Byachad Winter 2015

Together Winter 2015

B’Yachad: The Newsletter of Jewish National Fund

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Sustainability: STORY OF OUR GENERATION

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

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Levitt Legacy Lives On in Carmit

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

Hear the story of a couple whose gift helped build the Negev. Matt Bernstein pays tribute to the recently passed Shirley Levitt, z”l, who with her late husband Robert built a synagogue in the desert community of Carmit.

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A Chef’s Dreams Come True in Israel Chef Josh Steele made Aliyah from the UK with the help of Nefesh B’Nefesh. In Israel, his culinary dreams have come true as executive chef and owner of Soyo in Jerusalem.

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We hope you enjoy this issue. Send your feedback to newsletter@jnf.org.

Regards, B’Yachad Editorial Staff B’YACHAD STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF: Ariel Vered • PUBLISHER: Russell F. Robinson EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Jodi Bodner • MANAGING EDITOR: Adam H. Brill CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Sherene Strausberg Winner of the AJPA Rockower Award for Excellence In Organizational Newsletters

Printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based ink

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From Trees to Green Innovation

With the newly formed Environment Committee, JNF is reframing its projects through an environmental lens.

Learn about some of the innovative work we are doing in the areas of Sustainable Development, Environmental Restortion, and the Arava Agri-Tech Corridor.

The Environment - #PoweredByJNF The environment is a hot topic on social media. JNF engages its audience asking how they go green.

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

for Jewish people everywhere. Jews the world over collected coins in iconic JNF Blue Boxes, purchasing land and planting trees until ultimately, their dream of a Jewish homeland was a reality. Today, JNF continues to give all generations a unique voice in building and ensuring the prosperity of the land of Israel through their generosity and partnership with the people of Israel.

JNF embodies both heart and action; our work is varied in scope but singular in benefit. We strive to bring an enhanced quality of life to all of Israel’s residents, and translate these advancements to the world beyond. JNF is greening the desert with millions of trees, building thousands of parks, creating new communities and cities for generations of Israelis to call home, bolstering Israel’s water supply, helping develop innovative arid-agriculture techniques, and educating both young and old about the founding and importance of Israel and Zionism.

@JNFUSA @JNFUSA

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

A MESSAGE FROM

­­— OUR PRESIDENT — RESTORATION OF THE BESOR-HEBRON-BE’ER SHEVA STREAM

By Clive Lipchin

More than 3,000 years have passed since the ancient Hebrews settled in the Promised Land and had to find ways to adapt to living in some of the harshest desert conditions in the world. Much has changed from that time as our people have now mastered water reuse and learned to grow crops in the arid climate there. Today, Israel shares her technology with the rest of the world and has built partnerships with states across the United States and countries including Rwanda, Cambodia, Canada and Vietnam, where needs are as diverse as transforming formerly dry environments into agricultural food centers, producing solar energy power as an alternative to expensive and polluting fossil-fuels, and bringing life-saving water to communities.

To better prepare for the future, last year California Governor Jerry Brown and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Mountain View, California and agreed to “boost economic, cultural and academic cooperation between California and Israel, with an emphasis on water conservation, alternative energy, cybersecurity, health and biotechnology, education and agricultural technology.”

Israel’s smart, sustainable water solutions make the most of living off a land where little rain falls. I am proud to say that much of the science that has reshaped the former wilderness has been at the hand of JNF and its partners around the world. Indeed, our work in, and commitment to, the environment is why we chose to make it the theme of this B’Yachad.

I often remark that “a single drop of water is too precious a commodity to use only once.” JNF has been at the forefront of water management and conservation in Israel, increasing the country’s total water supply by 12% and helping Israel become a world leader in water recycling and reuse. Nearly 80% of the recycled sewage water in Israel is reused, the highest amount in the world. Spain comes in at a distant second at 17%, and the United States figures are well under 10%. JNF’s network of more than 250 recycled water reservoirs provide almost half of the water used for agriculture, saving enough freshwater to meet the drinking needs of 8.2 million Israelis a year.

Today, with the growing threat of rising temperatures, chronic drought and the lack of plentiful water supply for much of the world, the picture is rather daunting. Eighty countries have water issues that threaten health, food production, and economic well-being, while more than 2 billion people have no access to clean drinking water. Population growth of some 80 million people each year further depletes ground and surface water supplies. In Texas, where severe drought has crippled parts of the state, the population is expected to double in the next 50 years with a projected increase in demand for water rising by 22%, while its groundwater supplies are expected to fall by 30%.

JNF and Israel have become synonymous with successful initiatives that address water quality, trans-boundary challenges, recycling, and developing alternative water sources, by using drip irrigation, conservation education, desalination, and stream and aquifer restoration. By sharing its technology and research with other nations, Israel is instrumental in making the world a better place for generations to come. One of our donors is doing just that: This fall, St. Martin’s Press will release Seth Siegel’s book “Let There be Water—Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World” that features JNF prominently.

You can always reach me at jlevine@jnf.org.

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Clive Lipchin is Director of the Center for Transboundary Water Management at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies.

JNF IS COMMITTED TO THE ENVIRONMENT

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

In a time of ever-decreasing global water supply, Israel is working to ensure that its future water needs are secure. Responding to this mandate, the JNF Parsons Water Fund has partnered with the Center for Transboundary Water Management (CTWM) at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies to restore the Besor-Hebron-Be’er Sheva watershed, whose untreated wastewater directly affects JNF’s Be’er Sheva River Park project.

A little earth science lesson: Watersheds are the areas of land where all of the water that runs under it or drains off it collects at the same place. The Besor-Hebron-Be’er Sheva watershed includes areas of Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza (Sde Boker in the south, Hebron in the northeast, and Gaza in the west), ultimately draining into the Mediterranean Sea. Because it includes both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, it is considered a transboundary watershed.

The watershed’s problem stems from untreated sewage discharges from domestic and industrial sources, including leather tanning, stone cutting, and olive-pressing facilities in the West Bank due to the region’s limited wastewater treatment infrastructure. Pollution generated by the Palestinians then crosses into Israel downstream. At the Green Line, Israel partially treats the wastewater, but because the water belongs to the Palestinians, according to international water law, all Israel can do is release the wastewater back into the stream. By the time the water reaches Be’er Sheva it has picked up additional untreated wastewater from surrounding Bedouin communities that also lack adequate sewage infrastructure. In addition, research suggests that the surface wastewater infiltrates groundwater, posing a serious threat to drinking water resources in the Western Mountain aquifer.

This project brings together parties from Israel, the Map of Besor-Hebron-Be’er Sheva watershed Palestinian Authority and the Bedouin community with the primary objective of laying the foundation for effective stream restoration. The JNF Parsons Water Fund is a principal funder of the three-year project, which is managed by CTWM. To understand the broader picture, water quality in Negev communities must be evaluated together with the water from the Bedouin and Palestinian communities upstream.

To address the causes of pollution at a watershed level, CTWM is using state-of-the-art hydrological monitoring stations and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to collect and analyze watershed data. The first of three advanced hydrologic monitoring stations has been installed and will collect continuous water quality and quantity data. Extensive information has been compiled on water, environmental conditions, socio-economics, land use, and sources of pollution from throughout the watershed. Additionally, CTWM has developed a geodatabase using GIS to analyze and visualize watershed data spatially on a series of maps.

CTWM, which has a history of seeking practical solutions to environmental problems with diverse voices and a regional focus, recently engaged Israeli, Palestinian and Bedouin stakeholders in a cross-border workshop. The compiled data was used as a platform for transboundary dialogue about effective restoration strategies and discussions about water quality and wastewater management. The GIS visualization and analysis helped communicate a scientific understanding of the watershed conditions and foster a better working relationship with all involved.

CTWM’s research will ensure a sustainable and beneficial watershed for not only Be’er Sheva and the Be’er Sheva River Park, but also the entire Negev region. By framing the project at a watershed level, the approach fulfills the goals of restoring the entire system from its point of origin in the southern West Bank to its terminus at the Mediterranean Sea, including the establishment of a viable and flourishing Be’er Sheva River Park.

JEFFREY E. LEVINE

Favorite Photo in Israel Contest

JNF Program Areas Community Building JNF enhances quality of life in Israel by building new communities and bolstering existing ones in the Negev and Galilee.

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

Forestry & Green Innovations

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As an innovator in ecological development and a pioneer in forest creation, JNF has planted more than 240 million trees in Israel, providing luscious belts of green covering more than 250,000 acres.

Water Renewal Walking th

JNF.org

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#zippori

You can be featured in the next issue of B’Yachad.

Tag #JNFPhotoContest on Instagram or Twitter.

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JNF has been at the forefront of water management and conservation in Israel for two decades, increasing the country’s total water supply by 12% and helping Israel become a world leader in water recycling.

Research & Development JNF has sponsored research initiatives in Israel as part of its efforts to cultivate the land and is a world leader in both technological and environmental innovation.

ACHIEVE YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS AND SUPPORT ISRAEL

Zionist Education & Advocacy Earn Up To 9.5% Age 65 70 75 80 85 90 & Over

Rate* 5.5% 5.8% 6.4% 7.2% 8.1% 9.5%

*Single-life Gift Annuity

(Two-life rates are also available.)

“JNF charitable gift annuities offer us a generous income, tax advantages, and the opportunity to change the face of Israel.”

-Alan and Louise Dabrow, Haverford, PA

800.562.7526 JNF.ORG/PLANNEDGIVING

JNF is the single largest provider of Zionist engagement programs in the U.S. and offers myriad ways to connect young American Jews to Israel, from trips to Israel and B’nai Mitzvah projects to Alexander Muss High School in Israel and advocacy programs on college campuses.

Heritage Sites JNF is committed to the preservation of historical sites associated with Israel’s rebirth. JNF works to ensure that the stories behind Israel’s history are properly documented and retold for future generations, and come to life through historical sites.

Accessibility & Therapeutic Services JNF is dedicated to ensuring that no member of Israeli society is left behind. Through a variety of initiatives, JNF provides cutting-edge rehabilitative services, special education, therapeutic riding centers, accessible parks, and medical care for people with special needs. jnf.org • 800.JNF.0099

CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Project Spotlight: AICAT AT THE ARAVA INTERNATIONAL CENTER

Students at AICAT.

For more information on AICAT, visit jnf.org/central-arava.

Campaign All-Star: Lauren Kaufman-Bergmann IT TAKES SOMEONE SPECIAL TO USE

their passion and ignite a similar spark in others.

Lauren Kaufman-Bergmann is one of those people.

Since co-founding the DC chapter of JNFuture a few years ago, she has continued to inspire others with her enthusiasm for Israel. Her passion and dedication are instrumental to the growth of JNFuture and JNF, and for that, she has earned the distinction of Campaign All-Star.

“Lauren is creating fun and exciting engagement opportunities for young professionals to philanthropically support the work of JNF while growing a group for individuals who participate in events, tours to Israel, and educational programming,” said Jessica Schapiro, JNF Manager, Affinity Groups.

“She has been instrumental in building JNFuture into a national affinity group.”

In 2012 Lauren assumed the role of JNFuture DC chair and owing to her ability to engage others, the DC chapter grew quickly under her leadership.

That local chapter now has 52 members, while the national group has over 350 members. Lauren has been a huge part of that growth. “Her passion is infectious and she has the electric combination

of a big personality with a generous spirit,” said Jonathan Gertman, JNFuture’s National Campaign Chair. “She is able to maximize her effectiveness by bringing in others and making the work not only meaningful, but great fun as well.”

Outside of JNF, Lauren is Senior Vice President at the Katz Watson Group, a political fundraising consulting firm where she has worked since a 2007 internship. She earned her BA in Sociology from The George Washington University. Since becoming involved with JNF, Lauren has held various leadership positions, including JNFuture DC chair, JNF’s Leadership Institute Mission co-chair, and now Chair of the National JNFuture Board.

“Within a few moments after speaking with Lauren, you understand why the role of Chair of the JNFuture National Board seems to fit her so well,” said Simon Schwartz, who also serves on JNFuture’s national board. “Her enthusiasm is infectious, her commitment is admirable, and her actions are noteworthy. Lauren sets the bar as a lay leader and exemplifies what it means to be part of JNFuture.” n

When JNF was established 114 years ago to build a safe haven in our historic homeland, it was accompanied by a corresponding need to repair and restore the land so that it could support the Jewish people.

Following his 1867 visit to the Holy Land, Mark Twain wrote: “…A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds…hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.”

In the early days, while JNF was building communities throughout the country, we were also planting trees to green the land, hold back soil erosion, and provide shade and comfort. Today we have planted more than 250 million trees, and JNF has become a global leader in afforestation. If you look at a satellite photo of Israel and her neighbors, it is striking to see the difference—how green Israel is compared to the grey and brown that surround her.

Our work in the last 30 years to improve the water situation has established Israel as the number one country in the world in the use of recycled water for agriculture. The use of treated brackish and recycled water for agriculture means that even in the worst drought conditions, Israel can not only provide domestically grown fresh produce, but also export peppers, tomatoes and many other products to Europe and elsewhere.

It is important to point out that the involvement of JNF to provide new water resources began at the time of the migration of one million olim from the former Soviet Union.

Through careful water resource management, and the use of alternative water resources for agriculture, we increased the water supply by more than 12%, allowing the absorption to take place without causing a cataclysmic ecological disaster.

Could you imagine if Israel was forced to shut off water for hours each day to conserve that precious natural resource?

Today our internationally recognized work is being sought out by countries around the world interested in learning best practices to improve their own quality of life. Nearly 30% of our campaign is allocated towards our environmental work, from groundbreaking discoveries at our scientific research and development stations that have worldwide applicability to educational institutes that bring students from all over to gain Israel’s expertise in sustainability and agriculture. We have greened the desert, bolstered Israel’s water renewal solutions, and done so much more for the land and people of Israel.

You can reach me at bmiller@jnf.org.

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is to grow the program to 3,000 by 2020. The need for physical expansion is obvious.

Located in the desert town of Sapir in the Central Arava, AICAT was founded in 1994 as a joint venture between the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Arava Regional Council to train agricultural students from developing countries. In addition to the mobile classroom, the school has three classrooms in its central building.

Said Hanni Arnon, AICAT’s director and founder: “Our students come for an entire year’s growing season, so they can take part in planting, nurturing

BILL MILLER, VP, CAMPAIGN

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

for Agriculture Training (AICAT), the new $170,000 mobile classroom recently erected by JNF in memory of Zevi Kahanov, longtime JNF employee and emissary to Israel, is the latest development pointing to the school’s impressive growth and success. With an alumni base of 9,000 and current annual enrollment of 1,200 students, the school receives nearly twice that in applications. The goal

and harvesting crops. It’s important for them to see the entire process, a full agricultural season.”

This year’s students hail from Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Indonesia (the largest Muslim-populated country in the world with no formal relations with Israel). The goal for trainees is to introduce more sophisticated methods of agriculture and food production upon return to their countries and become goodwill ambassadors for Israel in their home country. AICAT graduates become community leaders, pursue higher academic education in Israel and abroad, establish successful model farms and businesses, and integrate professionally in the public and private sectors.

Currently AICAT has 67 lecturers (six were brought on this year along with a new academic director) to meet the demands of the global student body.

Further, in 2014 AICAT introduced a new 38-credit master’s degree program in partnership with Tel Aviv University. Subsequently, there’s not a day when any one of the only 230 seats in the four classrooms is not occupied.

“Without JNF’s assistance in providing us this new classroom we couldn’t meet the needs of our students,” said Arnon. “With JNF we can dream and meet the vision and master plan that we set to become a university.” n

PLANNED GIVING

Levitt Legacy Lives on in Carmit

by Matt Bernstein, CFP, JNF Chief Planned Giving Officer

PLANNED GIVING

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Normally I use this space to write about the financial benefits of contributing to Jewish National Fund. JNF’s many Planned Giving opportunities—which include a dynamic Charitable Gift Annuity program, Charitable Remainder Trusts, and Donor Advised Funds—offer creative solutions and strategies to help you with financial planning or income-producing options that help support the land and people of Israel through JNF’s vision and mission. For this first column of 2015, however, I want to demonstrate how a bequest can fulfill a donor’s dream of making a difference in Israel.

Shirley and Robert Levitt, z”l, of Greensboro, North Carolina contacted the Planned Giving Department 10 years ago to contribute to a Charitable Gift Annuity. Like many of our donors, they were attracted to JNF’s competitive interest rates and a sound investment policy and the idea of supporting Israel through our work.

About a year after Robert died, Shirley called me wanting to do something significant with the remains of her estate when she passed. To Shirley, significant meant not only the amount she wanted to contribute, but her and Robert being remembered as “making a difference.”

Around this time, Carmit, a new community conceived by JNF, was being planned as a bedroom community near Be’er Sheva. The vision was that Carmit would attract young, upwardly mobile families to the Negev, yet at the time, the town was nothing more than a vision with sand dunes.

Shirley saw the importance of Carmit and realized someone had to take the first step. She decided to build a synagogue in a town that was not yet created.

She reasoned that constructing the synagogue would demonstrate to families who were considering moving there that the community they envisioned would indeed be developed.

Five years ago Shirley signed an irrevocable pledge for $2.5 million to build the synagogue and three years years ago the project was completed and the Robert and Shirley Levitt Synagogue was dedicated. The effect on the progress of Carmit was dramatic. Within a few months of completion, lots were being sold and families were lining up to become a part of what will be a dynamic community.

Shirley passed away in 2014 at the age of 100, six years after Robert. Her vision to make a significant impact was fulfilled. She lived long enough to see pictures of the completed synagogue and witness the dedication through a video presentation. Russell Robinson and I showed her what her commitment had accomplished and presented her a letter from Shimon Peres thanking both her and Robert for their commitment to Israel’s future.

Upon Shirley’s passing, a Carmit resident sent Shirley and Robert’s niece and nephew a letter about the extraordinary gift the couple gave to this community.

August 2014 Beverly and Richard, Our condolences on the death of Shirley.

We want to say that your dear aunt sowed the spirit of a new community in the land of Israel.

How symbolic that the first structure in Carmit is a synagogue, the community center of Jewish life. Many people had doubts, but Shirley was the first believer in building the community. Today there are more than 300 families preparing to build homes and create life in Carmit, houses that will be built around the synagogue. We would like to express our gratitude for Shirley, z”l.

God bless you, Shlomi Benado, Carmit Resident

There is not an organization that touches the land and people of Israel in such a profound manner as Jewish National Fund. We should all be proud of our work, commitment, and support.

We can be of valuable assistance in demonstrating how a properly designed charitable gift plan can save income taxes, estate taxes, and even provide for your heirs. For more information on how to plan your estate or other planned giving strategies, please contact one our Planned Giving specialists at 800.562.7526 or at plannedgiving@jnf.org.

We look forward to hearing from you.

To learn more about JNF’s Planned Giving opportunities, contact us at 800.562.7526.

JNFUTURE

The Desert Chapter: JNFuture Phoenix Grows its Young Leadership

by Hayley Magerman, Arizona Campaign Executive Chaired by Talyah Sands, the group is attracting the young Arizona community through educational, networking, and social opportunities for young professionals, ages 22 to 40, interested in supporting Israel. With an annual gift of at least $180 that they can direct to a project area of their choice, young adults are becoming members of JNFuture and donors in their own right. Membership comes with networking opportunities with JNF major

With fond memories of planting trees and collecting tzedakah in blue boxes, the next generation is putting their imprimatur on JNF’s century-old mission of caring for the land and people of Israel, emerging as the new leaders of JNF, with a 21st century vision of making sure it remains the premier organization supporting Israel for another hundred years.

JNFUTURE

“JNFuture provides a space for young professionals to develop a connection to Israel and JNF that will extend beyond our 20s and 30s. JNF’s initiatives are integral to the vitality of Israel. I want to be a part of that and see Israel thrive now and into the future. This is an ideal time for Phoenix to join the JNFuture network.” -Talyah Sands, JNFuture Arizona Board Chair

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Founded in 2007 in New York City, today there are JNFuture chapters in 15 cities across the United States and our newest chapter is in Tel Aviv, Israel.

JNFuture has raised more than $1 million for JNF’s work in Israel. I am proud to say that our chapter in Phoenix is one of the fastest-growing chapters in the country and I can’t wait to see what we are able to accomplish during our second year.

JNF has had a very strong community in Phoenix for many years. Now, JNFuture represents a new frontier, expanding its base of support to include millennials who are invested, passionate, and engaged with JNF. JNFuture is making Phoenix attractive to young and civicminded Jewish professionals who are looking to build their futures.

This past fall JNFuture Phoenix had one of the most successful membership drives in JNFuture history, recruiting over 20 members in one night.

donors, access to exclusive programs in Israel such as the JNFuture Leadership Institute Mission, special members-only events, and leadership development training.

As Arizonans, we felt that it was our time to inspire young adult philanthropy.

Young people see their parents giving, but do not necessarily see themselves as donors. We used the national JNFuture model to communicate that giving can be feasible for young people, with an emphasis that time and personal initiative is also valuable.

Borrowing from the hugely successful JNFuture New York’s annual Shabbat in the Park in Central Park, we can’t wait to host the first Shabbat in the Desert this year with JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, our guest speaker. We are hoping for over 200 young professionals to participate in an evening that celebrates JNF’s work in the Negev and connects attendees to the challenges and opportunities that living and developing the desert holds both for Israel and Arizona. The evening will also be a great showcase of all of the hard work of the JNFuture Phoenix board and to help with the recruitment of future members. n To learn more about JNFuture in your area, contact Jessica Schapiro at jschapiro@jnf.org or 212.879.9305 x297.

Shabbat in the Desert March 20th, 2015 • 5:45 - 9:00 PM jnf.org/sitd

TRAVEL & TOURS

Discovering Israel, the Medical Start-Up Nation

JEWISHTRAVEL NATIONAL & TOURS FUND

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Experience Israel’s magic with Hal Linden.

Israel is known as the start-up nation, and this is certainly evident in Israel’s medical industry. On the first Doctors for Israel tour, chaired by Dr. Rob Norman and Dr. Ronna Schneider, 20 healthcare professionals from across the United States traveled to Israel to experience JNF’s work and explore Israel’s culture of cutting-edge medical research and innovation.

They witnessed the remarkable technology of Israel’s medical start-ups, including MercyBeam, a more accurate, less harmful, and more cost-effective alternative to traditional radiotherapy and radiosurgery, and PillCam, the widely used, patient-friendly tool to detect and monitor small bowel abnormalities. The group met with one of the founders of ReWalk™, a robotics system that enables individuals with spinal cord injuries to walk. Just a week before, Dr. Jeff Brookman had fit a young military veteran with a ReWalk™.

“It was a grand experience to meet with the engineers and developers of ReWalk™ while in Israel,” said Dr. Brookman. “I was honored to work with one of ReWalk™’s first American patients, and I was beyond fulfilled as a doctor to see this proud young wounded warrior standing eye to eye with everyone as he received a hero’s medal. ReWalk™ offers new hope and new meaning to the lives of thousands of spinal cord patients.”

A visit to the newly opened Central Arava Medical Center in Sapir, built by JNF, energized the group about the need for a similar medical center for Halutza to provide the necessary sophisticated level of care for its growing community and motivated a number of the participants to make a group gift to this proposed project.

“I was delighted to see the new Central Arava Medical Center in person,” said Dr. Norman, National Doctors for Israel Chair. “Once we saw this dream come true, it was easier to grasp the vision for the medical center in Halutza. For Halutza residents a proper medical center would cut down the average travel time from over two hours to minutes. It is a privilege to know that we can help in the pioneering efforts for our family in Israel.”

A start-up panel of Israeli innovators addressed the question of Israel’s success in breeding so much innovation and valuable research. The case of Israeli medical innovation is exactly what drew Dr. Bill Bilek and his wife Jeni to choose the trip: Dr. Bilek is considering writing a book on Israel and medicine which focuses on why Israel is such a cutting-edge place for medical innovation and development and wanted to do some research.

“Jeni and I were most impressed by the day spent in the Arava and Be’er Sheva,” he said. “We were blown away by the level of research being done in the middle of nowhere.

It motivated us to think about what else there is that can be done to keep the ball rolling.”

Many of the healthcare professionals plan to collaborate and build partnerships with the start-ups and their counterparts that they met at Nefesh B’Nefesh headquarters, including five doctors who made aliyah. The participants left the trip inspired to do more and to help support the work of Israel’s innovators and doctors. The feeling was mutual.

JNF’S SUNSHINE TOUR May 27 - June 4, 2015

FOR ACTIVE ADULTS 55+.

Additional Trip Options Available

jnf.org/sunshine • 877.563.8687

“It was our pleasure to host the JNF Doctors for Israel tour to Israel,” said Ze’ev Harel, CEO of Convergent R.N.R. Ltd. “Until recently we did our best to run under the radar of the giant market players. JNF’s visit was the first time we actually spoke to the outerworld about our project and their interest and enthusiasm was very encouraging.”

The success of the Doctors for Israel tour showed that the importance of bringing together like-minded professionals to showcase the innovation shaping Israel and the world we know. JNF hopes to replicate this model with other shared professional groups, starting with the first-ever Law and Justice Tour November 15 – 19th, 2015.

For more information on JNF’s tours, visit jnf.org/travel

FOOD & WINE

A Chef’s Dreams Come True in Israel

by Josh Steele As we all need to eat, food has the ability to bring people together. This recipe takes the old—a lokshen [noodle] kugel—and transports it into the 21st century.

Crème Anglaise 1 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream 8 eggs 1/5 cup sugar 2 tsp vanilla paste Pinch salt 1/4 cup chopped chocolate 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Bring milk and cream to a simmer in a pan. Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the milk and cream slowly into the egg mixture until well combined. Add to a saucepan on the stove and whisk constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take half the mixture once ready and add the chocolate, cardamom and port to it and mix until all incorporated.

1 tbsp port Chocolate Pasta Dough 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/8 cup icing sugar Pinch salt 3 eggs 1 tbsp chocolate syrup 1 tsp vanilla

Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse until combined. Add eggs, chocolate syrup, and vanilla and mix until it starts to come together as a dough. Remove from mixer and knead for about 10 minutes, then wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Using a pasta maker dusted with icing sugar, roll dough, folding over a few times to make it stronger, starting with level 1 until level 6, and cut it into lasagna leaves.

Cover the base of square glass dish with creme anglaise. Alternate layers of crème and pasta, ending with crème. Bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes or until it starts to puff up and brown on top. Leave to cool and set. Serve with coulis.

Cherry and Port Coulis 1 cup maraschino cherries 1/4 cup caster sugar 1/4 cup port 1 star anise 1 cinnamon stick

Place all ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool and remove the cinnamon and star anise, blend and push through a sieve with a ladle.

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Josh Steele made Aliyah with the assistance of Nefesh B’Nefesh in April 2014 and curently resides in Jerusalem. For more information on making aliyah, visit nbn.org.il

Chocolate Lasagna

FOOD & WINE

You often hear people say that Israel is a challenging place to live, but few focus on how it’s also a land where dreams come true. In the summer of 2013, I was a single 29-year-old yeshiva student in Israel. Unable to get the job I wanted as a rabbi, and missing my friends and family back in England, I started planning to move back home—until I received a phone call that changed my life.

My 14-year-old cousin had secretly submitted an application for me to be on Israel’s MasterChef television program. She assumed that because I was the best cook she knew, I would definitely get invited to be on the show (and ultimately stay in Israel). I’ve always loved to cook, and I have fond memories of my grandmother teaching me how to make a pavlova, but I was unsure how high my chances were of getting an invite to the show.

What happened next is something no one could’ve predicted: Not only did I get invited to be on the show, but I also met my future wife, someone a friend had been trying to set me up with for years and who only wanted to live in Israel. After we got married and made Aliyah with the help of Nefesh B’Nefesh, I became the executive chef and owner of Soyo in Jerusalem.

Today, I run a restaurant and catering company, perform cooking demonstrations and workshops all over Israel and abroad, have a blog on The Jerusalem Post and, most importantly, am thrilled to be married to my beautiful wife. In just one year my world changed, and Israel is the reason why. My story is an example of how anyone can realize and reach their dreams in our Jewish homeland.

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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

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(L-R) National Campaign Director Sharon Freedman, past honoree and Arava Institute and Hazon Israel Ride founder Howie Rodenstein, Guardian of Israel honoree and Executive Board member David Eisenberg, Executive Director of the Arava Institute David Lehrer, and JNF New England Director Sara Hefez at the Award Brunch in Boston.

(L-R) Waze co-founder Uri Levine, moderator Izhar Armony of Charles River Ventures, David Shimoni, National Campaign Director Sharon Freedman, JNF-KKL Emissary Rami Hazan, and Rivka Shimoni at a Boston VIP reception and panel discussion with Levine, Adam Medros of TripAdvisor, and Marc Mantell of Mintz Levin.

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Sapphire Society, Chai Society and Women for Israel members and guests at the VIP entrepreneurship and innovation reception in Boston.

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New England attendees at JNF’s National Conference in Los Angeles.

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(L-R) Resource Development Director of the Central Arava Regional Council Noa Zer, Suzanne Lacognata, New England President and Boston Lawyers for Israel chair Larry Cohen, and Central Arava Mayor Eyal Blum at JNF’s National Conference in Los Angeles.

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(L-R) JNF-KKL Emissary to New England Rami Hazan, Senior Campaign Executive Deborah Budd, New England Board member C. Robert Zelinger, Rona Gelber, Consul General of Israel to New England Yehuda Yaakov, JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush, Bruce Stanger, and JNF New England Director Sara Hefez at the Greater Hartford breakfast.

7 Arava Institute and Hazon Israel Ride participants at this year’s Greater Hartford breakfast.

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(L-R) Rona Gelber, New England Board member C. Robert Zelinger, Dane Kostin, and JNF-KKL Chief Israel Emissary Talia Tzour at a planning meeting for the Greater Hartford community.

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(L-R) Capital District Board member Jeffrey Adler, JNF Director New England Sara Hefez, Capital District President Robert Ganz, National Major Gifts Chair and Capital District President Emeritus Kenneth Segel, with Capital District Board members Jane Golub, Alan Lobel and Susan Farber at the 5th Annual Walk for Water in Albany.

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Lianne Pinchuk Wladis and her daughter Becca at the 5th Annual Walk for Water in Albany.

1. (L-R) Associate Director, Greater Los Angeles Lou Rosenberg, Jim Hess, Jay Kogen, Jason Alexander, Teri Hatcher, David Bickel, and Rob Schiller at the 2nd Annual Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament in Los Angeles.

2. National Chair for Wadi Attir Honey Kessler Amado displayed information about the project at JNF’s National Conference in Los Angeles.

3. (L-R) Martin Singer, Brad Ausmus, and Alan Abramson at the Los Angeles Home Run Reception hosted by Martin and Deena Singer.

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1 Women for Israel Chai and Sapphire Society members from Atlanta at a donor

1. (L-R) Vice President of Missions Scott Schreiber, guest speaker Gil Hoffman, and

thank you event.

Chicago Board Vice President Deb Zaluda at a Lunch and Learn in Chicago.

2. (L-R) Chicago Executive Committee member Rob Rubin, JNF Chief Development 2 (L-R) Elana Spiegel and Ashley Siegel, Alexander Muss High School in Israel Summer Officer Rick Krosnick, Chicago Corporate Advisory Board Chair Richard Price, 2014 participants, at a donor thank you event in Atlanta.

3 Event hosts Aviva and Eyal Postelnik at a donor thank you event in Atlanta.

4 Tanny Berg and Nora Guzman at JNF’s VIP breakfast in El Paso.

5 (L-R) Eric Dermer, Emily Weiss, and Rebecca Levy at a JNFuture event in Austin.

6 (L-R) Jane Larkin, Shane Stein, and Southwest Regional Director Julie Malin at JNF’s Breakfast for Israel in Austin.

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10. (L-R) Dr. Nathan Firestone, Debbie Firestone, JNF Western PA Director Amy Jonas, and Western PA Board of Directors member Steven Schwartz at the Tree of Life™ Award Dinner in Pittsburgh.

11. (L-R) Western Pennsylvania Board member Ira Frank and Leo Berzon volunteered at

Chairman of the Chicago Board Scott Gendell, and Corporate Advisory board member Steve Lavin at a corporate lunch meeting in Chicago.

the JNF activities table at the Pittsburgh Community Apple and Honey Festival.

3. (L-R) Chicago JNFuture Chair David Eisenberg and Jillian Agdern at the JNFuture

Fitzgerald at the Tree of Life™ Award Dinner in Pittsburgh.

“This Is How We Roll” Dreidel Tournament in Chicago.

4.(L-R) Harry Guttman, Ph.D. of Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP; Michelle Kohn,

Global Director, Israel, Cincinnati Children’s Global Health Center; and Adam Vernick of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP at the JNF/Judge Carl B. Rubin Legal Society Business Professional CLE training in Cincinnati.

5. (L-R) Louise Roselle of Markovits, Stock & DeMarco and Joel Ivers, VP Entrepreneurial Development, Accelerant, at the JNF/Judge Carl B. Rubin Legal Society Business Professional CLE training in Cincinnati.

12.(L-R) The Honorable Dan Onorato, Bishop David Zubik, and the Honorable Rich 13. Members of the Banquet Committee and Wisconsin Board of Directors at the Annual

Tribute Banquet in Milwaukee. (L-R standing) Wisconsin Board member Dr. Neena Florsheim, Wisconsin Israel Advocacy and Education Chair Rena Safer, Wisconsin Board member Barbara Simon, Linda Silberman, Wisconsin Board member and Banquet Chair Mark Levy, Wisconsin Board Co-President Enid Bootzin Berkovits, Gail Adams, Wisconsin board member Susan Pittelman, and Wisconsin Director Sidney Rivkin; (L-R seated) Wisconsin Board member Nancy Sandler, Wisconsin Board member and Banquet Chair Cynthia Levy, Wisconsin board member Lorraine Mitz, and Wisconsin Board Co-President Rusti Moffic.

6. Southern Ohio and Kentucky Co-President Ron Solomon tried out the firefighting

gear from JNF partner Friends of Israel Firefighters, at JNF’s National Conference.

7. (L-R) Rabbi Rosette Barron Haim, Northern Ohio Chairman of the Board Bart Bookatz, and Cantor Kathryn Wolfe Sebo enjoyed the Northern Ohio Community Breakfast.

14. At the Wisconsin Annual Tribute Banquet, members of the Jewish community were

8. (L-R) JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush, Moishe House Representative Mandy DuBro, and JNFuture Chair Tanya Bodzin at the JNFuture Latkatini Celebration in Cleveland.

15.(L-R) Guest speaker and JNF New England Israel Emissary Rami Hazan with Wisconsin

9. (L-R) Breakfast co-chair Milt Newman, guest speaker Jonathan Adelman and Breakfast co-chair Steve Katz at the Michigan Community Breakfast.

recognized for their commitment to Israel. (L-R standing) Eli Cohen, Next Generation Leader, Dr. Jim Barnett, Marc Shovers, Richard Strait, Richard Alpert, Richard Hacker, Professor Michael Waxman and Jacob Cohen, Next Generation Leader; (L-R seated) Nancy Barnett, Jan Loeb, Sue Strait, Deborah Alpert, Deborah Hacker and Andrea Waxman.

Board members and banquet chairs Cynthia and Mark Levy, and Wisconsin Director Sidney Rivkin at the Wisconsin Annual Tribute Banquet.

FLORIDA

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FLORIDA 1. (L-R) Eric Assouline, Broward Board President Alan Cohn, and guest speaker Jonathan Adelman at a Lawyers for Israel 10. (L-R) Jill Oron from JNF partner Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center with Robert and Arlene Subin at a dinner luncheon at Greenspoon Marder in Ft. Lauderdale. party hosted by Nancy and Hank Greenberg in Naples.

2. (L-R) Joshua Brown, Craig Feldman, Robert Gluck, and Ellen Gilmore at a Lawyers for Israel luncheon at Greenspoon Marder in Ft. Lauderdale.

3. (L-R) Lindsay and Jacob Glazer with Matthew Krinzman at a parlor meeting hosted by Lindsay in her home.

4. (L-R) Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Harry and Lilo Frisch with previous Tree of Life™ Award recipient Leslie Held at the Bernard Selevan Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at the Jacksonville Jewish Center.

11. (L-R) Jill Oron with Roger and Flo Lipitz at a dinner party hosted by Nancy and Hank Greenberg in Naples.

12. Phyllis Strome, Jill Oron, and Steve Strome at a dinner party hosted by Nancy and Hank Greenberg in Naples.

13. (L-R) Greg Band, Dr. John Yunis, Hilary Yunis, Janet Lange, and JNF Sarasota Board President Mark Schlanger at the Sarasota Doctors for Israel Dinner at Michael’s On East.

5. (L-R) David Robbins, Raye Sabel, and Kim Robbins at the Bernard Selevan Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at the Jacksonville Jewish Center.

14. (L-R) Alvin Lazarus and JNF Israel Emissary Ezra Ravins at the South Palm Beach Chanukah Brunch and Briefing at the

6. (L-R) Previous Tree of Life™ Award recipients Robert Shircliff, Laurie DuBow, and Mel Gottlieb with Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Harry Frisch at the Bernard Selevan Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at the Jacksonville Jewish Center.

15. (L-R) JNF Sarasota Board President Mark Schlanger, Tamara Page, JNF Northern Florida Director Uri Smajovits, Janet

7. (L-R) National Executive Director of Major Gifts Glen Schwartz, Rabbi Mario Rojzman, guest speaker Pilar Rahola,

Miami-Dade Board member Rosalie Schlaen, and KKL Shaliach Shay Salomon at a Latin Division reception at Temple Beth Torah-Benny Rok Campus in Aventura.

8. (L-R) Miami-Dade Board President Ron Kriss, David Silberfeld, and Miami-Dade Board members Maria Mayer and Rick Allen at a Lawyers for Israel luncheon at Carlton Fields Jorden Burt in Miami.

9. (L-R) JNFuture Board member Ruben Fogel, Rabbi Yossi Harlig, Rabbi Chaim Lipskar, and Brian Bilzin at the

Miami-Dade kick-off event at the Miami Center for Architecture and Design.

Polo Club in Boca Raton.

Lange, and JNF Israel Emissary Ezra Ravins at the Sarasota Doctors for Israel Dinner at Michael’s On East.

16. (L-R) Kenny Kaplan and Jon Sahn at the South Palm Beach Chanukah Brunch and Briefing at the Polo Club in Boca Raton.

17. (L-R) Tracy Kawa, Gail Marlow, and Lauren Cohen at the South Palm Beach Chanukah Brunch and Briefing in Boca Raton.

18. (L-R) Mandy Gordon, Sarasota Board members Brenda Johnston and Ellyn Kessler, with Elaine Wolstein, Tampa Bay Board member Tina Gordon and JNF-LOTEM Liaison Alisa Bodner at a parlor meeting in Clearwater.

19. (L-R) Beth and Carlo Franzblau at the JNF Tampa Bay Movie Night hosted by Meg and Gary Moskovitz.

20. (L-R) Drs. Fred and Lynne Merriam received an award from National Co-Chair of JNF’s Doctors for Israel Society Dr. Rob Norman at the DFI Dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Tampa.

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1. (L-R) Amy Kamensky, Vicki Blumenfeld, Joel Blumenfeld, Major General (Res) Doron Almog, Mia Kamensky, and NYC Board member and Finance for Israel Society co-chair Daniel Kamensky at Aleh Negev in Israel.

2. (L-R) Lawyers for Israel Society Board member Daniel Aires, Finance for Israel Society members Alex Klipper and Leslie Cowen, Lawyers for Israel Board member Neil Goldstein, and Greater New York Senior Campaign Executive Jodi Perlmuth Popofsky at a Lawyers for Israel and Finance for Israel rooftop happy hour in Manhattan.

3. (L-R) JNF Israel Operations Development Officer Ariel Kotler with Alex Sapir and Rotem Rosen in Israel at the dedication of the fire truck they donated.

4. (L-R) Long Island Board member Mark Engel, honorees Michael Avallone, Robert Miller, and Edward Miller, with Long Island Board member Rubin Pikus and Long Island President Michael Kessler at the Long Island Annual Golf & Tennis Classic.

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(L-R) JNF CFO Mitchel Rosenzweig, Long Island Board member Larry Ingber, Cantor Aaron Cohen, JNF Emissary Ezra Ravins, Rabbi Raphael Adler, Rami Abada, and Robin Schorr at a Long Island JNF breakfast at Woodbury Jewish Center.

6. (L-R) A resident of Merchav’Am; Ofir Fisher of OR Movement; New York Board member, Finance for Israel New York co-chair, and JNF Housing Development Fund Board member Saul Burian; and Robert Fox on the Housing Development Fund mission in Israel.

7. Leslie Nessman of Wayne, NJ at the JNF Sderot Indoor Recreation Center in Israel.

8. (L-R) Jerry and Janice Rosen, honoree Harold Steinbach, JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush, honoree Beryl Steinbach, and Helen and Bob Levine at the Annual Teaneck Reception.

9.(L-R) Martin Kasdan, Northern NJ Board member Jerry Rosen, JNF Israel Operations Development Officer Ariel Kotler, Northern NJ Board member Chuck Shain, and breakfast chair Michael Bodner at the NNJ Breakfast in Fair Lawn.

10.(L-R) Rosenthal JCC Director Ellie Aronowitz, Sam and Joan Ginsburg, JNF-KKL Emissary to New England Rami Hazan, JNF Westchester Co-President Jeremy Abramson, JNF Westchester Director Stephanie Risa Balkin, Westchester Jewish Council Executive Director Elliot Forchheimer, and Westchester Shalaich Yoav Cohen at Water & Wine in Northern Westchester.

11.(L-R) JNF Westchester Board member Shoshana Bederman, JNF Westchester Director Stephanie Risa Balkin, JNF Westchester Co-President Caren Hammerman, and JNF Westchester board member Lynn Jacobs at Water & Wine in Westchester.

12.(L-R) Rabbi Amiel Wohl, State Senator Andrea Stuart-Cousins, and JNF Westchester Director Stephanie Risa Balkin at the Coalition for Mutual Respect’s Yitzhak Rabin Peacemaker Award 35th Anniversary Event in New Rochelle, where JNF was presented a generous check toward the Coretta Scott King Forest in Northern Israel.

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1 (L-R) Hope Lorimer and Eta Gershon Cohen at the Central New Jersey Women for Israel’s Paint the Town in Montclair.

1.(L-R) British Colonel Richard Kemp with event hosts Gail and Andy Quartner at a special briefing for major donors in their home

2 The ladies of Central New Jersey’s Women for Israel and their masterpieces at Paint the Town in Montclair.

3 (L-R) David Gevurtz, Nancy Getz, Gary Gevurtz, Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Director Marina Furman, Robert Werner, Gail

in Bethesda, MD.

2.(L-R) DC JNFuture co-chair Mindy Reinstein, Times of Israel correspondent Rebecca Shimoni Stoil, DC JNFuture co-chair

Stanger, and Doug Stanger at the Pipes Bridge in Be’er Sheva on the JNF L’Chaim solidarity mission.

Evan Hoffman, and JNFuture members Marc Kramer, Noah Drill, Aaron Bregman, and Josh Ginsburg at a dinner and discussion in Washington, DC.

4 Philadelphia JNFuture members at a JNFuture Chanukah party in Philadelphia. (L-R top row) Jason Cevera, Rachel Cevera,

3.(L-R) Gail Kushner, Erika Schon, Brenda Jaffe, Naomi Amsterdam, Susie Levene, Israeli journalist Dana Weiss, Shelly Malis, JNF

Shauli David, Liza Dabrow, Danielle Levin, Ari Stanger, Alexander Hankin, Deputy Consul General of Israel Elad Strohmayer, Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Director Marina Furman, Mark Lazaroff, Elana Mitchel, Adam Karasick, Courtney Kimmel, Brett Feldman, Adam Conston, Oren Ben-Yosef, and Chad Holtzman; (L-R bottom row) Philadelphia Campaign Executive Kara Kimmel, Emily Rittenberg, Aliyah Furman, and Danielle Hankin.

5 A group of prominent Philadelphians visited Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem.

National Campaign Director Diane Scar, and Amy Gur at a regional major donor event near Baltimore, MD.

4.(L-R) Dr. Larry Amsterdam, Ellen Rosenberg, and Dr. Jim Chisum at a recent discussion about Nefesh B’Nefesh in Baltimore.

5.(L-R) Maryland Board President Frank Spector with Jerusalem Post’s Gil Hoffman, JNF National Campaign Director Diane Scar, and Jack Rose at a recent Lawyers for Israel cocktail reception at the University of Baltimore.

6 (L-R) Rabbi Adam Feldman, Robert D. Fox, Southern New Jersey Regional Director Lynn Norton Robins, and The Jewish Center’s 6.(L-R) Dr. Elliot, Nava and Aaron Gortbaty, with Deena and Dr. Mayer Gortbaty and at a recent major donor dinner reception at Israel Affairs Chair Jerry Neumann at a TJC Israel Affairs meeting.

the home of Elliott and Nava in Baltimore.

7 (L-R) JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush and Jerry Abramson inspected lulavim grown in Halutza.

7.Paul and Liz Frommer at a thank you event for donors in Bethesda, MD.

8 (L-R) Southern New Jersey Board member and Major Gifts Chair Dr. Robert Benedon, Dr. Mitch Kotler, and Southern New Jersey 8.(L-R) JNF-LOTEM Liaison Alisa Bodner and event host Mimi Kress at a parlor meeting in Bethesda, MD to learn about LOTEM’s Board member Peter Fischer at the Southern New Jersey Breakfast.

fall programs.

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1. (L-R) Major General Doron Almog and Dr. Jeffrey Brookman on the Doctors for Israel Mission in Israel.

2. (L-R) Alan Bachman, Major General Doron Almog, and Stephen Seiden at the Las Vegas Annual Sunday Brunch.

3. (L-R) Juli Ruben, Flavia Hendler, Major General Doron Almog, and Rom Hendler at the Las Vegas Annual Sunday Brunch.

4. (L-R) Rabbi Steven Foster, Barbara Burry, JNF COO Harold Cohen, Mountain States

7. Dr. Don Wong and Vivien Wong on the Doctors for Israel Mission in Israel.

13.(L-R top row) Dr. Michael Kornreich and Toni Dusik; (L-R bottom row) Dr. Stuart

Cohen, Susan Farber, and Ann Zinman at an Arizona Doctor’s for Israel planning 8. (L-R) Rabbi Mark Bloom and JNF Senior Campaign Executive Matt Gabe at a board meeting. meeting in San Francisco.

14.(L-R) Dr. Seymour Rife, Joan Muss, Desert States Executive Director Deb Rochford, 9. (L-R) Stephanie Rosekind, Rosalind Franklin, and Barry Rosekind at a board Toni Dusik, Judy Bassett, Florine Mark, Kim Kotzin, and Campaign Executive meeting in San Francisco.

Hayley Magerman at the Arizona Women for Israel Luncheon.

10.Allan Nyman spoke about JNF’s work at the Palm Springs Welcome Back event.

15.(L-R) Batsheva Feldman and Shari Schenk at the Friedman Music Program

Board President Ron Werner, Nancy Siegel, and Senator Joyce Foster at JNF’s National Conference.

11.Allan and Roberta Nyman at the Love of Israel Dinner planning meeting in Palm

5. (L-R) Dunia Dickey, Sarah Weiss, Dr. Toby Mower, Simon Schwartz, Max Wolk, and

12.(L-R top row) Campaign Executive Hayley Magerman with JNFuture Phoenix Board

Ari Michaeli at a JNFuture Mountain States board meeting.

6. (L-R) Dr. Michael Ben-Eli, Mountain States Board President Ron Werner, Denver

Mayor John Hancock, and Wadi Attir Mayor Mohammed Alnabari at the Office of the Denver Mayor.

Springs.

members Ricci DuBois, Stephanie Kelman, and Jennifer Starrett; (L-R bottom row) Avi Wolf, Talyah Sands, Penelope Karp Abad, Chelsey Saperstein, Cantor Melissa Berman, Spencer Brown, Andrew Stein, and Andrew Becker at the JNFuture Membership Drive and Cocktail Party.

reception in La Jolla, CA.

16.(L-R) Batsheva Feldman, San Diego Board President Lauren Lizerbram, and

National Campaign Director Diane Scar at the Friedman Music Program reception in La Jolla, CA.

17.(L-R) National Campaign Director Diane Scar, Dr. Sol Lizerbram, Susan Polis

Schutz, and Stephen Schutz at the Friedman Music Program reception in La Jolla, CA.

Tribute to a Donor: Irving Taylor, z”l A WORLD CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL AND NEGEV

Society member, Dr. Irving Taylor was an inspiring philanthropist and a true leader in the medical field. The Taylor family story is a multi-generational one both in business and philanthropy. Dr. Taylor came from a legacy of supporters for Israel: His father, Ike Taylor, supported JNF and other organizations that supported Israel. One of

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

16 JNF.org Irving Taylor in Israel.

his projects was founding Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, a project that Irving later took on as a task to help maintain.

“Like his father, my father Irving Taylor felt a strong commitment to Israel and JNF in particular,” said his son Dr. Bruce Taylor. “He supported many projects, including renovation of the Kennedy Memorial and the air force amphitheater, but he most enjoyed his ongoing work with and connection to the people and kibbutz of Kerem Shalom at the Gaza/Egyptian border. He always made sure to visit the kibbutz on each visit to Israel and he was warmly received there as another member of their family. He clearly understood the important work these people and their kibbutz do for Israel and hence for all of us in maintaining Israel’s security and peace in the Middle East.”

A 1943 graduate of University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Taylor is considered a pioneer in the field of biologic psychiatry. He served as medical director of Taylor Manor Hospital, the family-owned psychiatric hospital, with his wife Edith, z”l, and together they transformed it into a world-renowned psychiatric treatment facility.

In 1953 he was the first psychiatrist in the United States to use Thorazine to treat inpatients with serious mental illnesses.

With his son Bruce, he created Changing Point, a treatment center for alcohol and drug addiction

and started the first adolescent psychiatric inpatient treatment program in Maryland in the 1960’s.

Dr. Taylor was honored by the American Psychiatric Association where he was a Distinguished Lifetime Fellow, served on the board of review for the State Department of Mental Hygiene, and was active in state medical and psychiatric associations as well as National Association of Psychiatric Hospitals. The Taylor family recently established the Dr. Irving J. Taylor Professorship and Chair in the Department of Psychiatry at University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Medical Alumni Association.

“It has been a rare and unique opportunity to share my personal and professional life with Irv for so many years,” said National Campaign Director Diane Scar. “Irv’s love for Israel, for continuing his father’s legacy to the Jewish People, and his passion for life continuously inspired all of us to strive to reach higher, to be kinder to each other, and strive to do more to help those in need.

“Irv had the ability to nurture our souls, touching a special chord that made us reflect and laugh and cry at the same time. His human touch was genuine; he filled each moment of time with meaning and sensitivity.

Nothing brought Irv more happiness and contentment than singing “Hatikvah” wherever possible. Our lives have been enriched by Irv’s life lessons, his philanthropic spirit and his continual smile.” n

THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR LEGACY? Richard Allen has...

He named JEWISH NATIONAL FUND in his Will “I included Jewish National Fund in my will because I want to leave my legacy to the people of Israel, who will greatly benefit by the many wonderful achievements of JNF.

Richard Allen, Miami, Florida

Since my first trip to Israel in 1992, and years later while visiting my children when they studied at the Alexander Muss High School, I looked for a way to support Israel. After learning of JNF’s ongoing accomplishments in Israel I wanted to be ‘part of the JNF magic’ and joined JNF’s Miami board. My donations have helped to develop new communities in the desert, build fire stations, and teach American students about Israel’s history and culture.”

Leave your Legacy to Jewish National Fund in your will or trust. Help build a prosperous future for the land of Israel and its people, and receive recognition in Israel.

Contact a JNF Planned Giving Specialist Today!

jnf.org/plannedgiving • 800.562.7526

JNF Helps Reforest the World’s Coral Reefs CORAL REEFS AROUND THE WORLD ARE

To learn more about JNF’s work in coral reef restoration, visit jnf.org/coral-reef-restoration.

JOIN JEWISH NATIONAL FUND FOR THE 15TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE

OCTOBER 23-26, 2015

FAIRMONT CHICAGO, MILLENIUM PARK 200 NORTH COLUMBUS DRIVE • CHICAGO, IL

Honoring Ambassador Michael B. Oren with the Shalom Peace Award

Jewish National Fund

JNF’s National Conference brings together hundreds of committed Jewish leaders from across the country to learn about the key issues of the day that affect us in the U.S. and in Israel as well as JNF’s ongoing vital work for the land and people of Israel.

Register today at jnf.org/nc

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Coral reef in Israel.

a series of nurseries placed by eco-engineers between widely dispersed reefs creates a biological corridor that shares diverse genetic material and rehabilitates isolated reefs downstream. These mid-water nurseries attract fish and invertebrates and develop into small floating reef ecosystems, establishing oases in blue waters.

Israel’s scientists are sharing coral restoration technology with countries around the world, and projects have been undertaken in tropical seas including the Caribbean (Jamaica and Colombia), the Indian Ocean (Tanzania, Madagascar and Mauritius), the South China Sea (Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines), the Arabian Gulf, and of course the Red Sea (Israel and Jordan). What could be more “Positively Israel” and more characteristic of JNF than teaching the world how to reforest its oceans?

In the Gulf of Eilat, next steps depend on new funding.

The NIO would like to attempt industrial-sized restoration with large-scale nursery production followed by large-scale transplantation in selected areas. Meanwhile, the nurseries can also supply corals for recreational transplantation to popular dive sites, beginning to restore local damage from overuse. Whatever comes next, with JNF as their partner, Israeli marine scientists will continue to lead the way. n

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endangered and while they cover less than 1% of the oceans’ area, reefs provide habitat for nearly one third of all saltwater fish species. As islands of high biodiversity, coral reefs are known as the “rainforests of the sea.”

Losing them would be devastating.

Israeli scientists have invented the leading methodology for restoring coral reefs. Count on the Start-up Nation and JNF to address a local challenge and find solutions that benefit the world.

Coral gardening, created by Prof. Buki Rinkevich of Haifa’s National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), bears a remarkable resemblance to JNF’s forestry techniques.

Just as JNF establishes a forest by raising greenhouses

full of healthy young saplings, and transplanting them in ways that promote survival and propagation, Prof.

Rinkevich and his colleagues at the Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research Institute (IOLR), which includes the NIO, devised an approach of raising coral “seedlings” in protected nurseries to become healthy “saplings,” and then replanting them onto a barren or degraded reef.

Fragments of healthy coral are collected and divided into small “nubbins,” nurtured in the lab and then transferred to a floating nursery platform in the Red Sea that hangs from buoys and is anchored to the bottom. Suspended in the water column under ideal growing conditions and protected from predators below and storms above, the coral grows more than twice as fast as native corals on the reefs. They are more fertile and produce more offspring, which develop into larger new colonies. Creating marine-protected areas gives these reefs the opportunity to recover, and with time a stronger, healthier coral community emerges.

Today, JNF supports coral research in Israel as it develops into a discipline of ecological engineering that will make active restoration cheaper, faster, and easier to perform. New sophisticated approaches involve using coral nurseries as seed factories instead of as greenhouses, reducing the need to transplant “saplings.” In one approach, a nursery is placed upstream from an impacted reef and its larvae reseed the reef naturally. In another,

Alicia Yaffe, Los Angeles, CA Prosperity begins with the environment. I don’t want to live in a trash-filled, resource-poor world. Everybody needs the environment, clean water, sustainable forestry. It’s about the impact that these innovations can have and connecting with people. As Jews, we view ourselves as leaders, stewards of the environment. We are never going to win the argument for Israel’s right to exist on religious grounds. But if you look at reasons why Israel needs to exist in a broader sense, it is a leader in research and development and lifestyles that benefit all of humanity, not just Israel. We can build partnerships with likeminded organizations (they don’t need to be Jewish) to help educate the broader world. From various points of expertise, we will be able to broaden JNF’s audience and enable our projects to be more impactful and recognized throughout the world.

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LOOK JNF’s NEWLY FORMED AT

From Trees to Green Innovation

Dan Cohan, Chair, Environment Committee & Edward Paul, VP, Environment Committee “JNF? Oh, the Tree People.” To most of the world, that’s who we are. Just as Jews are known as the People of the Book, we are the Tree People. JNF has been planting trees for over a century. But today our portfolio includes so much more. Today, among all our other work, we lead the world in Green Innovation.

What is Green Innovation? JNF supports projects that make the desert bloom, restore ecosystems, increase available water, and create sustainable development. We’ve gone far beyond trees without ever straying from our roots: developing the Land of Israel for generations to come.

Today, our Green Innovation work gives us a fresh opportunity to connect with people who are deeply concerned about environment and sustainability, a hot issue in many Jewish communities. By addressing topics they care about, we can bring new people into the JNF family.

How do we open this discussion? Sometimes it’s easier to start with a big idea than with the details. In this case, the big idea is one of several environmental themes: Environmental Restoration, Sustainable Development, and hightech desert agriculture in the Arava Agri-Tech Corridor. These themes, identified by the new JNF Environment Committee, are a way to help market our existing environmental projects.

JNF readers are familiar with some of our Environmental Restoration work, such as Carmel Renewal, helping to restore burned forests on Mount Carmel and to better equip firefighters. But do you know about our work in the Hula Valley at Lake Agamon, where we restored wetlands that are an important sanctuary for migrating birds? Or about the Shamir Drill project that tapped a new aquifer in the Golan and is indirectly helping refill Lake Kinneret? Or about our work in the northern Negev, planning the cleanup of the heavily polluted Besor dry river system that runs from Mount Hebron through Be’er Sheva and

Gaza to the sea? How about our coral gardening research in the Gulf of Eilat that developed ways to “reforest” the Red Sea coral reefs?

You may know about JNF’s Sustainable Development work in the desert city of Be’er Sheva with our new urban River Park and its green belt and lake supplied by reclaimed water. And you may know about the many JNF reservoirs that capture treated wastewater for agriculture. But do you know about the Wadi Attir project in sustainable indigenous desert agriculture, partnering with the Negev Bedouin community of Hura? Or our partnerships in developing solar electricity in the Hevel Eilot region to power Eilat?

And then there’s the Arava Agri-Tech Corridor, with projects situated up and down the Arava Valley between the Dead and Red Seas. These projects make the desert bloom in technically sophisticated ways. The agricultural R&D stations (Yair, Zohar) developed greenhouse methods to grow Israel’s winter vegetables. AICAT provides agricultural training in advanced Israeli methods to international students from Asia and Africa. The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies performs arid lands research and joint Arab-Jewish environmental education. The National Center for Mariculture in Eilat is developing ways to farm marine fish (like grouper and sea bass) in desert ponds fed by saltwater, aiming to “paint the desert blue.”

In this environment issue of B’Yachad you can read about some of these projects. They exemplify JNF’s Green Innovation, benefiting Israel and providing valuable know-how for the rest of the world.

Let’s share the story of JNF’s environmental work in Israel with others who care about the Earth. Let’s invite them into JNF’s big tent, where they will find themselves among friends. After all, we are the Tree People, but we are also so much more. n

Barbara Gordon, San Francisco, CA

Paul Gillis, Denver, CO

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE Mary Ellen Hogan, Tampa, FL Awareness of the importance of the environment in Israel is much broader than in the US. Israelis love to get out in the environment and they value it in a different way than we do in the States. We have an opportunity to take what we know about environmental issues and apply our knowledge to help Israel.

I’m really optimistic about the positive impact that this committee can have. We can broaden the way JNF looks at projects in Israel. The Be’er Sheva River Park is one in which you can see the transformation of the city, but it’s less apparent how much that project has improved the city’s pollution.

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Members of the new Environment Committee shared with us about their passion for the environment, the importance of emphasizing JNF’s environmental focus, and what they hope to achieve.

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

I want to be a good steward of the environment and a role model for my children and my community. I also have a deep love of Israel. The combined passions for the environment and the Jewish people led me to JNF. We want to position JNF so that its environmental work is more visible, better categorized and available to people for whom an interest in the environment is a more effective pull than the traditional Zionist message. We are opening up the perspective: it’s not solely planting trees and conserving water, it goes far beyond that and encompasses the hot topics of today, such as restoration, sustainability, greening—values resonate strongly with people in the United States and Israel.

With the world population so large, we need to develop places that aren’t ideally suited for population and, in doing so, figure out ways to do that without harming the balance. If we can do that in a country like Israel, then Israel has an awful lot to offer the world. Israel gets so much negative press; we are looking for a way to highlight what’s going on there in caring for the environment. Water is going to be the world’s most precious resource. Learning how to manage it more effectively will be critical.

California, as an agriculturally-focused state, faces many of the same issue as Israel; learning how to produce agriculture in water-wise ways is extremely important.

SHAMIR DRILLING PROJECT

THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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By Leiba Chaya David

JNF.org

Israel, located in one of the driest regions in the world, is in a perpetual state of water crisis. Historically, water has often been a cause of great dispute—as in the biblical case of Isaac and the Philistine shepherds arguing over well ownership. In the thousands of years since that particular conflict, water scarcity in the region has been exacerbated by rapidly growing populations, ambitious development plans, and prolonged periods of drought. The current annual deficit in Israel’s renewable water resources is almost 131 billion gallons.

Though the picture seems grim, Israelis have an international reputation for pioneering innovative solutions to the water challenge. On a quiet hillside in the northeastern Galilee, for example, a group of hydrologists and farmers are reaching back into the past in order to guarantee a viable source of water for future generations. The Shamir project, a partnership between the Israeli government, the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights Water Associations, and Jewish National Fund’s Parsons Water Fund (through the generous donation of Evelyn G. Lipper, M.D. and the EGL Charitable Foundation), is drawing unprecedented amounts of water from a 5,000 yearold (according to carbon dating) artesian aquifer.

The Shamir complex (named for the kibbutz above which it is located) includes three drills, each around 1.5 kilometers deep (5,000 feet), spread over a hilly area sloping down from the Golan Heights into the Hula Valley. One of the deepest drilling operations in the world, Shamir taps into two and a half billion cubic meters of water, more than half the volume of the Sea of Galilee. Contained at a tremendous pressure, the drills release 600 cubic meters (around 160,000 gallons) of water per hour.

“Just to give a sense of proportion,” says Yigal Hen of the Golan Heights Water Association, “that’s enough water to irrigate 80% of Israel’s apple crops for an entire year.”

This potential has already proven itself when the water was piped up to the Golan Heights last winter, one of the driest in recent history. The emergency supply of water prevented an estimated 150 million shekels ($38 million) in crop damage. As Shabtai Glass, manager of the Shamir site, commented: “In that sense, we are already seeing a return on the investment of both JNF and the State.”

3

160,000

DRILLS

1.5

KM DEEP

2.5

BILLION CUBIC METERS of WATER

TO IRRIGATE

80%

OF ISRAEL’S APPLE CROPS FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR

GALLONS of WATER/HOUR

HEATING FUTURE OF NORTHERN ISRAEL UP THE

The Promise of a Better Life in the North With massive plans underway to expand the population of northern Israel by 300,000 over the next decade, local and national authorities are beginning to seek creative ways to expand the region’s infrastructure. JNF’s Go North initiative, which is rethinking the entire economy of the Galilee, sees agriculture as a central part of the plan.

As Yigal Hen pointed out, “If you are going to invite young people up here to build their lives, especially if you promise that farming is a viable profession, you have a responsibility to guarantee a stable source of water. This [the Shamir project] is securing the future of the next generation, and many to come.” n For more information on JNF’s water projects and the JNF Parsons Water Fund, visit jnf.org/water, or contact Tali Tzour at ttzour@jnf.org.

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After 5,000 years buried under layers of basalt and limestone, however, the water does not spout from the ground ready for immediate agricultural use. One of its main properties is its unusually high temperature of 87° C/188° F upon extraction. The water is also highly corrosive, which not only presents problems for irrigation, but also impedes transport and storage mechanisms.

Committed to streamlining the multi-million dollar project, the Golan and Galilee Water Associations are working, with the help of JNF, on a series of experiments to determine the best method for channeling the corrosive water without damaging pipes and pumping equipment.

The partners are deeply committed to utilizing every valuable drop of water to the fullest. Before traveling to fields in the Galilee and Golan, the water is directed to an open reservoir above Kibbutz Shamir, where an innovative aeration process helps to remove chemicals and bacteria. From here, some of the water takes a short pipe ride up to the orchards and vineyards of the Golan Heights. The rest heads downhill to the Hula Valley, where it makes a pit stop in two remarkable test sites. One is the Galilee Regional Council’s Agricultural R&D Station, where pipes of warm water heat the trunks and branches of several tree species, enabling a longer (and more lucrative) growing cycle. In March, for example, when not an apricot is to be found in the regional market, Galilee farmers can charge a much higher price.

After warming the trees, the water makes its way into the nearby Shamir fish ponds. By creating a cozy 44° C environment, local aquaculture specialists can grow Amnon (tilapia)—one of Israel’s most commonly consumed fish—all year round. Previously, fish farmers had to move the Amnon to the warmer Jordan valley for the winter—a costly and environmentally harmful endeavor. Rafi Noi, head of the Galilee Water Association, notes that this warm-water method is much more sustainable. “As they say, teach a man to fish… with the Shamir water, we are teaching farmers a new and better way to [grow] fish.”

From the fish ponds, the Shamir water spills out, into a small canal that will ultimately lead to a planned 1.25 million cubic meter reservoir. Currently, Hula Valley farmers receive much of their water from the Dan River. Thanks to the Shamir project, the potable water of the Dan will flow freely into the Jordan, ultimately adding 25,000 cubic meters per year to the Sea of Galilee.

Increasing the natural flow into the Sea of Galilee will help improve the lake’s environmental health.

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

Heating up the Local Economy

OIL SPILL JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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UNDERSCORES URGENCY

By: June Glazer

JNF.org

The worst oil spill in Israel’s history was the accidental backdrop for an international conference on green energy held in Eilat, the country’s southernmost city.

A busy port and popular resort located at the northern tip of the Red Sea, Eilat is at the epicenter of Israel’s renewable energy industry.

The recent Eilat-Eilot Green Energy 6th International Conference and Exhibition was the culmination of six events that comprised Israel Energy Week and which offered participants from around the globe a concentrated encounter with the emerging world of alternative energy in Israel. The conference focused on challenges facing the renewable energy industry today, including storage and supply of electricity, development of methods to manage electricity flow, and financing to advance projects.

It also focused on the key role renewable energy plays in the Southern Arava, a stretch of Negev Desert from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba in which Eilat and the Hevel Eilot Regional Council are located. This arid, sun-drenched area is Israel’s main locale for sustainable development and functions as an international showcase for Israeli innovation in the field of green energy.

“Renewable energy, with an emphasis on solar, is a major focus of our municipal activity and plays a key role in the region as a whole,” said Meir Yitzhak Halevi, mayor of Eilat, in his greeting message to conference attendees. “The city of Eilat and the Hevel Eilot Regional Council, which together account for 13 percent of Israel’s land area but less than one percent of the country’s population, have recognized the potential offered by the sunlight and open space that exist here in such abundance and are concentrating on renewable energy as a catalyst for regional growth.”

According to Udi Gat, head of the Hevel Eilot Regional Council, the area has already reached nearly 50 percent daytime energy independence, and in eight months there will be enough solar fields in Hevel Eilot to produce 100 percent of the energy consumed during the daytime in the Southern Arava. That’s during the day hours.

Because one cannot harness the sun’s energy at night, in order for the region to gain energy independence at night, there is a need to find a different solution. “These days we are checking out and promoting different alternatives that will allow producing energy in the night,” said Gat. One idea is pumped energy, wherein water is brought up from the reservoir at the bottom of the hill to one situated on the top of the hill, which is an altitude difference of 1,476 feet. At night, the water

2014

NEARLY 50% DAYTIME ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

2016

100% DAYTIME ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

2020

ENERGYINDEPENDENT FOR DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME USE *Figures provided by Hevel Eilot Regional Council.

will flow down the hill, turning a turbine that will produce electricity, a method that is used for dams all over the world. Another option is gathering gas emissions that result from waste materials and using the gas as the source of energy to produce electricity at night.

Finally, researchers at the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Institute are dealing with the question of how to gather the excess energy produced during the sun hours in order to use it at night. Until now, there is no large-scale solution to this problem.

By 2020, the municipality and regional council anticipate that one of these solutions will become practical and with the production of green

AT

ISRAELI CONFERENCE ON GREEN ENERGY 23 JNF.org

field in which to raise money. Now, because of this center and the focus of the municipality on clean energy, we plan to have a longterm relationship with the region.

“This facility will help Israel develop technologies that will not only benefit Israelis, but can be exported especially to China, India, and Africa, where the interest in green energy is great. There is a huge future for us in these markets,” he said.

“Renewable energy is about how to get people to move to different places,” Robinson noted. “If we want them to move to the Negev, we need to develop technologies that will lower the cost of energy, especially as it relates to water recycling. If we can produce enough energy cheaply, we can settle people anywhere in the desert.”

How close is this reality?

“I think if you look at the Eilat and Eilot region and see what they have accomplished, you’ll realize that it can be done,” Robinson said. “Since the first of these Eilat-Eilot conferences was held, solar sources have come to supply 50 percent of the Eilat region’s daytime energy consumption. That means that every day they turn on a grid that provides them with enough electricity to meet all of their daytime needs. Just a few years ago, who would have guessed that could happen?” n

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

electricity for daytime and nighttime use, the area will be completely energy-independent and free of fossil fuel and carbon emissions.

“We want to generate more electricity, even beyond the needs of Eilat and of the regional council. We want to help the country produce electricity from an inexpensive source—the sun—and to be Israel’s electricity storehouse or ‘bank,’” Gat said.

The importance of achieving energy independence was brought home to the conference in a dramatic way when, four days prior to its start, an oil pipeline ruptured during maintenance work 20 kilometers north of Eilat at a construction site for a future international airport that will serve the southern Arava. Five million liters of crude oil spilled out and fouled an estimated 1,000 dunams (nearly 250 acres) of scenic desert including a nature reserve. Delicate coral reefs beyond the nearby shoreline were also threatened.

The accident underscored the potentially destructive nature of oil dependency and the need to shift to sustainable sources.

“Renewable energy can make a difference in smaller areas, like neighborhoods and communities,” said JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, a speaker at the conference. “I don’t know if a total shift is feasible, if we’re ever going to see crude oil and fossil fuel completely replaced by renewable energy. We can’t convert large cities overnight, but we need to strike a balance. And we need to come up with better safeguards to protect against these kinds of accidents in the future.”

Over the past several years, JNF has invested a million dollars in developing renewable energy in Israel as part of its Blueprint Negev initiative. To that end, JNF, which underwrote part of the Eilat-Eilot conference, supports various projects to enhance the quality of life in the southern Arava, including those related to renewable energy.

One of these projects is the new Regional Collaboration Center for Research and Development and Renewable Energy, an office hub and testing lab specifically designed for startup companies located at Kibbutz Yotvata outside Eilat.

“The area is perfect for us,” said conference exhibitor Or Yoged, who attended the Center’s ribbon-cutting inauguration. Founder and CEO of Augwind, a three-year-old startup that synergizes wind and solar energy, he plans to relocate his company there from its current base in central Israel. “This facility will help young entrepreneurs like me to implement our dreams. The environment will encourage collaboration that will help incubate all of our projects,” he said.

Ilan Ben-David, CEO of Chakratec, a producer of electricity storage batteries and another conference exhibitor, said he intends to maintain his company headquarters near Tel Aviv but plans to make the center his testing lab. “When we first started out, there were only three companies investing in energy. Energy is a very difficult

INTEGRATING PASTAND FUTURE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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By: Leiba Chaya David

JNF.org

After a week of snowstorms throughout Israel, visiting the Carmel in mid-January was like traveling to another country. There, spring flowers were beginning to blossom, the sun shone warmly on the rocks, and a general feeling of regeneration filled the air, one that brings hope for an area that has, over the past four years, experienced significant environmental drama in the wake of the December 2010 Carmel Forest fire.

Some areas, untouched by the fire, appear much the same as they had for decades: a dense mix of planted pine and various native shrubs and trees. Others had already been subject to intensive thinning, a strategy employed by JNF-KKL to create live fire breaks in the forest. Across the valley, the Carmel Forest Spa and Resort stands stark and exposed, having lost its protective layer of forest to the fire.

Crossing the Bustan stream, flowing after the recent rains, Michael Weinberger, Regional Forest Director of the Western Galilee and the Carmel Mountain Range, points out the fire demarcation line: “That’s the exact point where we stopped the fire.” One side of the line is a green tangle of older trees and plants; the other, nothing but exposed boulders and a low carpet of tentative new growth.

KKL-JNF – During and After the Fire In 2010, Michael and his colleagues at JNF-KKL played a critical role in fighting the Carmel blaze. JNF-KKL’s fleet of sturdy off-road fire trucks enabled the Israel Fire and Rescue Department to enter dozens of hard-to-access areas. Hundreds of JNF-KKL workers, familiar with the maze of trails and roads, helped firefighters navigate the maze.

Today, JNF-KKL is dedicating tremendous resources to the immense task of rehabilitating the Carmel forest, as well as to developing fire prevention strategies based on lessons learned in the 2010 blaze.

David Brand, KKL-JNF’s Head Forester, explains several aspects of the Carmel Rehabilitation Plan. “The budget nearly doubled to support the creation of live fire breaks near communities and sensitive areas in the forest, a process which requires intensive and repeated thinning of trees and shrubs. The maintenance of fire trucks and other equipment has also been given top priority. Several ongoing research projects are exploring new fire prevention techniques, while on the ground, KKL-JNF foresters are already implementing a variety of cutting-edge forest management programs.”

2010 CARMEL FIRE LASTED 3 DAYS 1.5 MILLION TREES BURNED 200 JNF FORESTERS HELPED JNF RAISED $1.5 MILLION WORTH OF EQUIPMENT, PURCHASED 25 NEW TRUCKS AND $7.5 MILLION TO REABILITATE THE CARMEL NEW TREES, VEGETATION & ANIMALS ARE POPULATING THE CARMEL LANDSCAPE TODAY

2015

IN THE

CARMEL FOREST

Balance and Integration In addition to a focus on ecological regeneration, there are plans to transform this section of the forest into an accessible recreation area. The road will be paved with gravel and lined with mixed-level trees, simultaneously creating a shaded fire break, an escape route for tourists and residents, and an easy access road for fire and rescue vehicles.

Michael stresses that this is an integral part of JNF-KKL’s philosophy of forestry: “To meet the needs of future generations,

Engaging all Possible Resources One of the newest additions to the evolving Carmel forest ecosystem is a herd of goats placed as a means for reducing the risk of fires in targeted areas: Their grazing clears tangled vegetation, removes low branches, and facilitates movement through the forest. Some of the goats in the herd wear special GPS collars that tell JNF-KKL foresters where they are and how much vegetation they have cleared in that area.

The goats munch away on some lotem bushes, oblivious to the fact that they are part of JNF-KKL’s master plan to develop a safe and thriving forest environment for all on the slopes of the Carmel. n To donate or learn more about JNF’s work in Operation Carmel Renewal, visit jnf.org/Carmel.

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One of these projects lies just across the valley, where the road opens up onto a beautiful terraced hillside. As devastating as the fire was, stripping the forest bare appears to have had one advantage: it revealed huge areas of beautiful stone terraces that were lying hidden under the dense undergrowth and pine forest.

Terraces are an ancient agricultural technique found throughout Israel. Most of the terraced areas in the country were once used to cultivate grapevines, olives, figs, pomegranates, and other species without artificial irrigation. Here on the Carmel, JNF-KKL workers have painstakingly reconstructed several acres of fire-ravaged terraces, reinforcing the stone walls, and then allowing rows of weeds to grow along the edge of terrace to prevent erosion.

They carefully selected a diverse range of trees to plant, including heirloom varieties of apricots, figs, and pomegranates. Some of the pines that survived the fire were also left standing, holding their place beside wild olives, pistachios, carobs, and other naturally fire-resistant indigenous trees.

The effect is a striking blend of old and new, wild and managed, conventional and organic.

“This is an instance of combining ancient and modern land management,” Weinberger says. “At this point, we have to use pesticides and water the trees artificially. We will eventually cut off the water and stop spraying altogether, letting the trees grow organically.

For now, the vulnerable saplings have no chance of surviving the onslaught of vegetation that will take over if we don’t intervene.”

The terrace project achieves several objectives: increasing biological variation; preventing soil erosion; creating a fire break designed to prevent future blazes from spreading; and conserving an ancient agricultural heritage. The terraces will one day serve as an “edible” forest, providing a unique destination for hikers and bikers.

we must think broadly about how we plan and manage this forest, weaving together the preservation of historical sites, essential habitats, and plant communities, as well as the creation of safe and accessible areas for hiking, biking, education, and research.

It’s all about balance and integration.”

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

A Gift from the Ashes

OUT & ABOUT WITH

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS WESTERN JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

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(L-R) Dr. Nachman Kataczinsky (L-R) Major General Doron Almog, Barbara (L-R) Jill Oron and Heidi Rothberg (President’s Society), Minda Kataczinsky Burry (Sapphire Society), and Avnet Kleiner (Century Society) at Heidi’s Ranch in (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), during a visit to Aleh Negev in Israel.

Colorado. and Major General Doron Almog at the Las Vegas Annual Sunday Brunch.

(L-R) Rabbi Steven Foster, Dr. Toby Mower (World Chairman’s Council, Sapphire Society), and JNF National President Jeffery E. Levine (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) at JNF’s National Conference.

Eyal Naor, Deputy Consul General of Israel to Pacific Northwest, and Rose Barlow (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) in Santa Rosa, CA.

Dick Berman (Negev Society) and Noa Gefen, executive vice-chairman for Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites, at the Ayalon Institute in Israel.

(L-R) Debbie Orgen-Garrett, Evelyn Binsky (Sapphire Society), and Sheri Borax (Century Council, Sapphire Society) at the Palm Springs Welcome Back event.

(L-R) Renee Resler (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and Sandy Belfer (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at Arizona’s Major Donor Thank You event.

(L-R) Judi Gottschalk (Sapphire Society) and Cantor Sharona Feller (Sapphire Society) at Arizona’s Women for Israel luncheon.

(L-R) JNF Arizona board members Bruce Goldberg (Herzl Society), Sharyn Spillman (Sapphire Society), Cindy Saperstein (Sapphire Society), Brian Weinberger (Herzl Society), Talyah Sands, Randi Jablin (Sapphire Society), Burt Kruglick (Century Council, Herzl Society), and Deb Rochford, Director, Desert States Region at an Arizona Leadership Leads event.

JNF.org

(L-R) Bob Dubin (Century Council, Negev Dr. Lawrence Copeland (Century Council, Society) and Major General Doron Almog at President’s Society) and Linda Copeland the Las Vegas Annual Sunday Brunch.

(Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the Las Vegas Annual Sunday Brunch.

(L-R) Palm Springs Board President Sheri Cheryl and Bob Fey (Herzl Society) at a Borax (Century Council, Sapphire Society), Love of Israel Dinner planning meeting in and Cheryl Fey at the Palm Springs Palm Springs.

Welcome Back event.

(L-R) Dr. Sol Lizerbram (Century Council, President’s Society), Marci Laulom, San Diego Board President Lauren Lizerbram (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), David Lizerbram, and Mana Monzavi at the Friedman Music Program reception in La Jolla, CA.

(L-R) San Diego Board President Lauren Lizerbram (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and National Campaign Director Diane Scar at the Friedman Music Program reception in La Jolla, CA.

Honorable Lynn Schenk (Herzl Society) at the Friedman Music Program reception in La Jolla, CA.

GREATER NEW YORK

(L-R) NY Board member David Greenbaum (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society), Tree of LifeTM honoree Steven Witkoff (Century Council, Negev Society), JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson (Century Council, President’s Society), David Segal (Century Council, Negev Society), Andy Ashwal (Herzl Society), Adam Belfer, JNF President Jeffrey E. Levine (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) at the New York City Real Estate Tree of LifeTM Award Dinner.

(L-R standing) New York Board Presidents Emeriti Sid Banon (Century Council, President’s Society) and Rita Salfeld (Century Council, President’s Society); (L-R seated) NYC President and National Chair, Parsons Water Fund, Laureine Greenbaum (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire) and President Emeritus Jerry Berko (Century Council, President’s Society).

(L-R) Long Island Board members Sharon and Rubin Pikus (Century Council, President’s Society), Steven and Beverly Hazelkorn (Herzl Society), Ariel and Aleta Grunberg (Century Council, President’s Society), Joann and Mark Engel (Century Council, President’s Society), and LI President Michael Kessler, center, (Century Council, President’s Society) at National Conference in Los Angeles.

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

(L-R) JNF President Jeffrey E. Levine (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society), NYC President and National Chair, Parsons Water Fund, Laureine Greenbaum (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society, Lifetime Sapphire), Minister of Knesset Silvan Shalom, JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, and hostess and NYC Board member Zehav Wolowky (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a major donor reception in Manhattan.

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Long Island Board member Sharon Pikus (Century Council, President’s Society) and President Michael Kessler (Century Council, President’s Society) at the Long Island Annual Golf & Tennis Classic.

(L-R) Long Island Board members Rubin Pikus (Century Council, President’s Society), Sharon Pikus (Century Council, President’s Society), Elyse Ingber (Herzl Society), Larry Ingber (Herzl Society), Beverly Hazelkorn (Herzl Society), Stephen Hazelkorn (Herzl Society), Mark Engel (Century Council, President’s Society) and JoAnn Engel (Century Council, President’s Society) at a Long Island Lawyers for Israel BBQ.

(L-R) Northern New Jersey Director Jocelyn Inglis, host Barry Honig (Herzl Society), National Assistant Secretary and Northern New Jersey Board President Ben Gutmann (Century Council, Negev Society), and JNF-Halutza Liaision Yedidya Harush at a thank you reception for donors to JNF’s Emergency Campaign.

(L-R) Susan Gutmann (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), National Assistant Secretary and Northern New Jersey Board President Ben Gutmann (Century Council, Negev Society), NYC President and National Chair, Parsons Water Fund, Laureine Greenbaum (World Chairman’s Council, Lifetime Sapphire, President’s Society) and NNJ Board member Jill Janowski (Sapphire Society) at a major donor reception in Manhattan.

(L-R) JNF Israel Operations Development Officer Ariel Kotler, Ben and Batya Klein (Century Council, Negev Society) of Englewood, NJ and their daughters in Israel, at the dedication of a fire truck they donated.

FLORIDA

(L-R) Sheila Scharfman (Century Council, Lifetime Sapphire, President’s Society), Joan Muss (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Women for Israel New York Chair Sheryl Buchholtz (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), JNF Westchester Director Stephanie Risa Balkin, and Amy Iles (Century Council, Lifetime Sapphire, President’s Society) at the Greater New York breakfast in Manhattan.

(L-R) Roz Perlson, National Assistant Secretary and Northern New Jersey Board President Ben Gutmann (Century Council, Negev Society), and Alec Perlson at a parlor meeting at the Perlsons’ Stamford, CT home discussing Operation Protective Edge.

(L-R) NY Board Member Sid Banon (Century (L-R) Estelle Mintz (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) with her family during a Council, President’s Society); Louise Banon dedication in Israel.

(Century Council, President’s Society); National Co-Chair, Audit Committee and NY Board member David Greenbaum (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society); and National Assistant Vice President, Parsons Water Fund and NY Board President Laureine Greenbaum (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society, Circle of Sapphire) at a major donor thank you event in Manhattan.

Vivian Grossman (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society, Lifetime Sapphire Society) on a visit to a fire station during the Social Media Mission to Israel.

FLORIDA

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

Susan and Steven Caller (President’s Society) during the Miami-Dade Kick-Off at the Miami Center for Architecture and Design.

(L-R) Lilo Frisch, David A. Stein (World Chairman’s Council) and Harry Frisch (Negev Society) at the Bernard Selevan Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at the Jacksonville Jewish Center where Harry and Lilo were honored with JNF’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

(L-R) Russell Selevan (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) and David A. Stein (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) at the Bernard Selevan Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at the Jacksonville Jewish Center.

Dr. Jeffrey Sandler and Dr. E. Dayan Sandler (Sapphire Society) at the Bernard Selevan Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at the Jacksonville Jewish Center.

Bob and Florence Werner (Century Council, Negev Society) during the MiamiDade Kick-Off at the Miami Center for Architecture and Design.

(L-R) Joelle Oiknine, Miami-Dade Board President Ron Kriss (President’s Society) with wife Marni Kriss (Sapphire Society) during the Miami-Dade Kick-Off at the Miami Center for Architecture and Design.

Jill Oron from JNF partner Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center with Neil Braverman (Century Council, Herzl Society) on a horseback ride in the Florida Everglades.

(L-R) Nancy Greenberg (Herzl Society) with Jill Oron from JNF partner Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center at a dinner party hosted by Nancy and Hank Greenberg at their home in Naples.

(L-R) Bruce Gould (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society), Aaron Gorovitz (President’s Society), National Executive Director of Major Gifts Glen Schwartz, and Sy Israel (Century Council, Herzl Society) at the Orlando Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at the Rosen Plaza Hotel.

(L-R) Sy Israel (Century Council, Herzl Society) and Debra Israel (Century Council, Sapphire Society) with JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson at the Orlando Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at the Rosen Plaza Hotel.

(L-R) JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson with Jim Shapiro (Century Council, Negev Society), Valerie Shapiro (Century Council, Sapphire Society) JNF Orlando Board President Debbie Meitin (President’s Society) and Bruce Gould (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) at the Orlando Tree of Life™ Award Dinner at the Rosen Plaza Hotel.

(L-R standing) Robbie Puritz Hayes, Mort Fishman (Herzl Society), Ad Shuster (President’s Society), Chai Society Chair Cynthia Hertz (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and JNF Palm Beach Board President Art Silber (Century Council), with (L-R seated) Sapphire Society Chair Cantor Elaine Shapiro (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Michael Wechsler (Century Council, President’s Society, Herzl Society) at a Palm Beach Board of Directors meeting.

(L-R) Former South Palm Beach President Michael Lazar (Century Council, Negev Society) and South Florida Executive Director Roni Raab at the South Palm Beach Chanukah Annuity Brunch and Briefing at the Polo Club in Boca Raton.

Alan Dabrow (Century Council, Negev Society) and Louise Dabrow (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at the South Palm Beach Chanukah Annuity Brunch and Briefing at the Polo Club in Boca Raton.

28 JNF.org (L-R) Howard DuBosar (Herzl Society), Hank and Ruth Margules (President’s Judge Charles Burton, Alison Brown, Society, Sapphire Society) at a national Michael Lazar (Century Council, Herzl major donor event in New York.

Society), Derrick Hibbard, Former US Congressman Ron Klein, and Marty Kerner at a Lawyers for Israel Luncheon at Holland & Knight, LLP in West Palm Beach.

Eleanor and Daniel Rothfeld (Century Council) at the South Palm Beach Chanukah Annuity Brunch and Briefing at the Polo Club in Boca Raton.

MIDWEST

(L-R) JNF-LOTEM Liaison Alisa Bodner with Carol Kershbaum (Negev Society) at a breakfast meeting in Tampa.

(L-R) Tampa Bay Board Co-Presidents Mary Ellen Hogan (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) and Ida Raye Chernin (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), Tampa Bay Board member Maxine Solomon (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Northern Florida Director Uri Smajovits, and Tampa Bay Board Co-Chair Betsy Marcadis (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a JNF breakfast in Tampa.

(L-R) JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, Tree of Life™ Award Honorees Morrie Silverman (Century Council, Negev Society) and Lori Komisar (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), guest speaker Ben Shapiro, and Bill Miller (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society) at the Tree of Life™ Award Dinner in Chicago.

(L-R) Chicago Chairman of the Board Scott Gendell (Century Council, President’s Society), Tree of Life™ Award honorees Morrie Silverman (Century Council, Negev Society) and Lori Komisar (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), guest speaker Ben Shapiro, Chicago Board President Marcia Rubin (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), and Howard Freedberg, MD (Century Council, President’s Society) at the Tree of Life™ Award Dinner in Chicago.

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

(L-R) JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush, Tom Carey (Herzl Society), Israeli security guard, Janette Carey (Herzl Society), Dr. Gary Moskovitz (Negev Society), and Meg Moskovitz (Negev Society, Sapphire Society) in Israel for the dedication of the Moskovitz Family Command Center in Halutza.

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(L-R) Karen Berk, Lori Rubin Dekalo (Sapphire Society), and Chicago Board President Marcia Rubin (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the Tree of Life™ Award Dinner in Chicago.

(L-R) JNF Chief Development Officer Rick Krosnick, JNF National Campaign Director Sharon Freedman, and David Gershuny (Herzl Society) at the Campaign Cabinet meeting in Chicago.

National Doctors for Israel Mission CoChairs Dr. Ronna Schneider (Sapphire Society) and Dr. Rob Norman (Century Council, President’s Society) at Mitzpe Ramon on the first Doctors for Israel trip.

(L-R) JNF National Board members Eddie Paul (Century Council, Negev Society) and Nina Paul (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at JNF National Conference in Beverly Hills.

Dick Klein (Century Council, Negev Society) with Slider, the Cleveland Indians’ mascot, at the Northern Ohio community breakfast, which benefited JNF’s Project: Baseball.

(L-R) Northern Ohio Director Mindy Feigenbaum presented the Sapphire Society pin to Tree of Life™ Award Honoree Rose Viny (Negev Society, Sapphire Society).

(L-R) Northern Ohio Board President Michael Jacobson (Herzl Society), Northern Ohio Director Mindy Feigenbaum, JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush, and Northern Ohio Vice President Barry Feldman (Herzl Society) in Cleveland.

(L-R) Western PA Director Amy Jonas, dinner co-chairs Jack Barbour (President’s Society) and David Malone (Presidents Society), David Shapira (Century Council), Tree of Life™ Award Honoree Dr. Jared Cohon, emcee Jim Roddey, and dinner co-chair Mark Nordenberg (President’s Society) at the Tree of Life™ Award Dinner in Pittsburgh, PA.

(L-R) Sheila and Milton Fine (Century Council) at the Tree of Life™ Award Dinner in Pittsburgh, PA.

(L-R) Board Co-President Enid Bootzin Berkovits, guest speaker and JNF New England Israel Emissary Rami Hazan, Board Co-President Rusti Moffic (Sapphire Society), and Wisconsin Director Sidney Rivkin at the Wisconsin Annual Tribute Banquet.

(L-R standing) Richard Edelman (Herzl Society), Nina Edelman (Sapphire Society), Naomi Waxman, Jane Clare, Dean Zemel, and Nancy Gorens Edelman; (L-R seated) Jody Hirsh, Banquet Honoree Andrea Waxman, Banquet Honoree Professor Michael Waxman, and Dan Vliet at the Wisconsin Annual Tribute Banquet.

LOS ANGELES

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

(L-R) Doug Williams (President’s Society), Lisa Elkan Monatlik, and Barak Lurie (Herzl Society) at the Los Angeles Annual Breakfast.

(L-R) Consul General David Siegel, Hal Linden, Howard Rosenman, Howard Gordon, Rick (L-R) Tom Morgan (Century Council, President’s Society), David Frank (Century Council, President’s Society), Mark Schiff, former Rosen, Gail Berman, and Rob Schiller (Herzl Society) at JNF’s National Conference in Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball player David Blu, Alyse Golden Berkley (Century Council, President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Carol Los Angeles.

Shnier (Sapphire Society), JNF-Halutza Liaison Yedidya Harush, and Jeff Gross (Century Council, President’s Society) at the Hoops and Chanukah LA Clippers Game in Los Angeles.

MID-ATLANTIC

30 JNF.org (L-R) JNF Go North committee member Bob Chertkof (Herzl Society) and National Go North Co-Chair and DC Board President Ken Krupsky (Century Council, President’s Society) discussed the future plans for the Western Galilee at a recent meeting in Baltimore, MD.

(L-R) Len and Susan Miller (Century Council, President’s Society) with DC Board President Ken Krupsky (Century Council, President’s Society) at a regional major donor reception in Bethesda, MD.

(L-R) Gary Kushner (Century Council, President’s Society), Lou Cohen (Century Council, Negev Society) and Baruch Fellner (Century Council, Negev Society) at a recent Mid-Atlantic major donor reception near Baltimore, MD.

Dr. David Jaffe (President’s Society) and Brenda Jaffe (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at a recent regional major donor reception near Baltimore, MD.

(L-R) Delaware JNF Board members Bob Pincus, Jerry Grossman (World Chairman’s Council, President’s Society), and Martin Lessner with US Senator Chris Coons at a Lawyers for Israel luncheon in Wilmington, DE.

Naomi Amsterdam (Century Council, Sapphire Society) and Dr. Cliff Faber (President’s Society) at a recent dinner reception in Baltimore for major donors.

(L-R) Delaware JNF President Joel Friedlander (Century Council, President’s Society) with Sheldon Sandler at a recent LFI event in Wilmington, DE.

SOUTHERN

(L-R) Lou Cohen (Century Council, Negev Society) and Mota Gur (Century Council, President’s Society) at a recent dinner reception for major donors in Baltimore.

(L-R) Maryland Sapphire Society Co-Chairs Nanci Seff (Century Council) and Jayne Klein (World Chairman’s Council), with Gail Kushner (President’s Society, Century Council) and Susan Hackerman at a Women for Israel kick-off event in Baltimore, MD.

Burt Ziskind (Century Council, Herzl Society) with Israel Channel 2’s Dana Weiss at a recent major donor reception in Maryland for Chanukah.

(L-R) Dr. Chet Stein (Century Council, Negev Society), with Ira Bartfield (Century Council, President’s Society) and Larry Sidman at a briefing with Dr. Alon Tal in DC.

(L-R) Negev Society members Stuart Lessans and Chet Stein at a DC parlor meeting.

(L-R) Adrian Grant, Michael Miller (Century Council), and Paul and Susan Scheinberg at a donor thank you event in Atlanta.

(L-R) Event chairs Michael Bernstein, Melissa Bernstein, JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson, Roni Wolk (Herzl Society), and SE Board Co-President Alan Wolk (Herzl Society) at a thank you event in Atlanta.

President’s Society members Sally and Philip Kaplan at a donor appreciation event in Atlanta.

Joel Spalter (President’s Society) and Irene Spalter (Sapphire Society) at JNF’s Breakfast for Israel in Dallas.

NORTHEAST

(L-R) Ann Kahn (Sapphire Society) and Irene Spalter (Sapphire Society) at a Dallas event where Ann received her Sapphire pin.

(L-R) JNF CEO Russell F. Robinson and National Assistant Vice President of Investments and Central New Jersey Board member Joseph Korn thanked Central New Jersey Executive Director Joel L. Leibowitz, Esq. (Century Council) for his years of service to JNF upon his retirement.

Central New Jersey Director Heidi (L-R) Steven and Lori Dabrow, second Kuperman presented CNJ Executive generation of JNF leaders in the Dabrow Director Joel L. Leibowitz, Esq. a plaque of family, celebrated becoming members congratulations for his retirement. of JNF’s Century Council at dinner with Louise Dabrow, Women for Israel National Chair and Alan Dabrow, First Vice President, National Board of Directors.

(L-R) Southern New Jersey Board member and Social Media chair Marni Schatz received her Sapphire Society pin from Southern New Jersey Board President Eva Schlanger (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at the Southern New Jersey Breakfast.

NEW ENGLAND

JNF’S MAJOR DONORS

(L-R) Kenneth Goldberg (Herzl Society), Sheldon Stein (Herzl Society), and Ambassador Ido Aharoni take part in a panel discussion in Dallas.

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Jerry Abramson and Southern New Jersey Board member Shelly Abramson (Sapphire Society) attended a dedication ceremony in their honor at American Independence Park.

(L-R) Southern New Jersey Board member and Social Media chair Betsy Fischer (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), Philadelphia Board member Louise Dabrow (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society), Arizona Board member Toni Dusik (Sapphire Society), and event host, Southern New Jersey Board member and Women for Israel co-chair Helene Blumenfeld (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) at a Women for Israel luncheon.

(L-R) Rhode Island President and Chair of the Boruchin Israel Education Advocacy Center Michael Lederman (Century Council, President’s Society), Claire and Marc Perlman (World Chairman’s Council, Negev Society), and National Campaign Director Sharon Freedman at a VIP reception in Boston.

(L-R) JNF Israel Operations Development Officer Ariel Kotler, Larry Farbstein (Herzl Society), and JNF-KKL Emissary to New England Rami Hazan at a major donor thank you dinner in Albany.

(L-R) Century Council and Negev Society members Barry and Susan Tatelman (Sapphire Society) with Carol and Robert Trow at the Sderot Reservior, a JNF Parsons Water Fund project in Israel.

(L-R) New England Sapphire Society President Amy Parsons (Century Council, Negev Society, Lifetime Sapphire), Chai Society Chair Risa Aronson (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), National Campaign Director Sharon Freedman, JNF-KKL Chief Israel Emissary Talia Tzour, and Executive Board member and Women’s Alliance chair Judi Elovitz Greenberg (Sapphire Society) at a Chai Society kickoff event.

(L-R) Dr. Evelyn Miller (Negev Society, Sapphire Society) of New Hampshire was proudly presented with her Sapphire Society pin by JNF-Ammunition Hill Liaison Yoel Rosby on the Doctors for Israel mission.

(L-R) Mary Woolf (President’s Society, Sapphire Society), Christina Zlotnick (Sapphire Society), Rabbi Leslie Gordon (President’s Society), Executive Board member Judith Sydney (Sapphire Society), and Executive Board member and Women’s Alliance chair Judi Elovitz Greenberg (Sapphire Society) at the Guardian of Israel Award Brunch honoring David Eisenberg.

(L-R) National Major Gifts Chair and Capital District President Emeritus Kenneth Segel (Century Council, Negev Society) with Capital District Board members Nancie Segel (Century Council, Negev Society, Sapphire Society) and Jane Golub (President’s Society, Sapphire Society) at the 5th Annual Walk for Water in Albany.

(L-R) New England President Emeritus and Executive Board member Robert Cohan (President’s Society), Boston President Michael Blank (Century Council, President’s Society), Board members Steven Aronson (President’s Society), Jonathan Plaut, VP Corporate Sponsorships, New England Chairman Jeffrey Davis (Century Council, President’s Society), and Executive Board member Jeffrey Woolf (Century Council, President’s Society).

(L-R) Capital District President Robert Ganz (Herzl Society), National Major Gifts Chair and Capital District President Emeritus Kenneth Segel (Century Council, Negev Society), and Arthur Brenner (Century Council, Negev Society) at the Capital District major donor dinner.

(L-R) Aviva Sapers, Sandy Davis (Century Council, Negev’s Society, Sapphire Society), and New England Executive Board member Judith Sydney (Sapphire Society) at a Sapphire event in Newton, MA which paid tribute to New England Sapphire Society founding member and President Emeritus Karen Ferber, who passed away over the summer.

The Environment - #PoweredbyJNF FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM,

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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YouTube, Vine, Snapchat… These are just a few of the social media platforms that enable everyone to be a leader, a storyteller, a motivator on the topics that are close to their heart.

Going green, the environment, and sustainability have become popular points of discussion on social media in recent years. As supporters of JNF, our followers know that we are heavily involved in areas such as water renewal, sustainable farming, and afforestation. Organizations around the world have incredibly active Twitter accounts with upwards of tens of thousands of followers that engage their followers to action and serve to create future environmental leaders.

JNF is special as an organization because in its 114 years of operation, it has a tangible return on investment for its shareholders—citizens of Israel, Jews worldwide, and donors from all walks of life —who believe that projects like the 250 water reservoirs, the new Be’er Sheva River Park and

Amphitheater, the Arava Institute (a microcosm of peaceful coexistence and cooperation), and the numerous other projects propelled by JNF benefit the environment not only in Israel but in the world at large.

These stories are #PoweredByJNF (the facts and details about each of our projects) and #LoveGrowsInIsrael (stories about who we are and who we touch). At JNF, we use social media to inform about our work, invite participation, connect our members, and raise money to accomplish our objectives. When we tweet about the environment, sample tweets have been: “JNF invests in water recycling to ensure the #Negev can flourish,” and “Did you know? Our recycling of water allows the desert to bloom. Tweet us how you save water”—our followers respond. We heard from followers who had installed drip irrigation in their organic gardens, we heard about how 8th graders learned about drip irrigation at a JNF program in Chicago, and someone even gave us a tip that “when watering a garden on

a slope, start at the top and let excess water run downhill to the rest of your plants.” All this sharing of information is communicated in characters—140 max to be exact.

JNF invests in water recycling to ensure the #Negev can flourish.

Tweet us how you save water.

This past year alone, through effective use of social media, we managed to raise $500,000 on #GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and grew our Facebook followers to over 50,000. In 2015 we plan to turbocharge our social efforts to include all of our members to help tell the story of JNF. Through social media, anyone can be a part of the narrative, help shape the plot, and tell the story of how JNF’s work makes lives better for all Israelis.

Follow us on Facebook (Jewish National Fund), Twitter (@jnfusa) and Instagram (@jnfusa). For more information, contact Miriam Braun at mbraun@jnf.org

Remember your loved one.

Plant a tree in Israel as a living tribute.

#lovegrowsinIsrael

800.542.TREE(8733) • JNF.ORG/TREES

Jerusalem’s Gazelle Valley Park: An Urban Oasis by Jay Shofet IN 2008, AS THE JERUSALEM PLANNING

JNF’S DONOR SOCIETIES are reserved for major donors who have demonstrated an enduring commitment to Israel and JNF. Society members receive exclusive privileges and services.

Contributions to Jewish National Fund of $5,000 and above are recognized with a plaque with your name on it on a central dedicatory wall in the heart of American Independence Park (AIP) located outside of Jerusalem in the Judean Hills.

Join us today and help build a prosperous future for the land of Israel and its people. To join the President’s Society Mission October 26-30, contact Glen Schwartz at gschwartz@jnf.org or 561.447.9733 x880.

A beneficial addition to the Jerusalem landscape, it has become a magnet for migrating birds. New cherry and apple trees, along with other culturally significant vegetation, have been replanted, paying tribute to the valley’s former role as Jerusalem’s fruit basket.

SPNI’s work in the field of urban nature combines modern technology and ancient techniques to create a network of urban biodiversity sites. Imagine artificial salt marshes in Haifa, seasonal wetlands in Herzliya, a snorkel park in the sea off Bat Yam, a living pier at the Jaffa Port, and green roofs everywhere. With support from JNF and its donors, SPNI is harnessing the power of nature for sustainable development and helping to preserve Israel’s biodiversity. n Jay Shofet is Director of Partnerships and Development at The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.

CREATE A LASTING LEGACY • charitable gift annuities • charitable remainder trusts • charitable lead trusts • life insurance • endowments • donor advised funds • bequests Membership benefits include: • Name recognition in the Book of Life, on permanent display at JNF headquarters in NY • A custom-designed Gould Legacy Society pin • Invitations to special events and lectures • A limited edition JNF Blue Box designed by Tiffany & Co. (for legacy gifts of $50,000 and above) • Recognition in Israel

To learn more, contact our Planned Giving Specialists at 800.562.7526 or plannedgiving@jnf.org

33 JNF.org

to this development was led by residents, activists and ecologists from the Jerusalem branch of SPNI in coalition with grassroots neighborhood groups.

Amir Balaban, SPNI’s director of Urban Nature and a familiar face on Israeli television nature programs, recognized that this open space had to offer something to all Jerusalemites. Amir and the SPNI Jerusalem community worked with local residents to create a plan to transform the Gazelle Valley into a world-class urban nature asset, and JNF’s timely support allowed the planning to kick into high gear.

The park will officially open in mid-2015 and the next stage is the construction of a state-ofthe-art visitor center. Over time, new gazelles will be introduced into the valley to replenish the herd, and a fence has been built to protect the gazelles from predators, including jackals and feral dogs. Visitors will be able to explore the valley along newly laid, accessible paths with strategic observation points. Fulfilling residents’ request that the park feature a water source, a system of artificial ponds was created to manage water runoff and feed a large central pond.

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

Committee was approving the establishment of a uniquely conceived urban wildlife park in the city, Jewish National Fund entered into a partnership with the American affiliate of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), Israel’s oldest, largest, and leading environmental NGO. One of the initial and now high-profile beneficiaries of this cooperation was the development of Jerusalem’s Gazelle Valley Park, Israel’s first and most innovative urban wildlife reserve. Both SPNI, which spearheaded the park’s creation, and JNF, which supported its crucial planning process, played significant roles preserving this land for future generations, creating one of Israel’s most exciting new attractions.

The Gazelle Valley was geographically part of the Jerusalem forest, and as far back as the Davidic era was an important orchard for ancient Jerusalem. Even in modern times it was a key source of food, helping feed Jerusalem during the siege following the 1948 War of Independence.

In the late 1980s, the valley was cut off from the rest of the Jerusalem hills by the Begin motorway, isolating a herd of 30 mountain gazelles (from which the valley gets its name). By the early 1990s, real estate developers began to pressure the municipality to permit high-rise buildings on the land, which would have destroyed the habitat of the endangered gazelles and removed one of the city’s last remaining open greenspaces. Opposition

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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ALEXANDER MUSS HIGH SCHOOL IN ISRAEL

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ISRAEL THROUGH A PHOTOGRAPHIC LENS TOUR March 12 - 19, 2015 Join fellow photography lovers and travel with world-renowned photographers as you experience Israel through a photographic lens.

CULINARY, WINE AND ARTS TOUR March 20 - 28, 2015 and June 3 – 11, 2016 Explore the sites, sounds, flavors and spirit of Israel as you experience the country’s rich food, wine and culinary scene.

PRESIDENT’S AND NEGEV SOCIETIES TOUR April 26 - 30, 2015 JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

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PLUS: Optional extension for Negev Society Members: April 30 - May 2, 2015 Exclusive mission for members of JNF’s Negev and President’s Societies.

INTERNATIONAL SPIRIT OF ISRAEL TOUR May 13 - 21, 2015 Join JNF-KKL leaders from around the world for this unique opportunity to make history and take part in an unprecedented show of unity with Israel and the international Jewish community.

SUNSHINE TOUR May 27 - June 4, 2015 Travel from ancient times to modern Israel on a unique journey for active adults 55+, with JNF National Spokesperson Hal Linden.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TOUR

JNF.org

July 12 - 18, 2015 Join other Jewish singles and experience Israel on a unique and unforgettable journey.

For ages 30 – 45.

SPIRIT OF ISRAEL TOUR October 29 - November 5, 2015 Embark on a unique journey through Israel as you explore the country from the Negev to the North.

PRESIDENT’S SOCIETY TOUR November 8 - 12, 2015 PLUS: Optional Pre-Mission to Budapest, Hungary November 4 - 8, 2015 Exclusive mission for members of JNF’s President’s Society.

LAW AND JUSTICE TOUR November 15 - 19, 2015 Join JNF’s first Lawyers for Israel Mission for a unique look inside Israel’s justice system.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND TOURS JNF DAY TOUR – EVERY WEDNESDAY Only have a day? See the Northern Negev and JNF projects—a new and unique Israel experience. $50, lunch included. Departs from Jerusalem every Wednesday. jnf.org/bustour

CAARI: CANADIAN AMERICAN ACTIVE RETIREES IN ISRAEL 2016 Dates Coming Soon!

A 2-7 week program for active retirees, which combines community service and traditional sightseeing throughout Israel.

PLUS: Family trips, B’nai Mitzvah trips, Group tours, Tree Planting, and more.

For more information, contact 877.JNF.TOUR (563.8687) or visit jnf.org/travel