gontownik, decided to sell customized masks and donate the proceeds to AMIT. Ruthie ran her business from Instagram under the handle “Maskgals,” and physically customized each mask and shipped them all over the country. Ruthie is also fourth generation AMIT; her mom is on the Board and maternal grandmother Marsha Spector ran the Atlanta Mishloach Manot campaign for years after learning how important AMIT was Daniela and Ruthie Gontownik from her mother (Ruthie’s great-grandmother and namesake), Ruth Spector, who dedicated herself to AMIT. On her father’s side, Ruthie counts grandmother Anne Gontownik and great-grandmother Elaine Jacobs, both longtime supporters of the Englewood Shalva Chai chapter, as the AMIT lineage that connects her to generations past and who are still incredibly involved. Caryn and Avi and Daniela and Zev are stalwart NewGen supporters who not only see the value of philanthropy, but are actively instilling in their children the importance of doing good for others. They are strengthening the links in the chain of these longtime supportive AMIT families, and we are excited to have this next generation of the family involved! Welcome, Lilly and Ruthie!

DEVELOPMENT Fireside Chats One of the unseen benefits of this very difficult year is that it forced us to become creative about how to better share our story and provide important updates to our AMIT supporters. As such, we instituted a new series of virtual Fireside Chats, which have been hosted by our National President Audrey Axelrod Trachtman in conjunction with AMIT’s Israel Director General Amnon Eldar. During these chats Audrey Axelrod Trachtman, AMIT National President they have spoken candidly about the challenges facing our and Dr. Amnon Eldar, Director General of AMIT schools in Israel during COVID, given an inside view of the educational landscape, discussed how we not only teach academic subjects but work to instill Jewish values, and have highlighted some incredible stories of hope. Recordings from these programs can be found on our website at www.amitchildren.org/connecting-with-amit/. We plan on continuing these fireside chats a couple of times a year. If you have any ideas of subjects you would like covered at a future chat, please contact RobbieF@amitchildren.org.

Midreshet AMIT Chanukah Chagigah Midreshet AMIT current and alumni families successfully helped us raise more than $10,000 to bring Hanukkah cheer to Beit Hayeled this year. Prior funding for the party had fallen through, and as soon as people were asked, they came through for the Beit Hayeled children. In a year when every holiday is looking different, this effort was even more appreciated. It was an evening of fabulous food and fun for our cherished Beit Hayeled students as well as Midreshet AMIT students. The Midreshet AMIT students worked so hard to run a safe, yet fun party for everyone in the building. The lunchroom was transformed into a glittering party room, a professional DJ played music, a dozen different game stations from “Pin the Fire on the Menorah” to “Spin the Dreidel” were set up, there was delicious food, a photo booth with magnet giveaways, spray art hats, and face painting— just to name a few highlights. Spectacular gifts were given to each Beit Hayeled child. This was a truly a memorable evening and the children’s joy lasted far longer than eight nights.

Attention all Midreshet AMIT Alumnae!

AMIT is excited to announce the formation of a new Midreshet AMIT Alumnae group on Facebook. Through this group we hope to bring together alum from 2007 to present day to support each other on college campuses and through professional networking, chesed opportunities, and AMIT events for married and family life and beyond. The Midreshet AMIT experience at Beit Hayeled is truly unique and we hope by creating this new interactive group we can strengthen the bonds among our MIDRESHET graduates. Stay tuned for many upcoming Midreshet AMIT Alumnae programs. AMIT Alumni For more information, email Elana Grauer at ElanaG@amitchildren.org.

Upcoming Virtual Programs & Events SAVE THE DATES

Mother -in-

Israel VIRTUAL E VE NT

An Evening with Hadassah Lieberman Sunday, April 18th - 8:00 p.m. EST Hadassah will be interviewed by her son Rabbi Ethan Tucker, about her life and her new memoir. Please join us for this riveting program.

APRIL

Upcoming Virtual Events for April

Tuesday, April 6 at 8:00 p.m. EST Book Review - How We Survived - 52 Personal Stories by Children of the Holocaust Wednesday, April 20 at 7:45 p.m. EST AFLI Entrepreneurial Panel Thursday, April 22 at 8:00 p.m. EST Novels, Netflix and Film Adaptations - A Woman of No Importance and A Call to Spy Tuesday, April 27th at 8:00 p.m. EST Gallery Tour with Tobie Kahn Wednesday, April 28th at 8:30 p.m. EST NewGen and Young Leadership Financial Health and Wellness

Sunday, June 6th - 12 p.m. EST Join us for a special National Mother-inIsrael tour of Israel, AMIT-Style!

MAY

Upcoming Virtual Events for May Saturday, May 1st – 8:45 p.m. EST Mixology – Lag B’Omer Event

Tuesday, May 4th – 8:30 p.m. EST 3rd in the series of the Israel Cinema Sunday, May 9th Chai Tea Event – New England Region Wednesday, May 12th – 11 a.m. EST Life Insurance Strategies and Long Term Care Solutions Thursday, May 20th – 8 p.m. EST Novels, Netflix and Film Adaptations – The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel

For more information and to register for these programs, visit www.amitchildren.org/events

OBITUARY

The AMIT Family Mourns the Loss of Lester Sutker, z”l ̶Elazar Ben Mayer

Eleanor Greenberg family with Ethel and Lester, z”l, Sutker

The Mr. and Mrs. Lester Sutker AMIT Modi’in School for Boys.

Lester was a legendary and long-time partner of AMIT. Along with his wife Ethel, the family proudly dedicated The Sutker AMIT Renanim Science and Technology High School in Ra’anana (2019) and The Mr. & Mrs. Lester Sutker AMIT Modi’in School for Boys (2015).

Ethel and Lester, z”l, Sutker

Lester, z”l, and Ethel Sutker with Dr. Amnon Eldar

“Lester was fiercely dedicated to the children of AMIT,” said Andy Goldsmith, AMIT’s Executive Vice President, “He was passionate about Israel’s future and believed investment in her children to be the natural choice of every Zionist. He took a personal interest in the progress of “his kids” (as he termed it) carefully noting their progress and looking toward the future.” Lester was born and raised in Chicago and attended Crane High School and Hebrew Theological College. He graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston where he swam on the school’s Big Ten swim team. During World War II, Les was an officer in the United States Merchant Marine.

Les was a founder of Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School and was active in many other Jewish organizations including Religious Zionists of Chicago, Hebrew Theological College, and a host of area synagogues. Together with Ethel, Lester leaves a legacy of eight children, numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren, and thousands of AMIT children who benefit from his love and generosity. May his memory be a blessing.

$1,000,000 +

$75,000-$99,999

Helen and Jacob Greenfield, z”l, NJ

Jerusalem Foundation, Israel

Evan and Layla Green Family Foundation, CA Ellen, z”l, and Meyer Koplow, NY The Lewis and Wolkoff Family Legacy, CO Sarena and David Koschitzky, Mira and Saul Koschitzky, Tamar and Eric Goldstein, and Joel Koschitzky, US, Canada and Israel The Moise Y. Safra Foundation, NY Ellen and Stanley Wasserman, NY

$50,000-$74,999 Anonymous, NY

Hadassah and Marvin Bienenfeld, NY Canada Foundation, Israel Joan and Norman Ciment, FL Suzanne and Jacob Doft, NY Naomi and Avery Friedman, Israel Education for Giving, Israel David Goldman Charitable Trust, Israel

$250,000-$999,999 Florence, z”l and Albert Dreisinger, z”l, NY Shari and Jacob M. Safra, NY Ethel and Lester Sutker, IL

Harvey Goodstein Foundation, PA Barbara Gordon, NY The Kolatch Family Foundation, NJ Ria and Tim Levart, NJ Leon and Gloria, Edward, Sari, and Howard Miller, NY Debbie and Samuel Moed, NJ Barbara and Jules, z”l, Nordlicht, NY

$100,000-$249,999 Lee and Lou, z”l, Benjamin, FL

Norman and Bettina Roberts Foundation, NJ Audrey Axelrod Trachtman and Chaim Trachtman, NY

Gail and Martin Elsant, NY The Barbara and Fred Kort Foundation, CA Ellen and Emanuel Kronitz, Israel Estate of Marilyn H. Phillips, NY Joyce and Daniel Straus, NJ Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, MD Pauline Zonon, z”l, NY

As of February 12, 2021. We apologize if your name was inadvertently left off this list.

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Zeldin Family, FL

Henry Ben Ezra, Israel

Etella and Haim Marcovici, NY

Morris Zimmerman, z”l, NJ

Natan Ben Natan, Israel

Lisa and Leon Meyers, NY

Deborah Stern Blumenthal and Michael Blumenthal, NJ

Mifalai Matmanot Meuchadim, Israel

Joseph Abelow, Israel Kol Hanearim Inc., NY Ike, Molly and Steven Elias Foundation, NY Keren Yerushalayim, Israel

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Lotte, z”l, and Ludwig Bravmann, NY

Grace, Shua and Jacob Ballas Charitable Trust, Israel

Bressler/Robbins Foundation, IL

Migdal Hevra LeBituach, Israel Judy and Albert Milstein, IL Elana and Shami Minkove, NY

Ethlynne and Stephen Brickman, MA

Kivunim Foundation, Israel

Aaron and Marie Blackman Foundation, CA

Vanessa and Raymond Chalme, NY

Magbit, Israel

Michael Cleeman, NY

Mischcon Family Charitable Trust, Israel

Sharon and Morris Silver, CA

Pnina and Jacob Graff, CA

Christian Friends of Yesha Communities, Israel

Marilyn and Leon Moed, NY

Marion Crespi, NY

Amy, z”l, and James Haber, NY

$25,000 - $35,999

Pearl & Marty Herskovitz, Israel

Jone and Allen Dalezman, MA

Anonymous, FL

Adena and Ezra Dyckman, NY

Anonymous, MA

Hamifal Education Childrens Home, Israel

Danielle and Ronald Ellis, Israel

Anonymous, NY

Debbie and David Isaac, NY

Ruth and Gene Fax, MA

Raquela and Avi Adelsberg, NY

Sarah Liron and Sheldon Kahn, CA

Eve Finkelstein, Israel

American Embassy, Israel

Keren DM (Glencor), Israel

Ann and Yale Baron, NJ

Sharon and Solomon Merkin, NJ

Lisa Rosenbaum and Ronald Fisher, MA

Rosa and Isaac Cohanzad, CA

Nerine Trust Company, Israel

Jewel and Ted Edelman, NY

Shemesh Foundation, Israel

Gazit-Globe, Israel

Rita and Eugene, z”l, Schwalb, FL

Harwit Charitable Trust, CA

Sylvia and Morris Trachten, z”l, Family Foundation, Israel

Mildred, z”l, and Alvin Hellerstein, NY Russell Jay Hendel, MD Norma and Emanuel, z”l, Holzer, NY Max and Sunny Howard Memorial Fund, NY

North American Conference of Ethiopian Jews, Israel Regina Peterseil, z”l, NY Hedy and Paul, z”l, Peyser, MD Lauren and Mitchell Presser, NY Jennie and Avi Rothner, IL Shirley and Milton Sabin, FL

Randi and Alan Gelman, Israel

Jan and Sheldon Schechter, NY

Laura and Jonathan Heller, NY

Seligsohn Foundation, PA

Gemstone Cultural Heritage, Israel

David Shapira Services, Israel

Leelah and Joseph Gitler, Israel

Shemesh Foundation, Israel

Ina & David Tropper, NY

Anne and Sheldon Golombeck, NY

Celia and Reuven Sherwin, Israel

Youth Villages for Advancement and Excellence, Ltd., Israel

Paula Yudenfriend and Arlin Green, PA

Judy and Isaac Sherman, NY

Harvey Greenberg, z”l, VA

$10,000 - $17,999

Kislev Tuvla Veschar, Israel

Anonymous, CA

Gitta and Richard Koppel, Israel

Trudy and Ted, z”l, Abramson, FL

Matanel, Israel

Adar Sachar Benlleumi, Israel

The Joan S. and Leon Meyers Foundation, NY

Amdocs, Israel

Haruach Halsraeli (The Israel Spirit), Israel Michelle and Natalie Horovitz, Israel Ithaca United Jewish Community, NY Edith and Herman Itzkowitz, PA Suzanne and Norman Javitt, NY

Arizot Yerushalayim, Israel

Barbara and Joel, z”l, Rascoff, NY

Max and Anna Baran, Ben and Sarah Baran and Milton Baran, z”l, CA

Phyllis and Arthur Rosenbaum, NY

Charitable Trust, CA

NivGal Inc., Israel

Rosalyn and Ira Friedman, NJ

Brenda and Albert, z”l, Kalter, NY

The Dorothy Phillips Michaud

Momentum Engine Growth, Israel

Ruth and Hillel Kellerman, CA Rona and Ira Kellman, NY

Shibley Righton LLP, Israel Chana and Daniel Shields, NJ Sally Sidman, IN Marilyn and Herbert, z”l, Smilowitz, NJ Sondra and Myron Sokal, NY Francine and Aaron Stein, NJ Naomi and Gary Stein, NY Tishrei Transport, Israel

Keren HaYesod, Israel

Valium, Israel

Debbie and Julio Berger, NY

Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek, Israel

Hedya Stavisky Weiss, Israel

Harriet and Heshe Seif, NJ

Zelda and Solomon Berger, NY

Ruth and Daniel Krasner, NY

Amnon Shaashua, Israel

Daisy Berman, z”l, NY

Rochelle and Seymour, z”l, Kraut, NJ

Judy and Morry Weiss/Sapirstein Stone-Weiss Foundation, OH

Robyn Price Stonehill and David Stonehill, NY

Anne Bernstein, z”l, CA

Arlene Kupietzky, CA

Zahava and Moshael Straus, NJ

Helen and Henry Bienenfeld Foundation, PA

Ruth and Robert Lewis, NY

Villar Group, Israel

Barbara and Leonard, z”l, Bloom, MD

Zipporah and Rabbi Arnold, z”l, Marans, NY

Marguerite and Ronald Werrin, PA Yoreinu Foundation, Israel Youth Towns of Israel, Israel Helene and Gerald, z”l, Zisholtz, NY

As of February 12, 2021. We apologize if your name was inadvertently left off this list.

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Evelyn & Shmuel Katz, FL

Vivian and Solomon, z”l, Rosen, FL

Anonymous, FL

Linda and Barry Eichler, PA & NY

Craig Keebler, WA

Gale and Eric Rothner, IL

Anonymous, IL

Sherry and Aaron Eidelman, NY

Keren Roi, Israel

Yaffa and Michael Eisenberg, Israel

Elizabeth and Gidon Rothstein, NY

Anonymous, Israel

Rochelle Stern Kevelson, NY

Anonymous, MA

Ester Eisenberg, z”l, CA

Diane and Barry Kirschenbaum, FL

Paul H. Rubenstein Charitable Foundation, OH

Anonymous, TX

Phyllis & Joseph Eisenman, NJ

Chani and Steven Klein, NY

Hedda Rudoff, NY

Sarah and Maurice Aghion, MA

Sheila and Kenneth Fields, NJ

Jane Klitsner, Israel

Agudat bet Sefer Tichon, Israel

Lilly and Alfred, z”l, Friedman, NY

Evelyn and Lawrence Kraut, NJ

Nicole and Raanan Agus, NY

Debbie and Ezra Feuer, NJ

Edy and Jacob Kupietzky, IL

Randi Schatz Allerhand and Joseph Allerhand, NY

Marisa and Andrew Gadlin, NY

Bryna and Joshua Landes, NY

Shifra and Perry Garber, NY

Donna and Jeffrey Lawrence, MD

Susan Alter Klaperman, NY

Linda and Norman Garfield, PA

Martin Leiderman, NY

Mollie Siegel, NJ

Ann and Hy, z”l, Arbesfeld, NY

Abigail and Ari Glass, NY

Diane and David Lent, NY

Rosalyn and Richard Slifka, MA

Michael Atar, UK

Miriam and Felix Glaubach, NY

Kari and Joshua Levine, NY

bloomMarsha and Jan Spector, GA

Lolly and Harris Bak, NY

Shari and Maurice Gluckstadt, NY

Dorothy and Robert Lewis, NY

Rachel, z”l, and Martin Balsam, NY

Paulette and Max, z”l, Goldberg, NY

Nancy and Benjamin Sporn, NY

Mindy and Seymour Liebman, NY

Tamar and Ethan Benovitz, Israel

Esther and Jack Goldman, NY

MA Stern, Israel

Audrey and Haskel Lookstein, NY

Phyllis and Edward Berkowitz, NY

Sandra E. Goodstein and Arthur Rosenblatt, PA

Rita Lourie-Galena, PA & NY

$5,000 - $9,999

Andrea and Bryan Bier, NJ Evelyn and Isaac Blachor, NY Beth and Reuben Blumenthal, NY Freda and Elliot Braha, NJ Sari and Stuart Braunstein, NY Jorden Brinn, MD Adrianne and Leon Brum, FL Margaret, z”l, and Chaim Charytan, NY Michelle Chrein, NY Barbara and Melvyn Ciment, MD Trina and Paul, z”l, Cleeman, NY Daniel Eli Cohen, Israel

Gorlin Family Foundation, MD The Gottesman Fund, NY Sara and Ronald Gottlieb, FL Sharon and Melvin Gross, NY Myrna and Ernest, z”l, Haas, NJ Phyllis Hammer, MA Debbie and Robert Hartman, IL Debbie and Eddie Herbst, CA Aviva Hoschander-Sulzberger and Vernon Sulzberger, NY Shulamit and Joakim Isaacs, Israel Sonia Bodenstein-Izenstark and Ira Izenstark, CA

Rita Lowi, CA Adama Makhteshim, Israel Meira and Solomon, z”l, Max, NY Manette and Louis Mayberg, MD Benay and Ira Meisels, NY Caroline and Marcelo Messer, NY Judith Goldberg Ness and Seth Ness, NJ Gloria and Burton Nusbacher, NY Bea and Irwin, z”l, Peyser, NY Suzy and Paul Peyser, NY Esther and Donald Press, NY Tzippi & Ira Press, NJ

Esther and William Schulder, NJ Deanne and Leonard Shapiro, Israel Ruth and Irwin Shapiro, NY Jane Shiff, NJ

Adina Straus, NY Nechama and Howard Taber, NY Talpiot Religious Children’s Village, Israel Hope and David Taragin, MD Lilly Tempelsman, NY Sandra, z”l, and Max Thurm, NY Bertie, z”l, and Fred Tryfus, NY Jessica Tuchinsky, NY Audrey and Max Wagner, NY Marilyn and Lee Wallach, NJ Paula and Leslie Walter, NY Anne and Mark Wasserman, NY

Malky and Bezalel Jacobs, NY

Judy and Jerry Pressner, NY

Marion and William Weiss, NJ

Debra Jakubovitz-Fletcher and Tim Fletcher, CA

Joyce and Stanley Raskas, NY

Roselyn and Walter, z”l, Weitzner, NY

Diane and Howard Cole, NY

Evelyn Reichenthal, TX

Linda and Stanley Weissbrot, IL

Lisa and Ephraim Dardashti, PA

Jewish National Fund, NY

Karen and David Cole, NY

Barbara and Manfred Joseph, NY

Reut Foundation, Israel

Linda and Steven Weissman, NY

Dexel Factory, Israel

Connie and Alan Kadish, NJ

Fritzie and Sheldon, z”l, Robinson, IL

Booky and Jerome Wildes, NY

Michael and Elizabeth Diamond, NY

Hermann Kaiser, NJ

Sandra and Evan Roklen, CA

Dee Dee & Steven Wilkowski, NY

Renee and Harvey Douglen, Israel

Ruth and Jerome Kamerman, NY

Kristina Reiko Cooper and Len Rosen, Israel

Elaine and Lewis Dubroff, NY

Ruth and William, z”l, Kantrowitz, NY

Miriam & Howard Rosenblum, NJ

Esther and Dov Zeidman, NY

Hattie and Arthur Dubroff, NJ

Harriet and Joel Kaplan, NY

Karen and Roy Simon, NY

Tamar and Benjamin Zeltser, NY

Susan Ederson, z”l, NY

Elissa and Michael Katz, NJ

Lois Blumenthal and Norman Sohn, NJ

Eva Zilz, NY

Florence Cohen, z”l, NY Shevi and Milton Cohen, NY

As of February 12, 2021. We apologize if your name was inadvertently left off this list.

Stella and Samy Ymar, MD

Anonymous, FL Anonymous, FL Anonymous, NY Sally Aaron, IL Merryl and Jonathan Abrahams, NJ Elizabeth and Howard Abramowitz, CA Leah and Jonathan Adler, NJ Myrna and Charles Alpert, NY Beth and Brad Alter, IL Ann Holstein and Edwin Altman, PA Daniel Altshuler, CA Akiva Armon, Israel Roberta and Alan David Aronoff, NY Association of American and Canadians in Israel, Israel Ayco Charitable Foundation, NY Yaela and Neil Baine, PA Sarah Leah and Nachum Barishansky, NJ Alyssa and Daniel Barzideh, NJ Henri Bengualid – Bengualid Foundation, NY Joan and Shael Bellows, IL Diane and Noah Berkowitz, NY Evelyn and Saul Bienenfeld, FL Sandra and Howard Blank, NJ Sara and Josh Bleier, PA Jill and David Blumenthal, NY Bnei Hachomot, Israel Sheldon and Debbie Bootin, TX Elaine and Sy Brief, FL

Esther Cardash, IL Dina and Lawrence Caroline, PA Mark Chass, Israel Beth Chiger and Neil Sambrowsky, NY Benjamin Cohanzad, CA Michael Cohanzad, CA Hedy and Morris Cohen, PA Leora and Jason Cohen, FL Wendy and Sanford Cohen, FL Donna Dalnekoff, Israel Judy and Michael Daniels, IL Amy and Gary Davis, TX Stan Dorman, MD Yael and David Edelstein, NY Debbie and Richard Eisenberg, NY Pearl Elias, PA Dr. Francoise Engel, MD Elliot Feinerman, Israel Sherry and Mark Fessel, NY Jeanne Finkelstein, FL Sharon and Jeffrey Fishman, CA Shani and Sam Frank, NY Reva and Mark Friedman, Israel Rita and Dennis Funk, CA Debby and Steven Gage, NY Kenneth Gainer, NY Barbara and Benjamin Geller, CO Barbara and Steve Geller, IL Debbi and Marc Geller, IL Rita Geller, IL Caron and Steven Gelles, NY Sharon and Seymour Gertz, IL

Janet and Gilad Gevaryahu, PA Naomi and Stanley Goldis, PA Laura and Joseph Goldman, MD Shira and Gadi Goldress, NY Alan Goldsmith, VA Daniela and Zev Gontownik, NJ Florence Goodman, OH Aviva and Justin Gordon, IL Norman Green, CA Eudice Greenfield, IL Goldie and Alex Gross, Israel Linda Grossman, GA Robyn Horowitz and Yehoshua Grossman, NJ Felice and Michael Grunberger, MD Arie Halpern, z”l, NJ Barbara and George Hanus, IL Laurie and Bernard Hasten, IL Milton Heching, NJ Ellen and John Hellman, Israel Fred Hidary, NY Robin and Mark Hoenig, NJ Chanie and Barry Holzer, NY Chani and Jonathan Hornblass, NY Nancy Isserman-Horwitz and Joel Horwitz, PA TWINCO INC., TX Peggy and Robert Insel, NY Elaine and Mervin Jacobs, FL Susan Julius, CA Tirza and Sam Kahan, IL Karen Kaplan, IL Marilyn and Ed Kaplan, FL

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Rebecca and Avi Katz, NJ Laura and Daniel Kaufthal, NY Judy and Abraham Keehn, NY Gloria and Sanford Kestenbaum, Israel Cherly and Albert Khodari, CA Anna and Steven Kirshblum, NJ Beverly Kogut, TX Miriam and Louis Kolom, IL Rachel and Bryan Koplow, NH Deborah Peacock and Nate Korn, NM Eva Kowalski, CA Debbi and Lee Krantzow, NJ Rebecca and Emilio Krausz, NY Sara and Alan Kravitz, NY Mark Kristoff, CT Shelley and Stanley Kroll, IL Suri and David Kufeld, NY Rachel and Shawn Langer, NJ Cheryl and Lee Lasher, NJ Ayal Latz, Israel Carole and Manny Lax, FL Oshrat and Noam Leibovitz, Israel Helen Leiderman, NY Joel Levine, CA Jane Levy, NY Aviva and Nate Lichtenstein, IL Roslyn and Joel Linderman, CA KC and Leslie Littner, Israel Naomi and Carl Lopkin, MA Melvin Lubin, NJ Allie and Alexander Luxenberg, NY

Iris and Shalom Maidenbaum, NY Diana and David Makkabi, CA Fegi Mauer, IL Pegi and Gerard Medioni, CA Jenny Michael, NY Maxine Miller, Israel Marcy and Sheldon Millman, NJ Rhonda and Michael Mont, MD Vera and Robert Moreen, PA Miriam Muskin, OH Bernice and Oscar, z”l, Novick, IL Reena and Raphael Novogrodsky, NJ Bobbie and Jerry Nussbaum, IL Sarah Okon, MA Careena and Drew Parker, NJ Brenda and Edward Parver, NY Pia and Stuart Pollack, PA Debbie and Michael Rand, NY Daphna and Daniel Raskas, MD Daphne and Joshua Rawson, NY Shuli and Avi Rockoff, MA Lynn and Marc Rohatiner, CA Marcia and Philip Rosen, NJ Ellen and Eric Roskes, MD Sarah and Jeff Rosner, PA Leah and Arnold Rotter, CA Rhoda and Stephen Sand, PA Shirley and Matthew Schein, Israel Elaine and Saul Schreiber, Israel Keryn and David Schreiber, IL Zelda Schuman, Israel Scope Metals Group, Ltd., Israel

Jamie and Scott Seligsohn, PA Ellen Werner and Elliot Shaller, MD Keren Shlioh, Israel Yaffi and Yoseph Shmidman, Israel Helene and Jack Shrago, NE Henry Soussan, WA Phyllis and Mark Speiser, NY Sydelle Spero, Israel Rena and Bruce Spinowitz, NY Elizabeth Straus, NY Claire and David Subar, Israel Naomi and Ira Sved, PA Esther and Henry Swieca, NY Susan and Robert Taub, NY Sylvia and Avi Tuchman, MA Joy and Michael Volk, CA Hindy Walfish, Israel Yael Weinreb, CA Shirley Weinstein, NY Barbara and Michael Weiss, NY Cathy and Allan Weiss, NJ Lillian and Sherwyn Weiss, FL Rita and Howard Weiss, NY Elaine and Mark Weitzman, NY Shlomzion Malka Wertman, Israel Douglas C. Williams, CA Bibsi and David Zuckerbrot, Israel

As of February 12, 2021. We apologize if your name was inadvertently left off this list.

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