2016 Year in Review by Jewish National Fund

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

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#Israelfires

FIRETRUCKS BOUGHT IN

WATER SUMMITS HELD NATIONWIDE

250 MILLION TREES & COUNTING

10 5,000 DAYS

PEOPLE IMPACTE D

“It is in the Negev that the creativity and pioneer vigor of Israel will be tested.” D AV I D B E N G U R I O N

JNF LE AVE S NO ME M BE R O F ISRAE LI SO C IE T Y B EH I N D

426 2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

HOUSING LOTS FUNDED IN

No one knows Israel like Jewish National Fund.

COMMUNITIES

The 2,000-year-old dream of returning to our ancestral soil, unifying our people, and reestablishing a homeland so Jews across the world would have a place to call home has been realized, and JNF has been there every step of the way. In the 115 years since Theodore Herzl introduced our Blue Box, generous donors have delivered on his dream turning Israel into a thriving homeland for the Jewish people everywhere. With your help, we have turned barren deserts into thriving cities and sand into thousands of acres of fertile farmland. We have helped mitigate Israel’s water crisis, planted millions of trees, built hundreds of parks, and laid infrastructure for housing from the Galilee to the Negev. Our One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade is well on its way as we climb past $400 million to help secure Israel’s future, connect the next generation to Israel, build communities in Israel’s Negev and Galilee, develop infrastructure for ecology, work with people with special needs, preserve our heritage, and allow for thousands to make aliyah from North America. Our long-term vision includes bringing thousands of people to Israel every year on missions and trips and developing future leadership through Alexander Muss High School in Israel and Zionist Education and Advocacy programs. A proud achievement this year is the opening of the Western Galilee JNF Tourist Information Center in Akko, which promotes local boutiques, shops, wineries, and the region’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity to domestic and foreign visitors. As tourism is the Galilee’s greatest asset, the JNF Tourist Information Center is truly an economic miracle to those who call Northern Israel home. JNF’s long-term vision to improve the lives of Israel’s residents and develop the land of the Jewish people is what defines us, yet we do so much more. This year, JNF ran a successful campaign to share Israel’s solutions to combat drought and water scarcity—showcasing our many years developing reservoirs and reusing water that have contributed to Israel’s leadership status. And, when hundreds of fires blazed across Israel in late November, more than 12,600 JNF donors responded in record time with an emergency campaign to bolster Israel’s Fire & Rescue Services. To help those living in Southern Israel, we opened a new medical center in the Negev community of Halutza. Additionally, JNF’s $100 million Boruchin Israel Education & Advocacy Center continues to make an impact on thousands of students across our nation, connecting them to Israel and to their heritage. 2016 saw some important housekeeping projects: This past summer we opened our new Jerusalem office, and after several years of planning, hard work, and more than a bit of elbow grease, I’m excited to welcome all of you back to our newly dedicated Ronald S. Lauder JNF House in New York City. The building has been awarded a Silver Rating from the U. S. Green Building Council’s LEED™ rating system for its efficiency and energy savings. It is my honor to show you how your commitment has impacted people’s lives and the future of the land and people of Israel. Read, share, be proud, and continue to do what you have been doing: Making JNF Your Voice in Israel. With my very best wishes,

Jeffrey E. Levine President, Jewish National Fund

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

A LETTER FROM JEFFREY E. LEVINE

First, a thank you. These pages are filled with the many extraordinary accomplishments Jewish National Fund has achieved over the past year because of donors like you. 2016 proved momentous for JNF and for the land and people of Israel.

AFFIN IT Y G R OU PS JNF offers like-minded professionals the opportunity to work together, tackle challenges, and achieve positive results for Israel.

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

THERE’S A PLACE FOR YOU AT JNF

“As women, we are natural caregivers: We are the caregivers for our children, in our relationships, and to the world. Women are also natural philanthropists— and that’s not only based on how much or how often we give, but also on our strong desire and commitment to improve our surroundings for our children, family, and future generations. It is up to us to instill in our children the importance of philanthropy and to help educate our families about Israel so that they can develop a strong pride in our heritage. It’s also important for us to remain an integral part of Israel’s future. We can play a vital role in making sure resources are available to better the future and lives of the land and people of Israel.” Florine Mark SPOKESWOMAN, JNF PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S DIVISION

In 2016, JNF’s Women for Israel Society (WFI) raised $20 million, its highest amount ever, with a record-breaking 650 women involved in the Sapphire Society ( JNF's Major Donor division for women). JNF also saw an increase in the Chai Society ($1,800 annually), with over 350 new members. In November, nearly 45 women took part on the trip-of-a lifetime Queen of Sheba Tour. We also launched the new Professional Women’s Division with Florine Mark of Weight Watchers International, and television journalist

Jessica Abo, as national spokeswomen. Our Doctors for Israel Society (DFI) has grown to 450 members in 25 states and this year offered a number of exciting programs, both in the U.S and in Israel. The third annual DFI Tour to Israel departs in February 2017. JNF’s Lawyers for Israel Society (LFI) has grown to over 550 members in 30 states and also offers CLE-credited programming. LFI held an inside perspective on terrorism with a live global video call with Ambassador Michael Oren in Israel.

JNFUTURE Where 22-40-year-olds connect, energize, and make a difference.

THE FUTURE IS NOW

”Involvement with JNF gives me the opportunity to utilize my resources to grow support for Israel amongst my generation.” Ian Sachs, Chair, JNFuture Arizona

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

JNFuture, JNF’s young professional society for people ages 22-40, had an amazing year. Now, with over 1,000 members in more than 17 chapters across the U.S., JNFuture is taking off and proving the fastest growing segment in JNF. This summer, 30 JNFuture members attended the sixth annual JNFuture Leadership Institute Mission in Israel ( JLIM). One hundred and fifty JNFuture members attended JNF’s National Conference in New York and enjoyed Shabbat dinner with noted attorney Alan Dershowitz. Fifty participants took part on our annual JNFuture Volunteer Vacations last winter and spring—raising over $100,000 for JNF projects. Over 30 individuals traveled to Israel as part of the Young Professionals Singles Tour and we held our first-ever JNFuture Leadership Summit in Phoenix with 25 top lay leaders attending and developing strategies. In 2016, JNFuture Israel grew by leaps and bounds, adding scores of new members with hundreds taking part in events across Israel to celebrate holidays, advocating for the new Yom HaAliyah, and participating on trips to JNF partner sites to visit and take part in activities.

Millennials have the capability to make a permanent impact on the world at an earlier age than previous generations.

PLANNED GIVING JNFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award-winning Planned Giving Department helps donors ensure their financial security while moving forward their philanthropic goals.

CREATING A LASTING LEGACY

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

An integral part of JNF's campaign, Planned Giving income from bequests and gift annuities for fiscal year ending September 30, 2016 totaled $31,729,393. JNF offers donors numerous options and techniques that can help increase their income, save taxes, and in some cases provide for heirs, while also providing significant support for the land and people of Israel through The Gould Legacy Society of JNF. The Planned Giving Department helps donors with Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Gift Annuities, Donor Advised Funds, Endowment Funds, Bequests, and Gift Planning with IRAs and other retirement plans.

To speak with one of our award-winning Planned Giving specialists call:

800.562.7526 jnflegacy.org

The Planned Giving income from bequests and gift annuities for fiscal year ending September 30, 2016 totaled $31,729,393.

MAJOR DONORS Where deep commitment and critical resources unite for a stronger, healthier, more secure Israel.

LEADING THE WAY 2016’s Major Donor campaign witnessed myriad programming efforts bringing Major Donors together with 62 “Thank You” receptions held throughout the country, including an event during National Conference in NY, and a weekend in Phoenix, AZ. The popular annual President’s Society Mission now takes place twice a year.

JNF introduced the King Solomon Society this year which raised $21.6 million to date from its members who annually give over $100,000. Equally exciting is the growth of the World Chairman’s Council as they have hit the ‘100’ mark of lifetime donors of $1 million and higher.

Bruce Gould, Major Gifts Chairman

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

“I am thrilled with the positive reactions I receive from our regional Major Gifts chairs and donors whose programming and activity is setting new benchmarks for JNF.”

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

OUR WORK With over 200 active projects in the works at any given time, the key to JNF’s success is not about any one particular project or area of work at all. In fact, it’s about our bold vision for Israel’s future. With our One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade as our guide, we are blazing trails, enhancing quality of life, sharing our advancements with the world, and connecting the next generation to Israel like never before.

Take a look. 2016 YEAR IN REVIEW 11

COMMUNITY BUILDING

IT TAKES A VILLAGE JNF believes that communities are built on strength in numbers and the ability of the people within a community to feel safe. Perhaps in no other area of work is the glorious and grand vision of Jewish National Fund more apparent than its work within Community Building, for this is where people who call Israel home see our work close-up. Land and people is what JNF is all about, and creating a place for the next generation to live exemplifies that. That is why population growth and regional economic development form the backbone of JNF’s Go North and Blueprint Negev initiatives. Building sustainable economies while developing infrastructure in the regions of Northern and Southern Israel are necessary to create lasting communities. Here’s a look at some of this year’s accomplishments:

JNF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FUND:

$7 MILLION APPROVED 426 LOTS IN 9 COMMUNITIES In the Negev, work has begun on the Be’er Sheva Lake, a 22-acre project that will bring recycled water to JNF’s Be’er Sheva River Park. Ground has also been broken on the first phase of JNF’s City in the Heart of a Park project in Yerucham. This project, modeled after JNF’s Be’er Sheva River Park, will surround the city in lush green spaces and become an anchor for tourism and commerce, transforming Yerucham into a green, vibrant, modern city.

Ten years ago there was nothing but sand dunes where the thriving communities of Halutza now stand in the Negev.

JNF'S HELMSLEY CHARITABLE TRUST HALUTZA MEDICAL CENTER:

2,500 PEOPLE SERVED PHASE 2 HAS BEGUN Children make up the majority of the population in Halutza, and over the past year JNF has focused on improving the quality of life for the youngest residents. Shlomit, one of Halutza’s communities, is now home to a bombproof kindergarten, dedicated by Linda Simmons in memory of Edith Simmons (z''l), where 65 children enjoy new classrooms and a safe space to play. Thirteen-hundred children are now able to find some respite from the 120° heat of summer while playing in Shlomit’s new Aquatic Spray Park, dedicated by Ben and Batya Klein and Gary and Ellen Davis. Ground also broke on a new daycare center, dedicated by Jerald Grossman in memory of Danielle A. and Irving J. Grossman (z''l ), which will open in early 2017.

“There was nothing there a couple of years ago;

now you have a whole new community."

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

LAUDER EMPLOYMENT CENTER:

OVER 700 PEOPLE ASSISTED In Southern Israel, along the Gaza border, JNF continued to provide support for JNF's Sderot Indoor Recreation Center and is making renovations to keep up with wear and tear. JNF also opened the Sinai Children’s Park in Sderot, which was dedicated in memory of Henry Moser (z''l) by the estate of Edna Kay (z''l).

THE VENER FAMILY YOUNG FARMER S INCUBATOR PROJEC T IN HALUTZA:

13 NEW FARMERS EMPOWERED In the Arava, JNF is focusing on infrastructure, employment, and quality of life to further develop the region and encourage new families to make their homes there.

DANIELLE A. & IRVING J. GROSSMAN JNF - ARAVA MEDICAL CENTER:

5,200 PEOPLE SERVED 1,350 EMERGENCY PATIENTS TREATED 4,500 SPECIALIST VISITS

THE NANCY SIMCHES JNF - ARAVA EMERGENCY RESP ONSE CENTER:

87 VOLUNTEERS, 60 RESCUES 50 TRAINING OPERATIONS

NEFESH B’NEFESH:

WELCOMED THE 50,000 TH NEW ISRAELI CITIZEN, EXPANDED ITS LONE SOLDIER PROGRAM BY 25% HaShomer HaChadash doubled their volunteer base and connected over 35,000 young people to the land through agricultural volunteerism. The organization has safeguarded and protected over 192,000 acres of land in the Negev and Galilee, including JNF forests. In total, there has been an 80% reduction in crime rates in areas that HaShomer HaChadash operates in. In the Galilee, tourism is a driving economic force, comprising 40% of the area’s annual income, and to encourage tourists to spend more than a day visiting the region, JNF opened the JNF Western Galilee Tourist Information Center in Akko in March 2016 as a part of its Go North innitiative. Since its opening, over 10,000 people have passed through its doors to explore everything the Galilee has to offer. JNF also sponsors Western Galilee Now, a consortium of boutique and small businesses that has grown to include over 40 local winemakers, restauranteurs, artists, and tour guides.

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

Thanks to the EGL Charitable Foundation, ground has broken on the Swimming Complex & Recreational Facility, a covered swimming pool complex in Sapir that caters to local residents, including 650 school children, as well as athletes and major competitors. In addition, five new houses have been built as part of the Kibbutz Yahel Physicians Housing Compound. JNF is collaborating with the Gush Etzion Regional Council to build a promenade in memory of Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel, and Eyal Yifrah—three teenage boys who were kidnapped and murdered by terrorists. The Boys’ Promenade also features an observation point in memory of Ezra Schwartz, a teenage yeshiva student from America who was fatally shot in Gush Etzion while volunteering. MAKOM, one of JNF’s newest partners, has had a positive impact on 93,140 people in 2016. More than 80 young entrepreneurs were trained and mentored thanks to JNF's grant. A few select locations in the Negev and Galilee have shown demographic growth of 62% from 2012 to 2015. JNF's Project Baseball has begun development on a new baseball field in Beit Shemesh with ground set to break on the project in January 2017. In addition, Team Israel, funded by Project Baseball, will participate in the World Baseball Classic Finals, to be held in Korea in 2017.

Nefesh B’Nefesh has launched an online job board to connect employers with job seekers — free of charge — and is in regular contact with 2,680 companies.

ZIONIST EDUCATION & ADVOCACY

TRANSFORMATIVE JNF is the single largest provider of Israel engagement programs in the United States. In 2016, Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI-JNF) welcomed 947 students from across the globe and throughout the U.S., including students from Australia, Canada, and Columbia. A new leadership program called JNF Impact Fellows was introduced for public school students. These AMHSI-JNF Fellowships targeting the best and the brightest, are currently available in Arizona, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Greater Los Angeles, Greater New York, Greater Philadelphia, and Massachusetts. AMHSI hosted two Educator Seminar trips to Israel for the first time, with 25 administrators, guidance counselors, and teachers from stellar educational institutions and important Jewish communities studying and exploring AMHSI-JNF’s experiential approach. Additionally, AMHSI facilitated the first of three Classroom Israel adult journeys.

200 COLLEGE STUDENTS ATTENDED THE SECOND ANNUAL JNF COLLEGE SUMMIT AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK

124 COLLEGE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN ALTERNATIVE WINTER/SPRING BREAKS, RAISING MORE THAN $125,000 FOR BLUEPRINT NEGEV AND GO NORTH

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

Caravan for Democracy led 108 non-Jewish student leaders on a 10-day trip to Israel to explore its distinctive democracy. In addition to the Milton and Beatrice Shapiro JNF Scholarship Fund, the Sam and Joan Ginsburg Charitable Fund, Adam Milstein, and the David and Linda Stein Family, who sponsored this year’s trip, additional support was received from the JNF Boruchin Israel Education & Advocacy Center, allowing more students to participate. The Boruchin Canter also funded AMHSI programming, Israel Campus

“Because of AMHSI, I am forever changed as a friend, a student, a world citizen, and a Jew.”

Coalition, JNF Faculty Fellowships, The David Project, Heroes to Heroes, and Jerusalem U.

JNF HOSTED 53 POSITIVELY ISRAEL EVENTS ON 50 COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES JNF sent 1,611 young adults to Israel as participants on Taglit-Birthright Israel through Shorashim. 15,000 children across the U.S. took part in Tu BiShvat programming with our JNF team running holiday programs in hundreds of schools, synagogues, college campuses, and communities across the country. Over the past 30 years, 20,000 young Israelis have taken part in JNF partner Green Horizons’ educational and outdoor activities. Thanks to major support from Joel Friedlander, Lowell Glazer, and Jack Rose, Green Horizons focuses on hiking and walking the land of Israel to foster the development of interpersonal and leadership skills, and social responsibility, while also promoting Zionist values and connection to Israel and its environment. JNF introduced the JNF Language Library with Dr. Frank Luntz who spoke to dozens of rabbis and hundreds of college students on how to talk about Israel on campus and in the community. Together with Luntz and AEPi, JNF also produced the booklet “How to Talk About Israel on Campus and Win,” which has been distributed to hundreds of campuses. Also, Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, addressed 50 rabbis at Ronald S. Lauder JNF House for an informative discussion about BDS on campus.

WATER

SOLUTIONS FOR A WATERSTARVED WORLD Jewish National Fund has increased Israel’s water economy by 12% by developing alternative water sources, saving the country millions, advancing Israeli agriculture, and improving water quality.

Margaret Catley-Carlson Vice-Chair, World Economic Forum

2016 was an important year for JNF’s water campaign. In partnership with best-selling author Seth M. Siegel who wrote Let there Be Water, JNF held a series of Water Summits, reaching over 5,000 people in 10 major cities across the U.S. In December, JNF had a successful water tour to Israel, which included representatives from the UN, Thailand, and water professionals who traveled and witnessed Israel’s water successes. JNF supported water recycling projects in the Bedouin villages of Wadi Attir and Um Batin, provided research into new water resources for the Halutza communities, assisted partner organization Green Horizons in installing rain harvesting systems in an additional 10 schools this year (50 in total), and supported a research project to support the Arava’s date farmers. JNF was also involved in the Stockholm Water Prize competition, which encourages young people to invent new water solutions for global challenges.

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

“Water is an astonishingly complex and subtle force in an economy. It is the single constraint on the expansion of every city, and bankers and corporate executives have cited it as the only natural limit to economic growth.”

FORESTRY & GREEN INNOVATIONS

THE POWER OF SOIL

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

As the original "Tree People," we understand the value of green.

Simply put, JNF trees made Israel an environmental powerhouse. An innovator in ecological development and a pioneer in afforestation and fire prevention, we planted more than 250 million trees throughout Israel, providing luscious belts of green covering more than 250,000 acres. And, we secure the land by battling approximately 1,000 forest fires a year.

Earth’s Promise welcomed 1,000 tourists and held 20 workshops. Earth’s Promise’s Urban Farm has 250 new customers, five new gardens, and installed 18 hydroponic systems. Some of the work in 2016 included the expansion in Timna Park thanks to the Chudnow family and welcoming heads of state to our Harvy Hertz tree-planting centers. JNF partner Earth’s Promise provides a unique urban agricultural experience where visitors can taste organic produce in the center of a desert city. Earth’s Promise welcomed 1,000 tourists and held 20 workshops. Earth’s Promise’s Urban Farm has 250 new customers, five new gardens, and installed 18 hydroponic systems. In late November, devastating fires raged for six days across Israel, destroying some 10,000 acres of land and forests. Throughout the country hundreds of homes were destroyed and many more damaged, made uninhabitable, and in Haifa alone, 75,000 residents evacuated. Immediately, JNF and our partners in Israel worked around the clock with Israel Fire & Rescue Services to help extinguish the blazes and bring victims to safety and shelters. In the U.S., donors stepped up fundraising efforts and purchased dozens of new fire apparatus, tons of equipment and made available housing assistance grants. But more is required for the long term: $10 million for hundreds of firetrucks, new stations, fire suppression systems, and watchtowers.

DISABILITIES & SPECIAL NEEDS

NO ONE LEFT BEHIND Israel has over 1 million people who have some form of disability that makes them struggle with life's daily activities. JNF recognizes the importance of ensuring that no member of Israeli society is left behind, and through a variety of initiatives and partnerships, provides state-of-the-art rehabilitative services, special education, and medical care, all working toward the goal of everyone reaching their full potential. JNF partner LOTEM-Making Nature Accessible welcomed over one million visitors at JNF’s inclusive trail in Nahal HaShofet. The organization was also able to open several projects on its ecological farm including an Accessible Amphitheater, Garden of Learning, Olive Tree Garden, and Protected Classroom.

Special in Uniform, JNF’s partner that integrates people with disabilities into the Israeli army, has doubled in size over this past year and expanded its presence to include 15 IDF bases across Israel. The first group of 10 soldiers to graduate the program has been successfully integrated into the workforce and Israeli society. There are currently 283 soldiers serving in Special in Uniform and 56 soldiers received their official IDF ID cards. With the opening of the Ronald Perelman Special Education Wing in the fall, ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran, a rehabilitative village in the Negev, was

able to welcome 50 additional students with disabilities to its special education school. Ground has been broken on the Charles Shor Horseback Riding Therapy Park and Amphitheatre. ALEH Negev administered over 7,000 individual outpatient therapy sessions and 160 resident patients received care. Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center at Kibbutz Grofit provided over 10,000 therapy sessions to riders in 2016. Thanks to the generous support of JNF, 120 children were able to receive 6,900 therapy sessions as a part of the Center’s scholarship program. 2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

JNF IS: CUTTING EDGE

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

From trees, to solar power, to salt water irrigation, JNF leads the way.

As scientists look for ways to meet global challenges, more and more the attention focuses on Israel and what it is doing in the desert. For more than a century JNF has sponsored research initiatives, beginning with expeditions to study plant life and soil quality in Israel as part of efforts to cultivate the land. Today, with history on its side, JNF is a world leader in both technological and environmental innovation. At JNF partner Arava R&D Center, biologists are focusing their attention to finding cures for cancers, Alzheimer’s, and ALS. Nearby, in the Negev, working with distinguished academic and scientific institutions both in Israel and abroad, JNF has accomplished worldly feats and supported never-before-seen innovative solutions in the areas of solar power, water sustainability, agricultural development, and electric power. JNF’s networks of agricultural R&D centers across Israel enable leading scientists and technicians to work closely with local farmers, research institutes, and universities to increase agricultural sustainability, profitability, and stability. In 2016, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies established an annual Cross-border Cooperation Conference, which was attended by 50 Israeli, Jordanian,

and Palestinian participants. The Center for Transboundary Water Management (CTWM) launched the Build Israel Palestine project, intended to create sustainable farming in the West Bank. In addition to receiving a grant from the British Council, CTWM entered into a partnership with the Middle East Desalination Research Center. For the first time, the Arava International Center for Agricultural Training (AICAT) welcomed 100 students from Kenya and over 1,000 students have started this year’s diploma program, from 10 countries: Ethiopia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, East Timor, and Nepal, adding to its over 15,000 alumni. A campus expansion began in October and once complete AICAT will be able to serve up to 2,400 students. JNF partner Project Wadi Attir has seen a significant surge of activities and the Visitor, Training and Education Center is now welcoming between 600-700 diverse visitors every month from around the country and the world. Construction and various site development activities continue and the first batch of products, including organic olive oil, dairy items and all natural cosmetic from the project’s economic enterprises have been successfully introduced to local markets.

HERITAGE SITES

WHERE HISTORY COMES ALIVE Take a dive into the past, important events, places, the struggles, and the fight for Israel’s independence.

Heritage preservation is our link to Israel’s past. In 2016, through JNF’s partnership with the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites (SPIHS), hundreds of heritage sites across Israel were renovated and preserved so that their story may be told to future generations. At the Ayalon Institute, where a

3.2 MILLION VISITS AT SITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY secret, underground bullet factory operated during the struggle for Israeli independence, design plans have been laid out, thanks to Ronnit and Michael Kessler, for a new entrance hall and visitor’s center that will provide information to future generations on Israel’s struggle for independence against the British during the mandate-era. At the Atlit Detention Camp, also an important heritage site from the British Mandate that housed “illegal” Jewish immigrants to Palestine, there has been a 35% increase in the camp’s Research and Information Center’s documentation of names and testimonies. To date, the Center has documented over 95,000 Jewish

immigrants who passed through the facility on their way to freedom in the land of Israel, bringing the camp twothirds of the way closer to identifying all of the 130,000 men, women, and children that were once detained there. Plans are now in the works to add an airplane to the site’s historic relics. In Gush Etzion, JNF funded the construction and opening of the Gush Etzion Visitor Center and Museum, which details the heroic battle residents fought during the War of Independence. In the eight years since JNF partnered with Ammunition Hill, site of the pivotal battle that led to Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War, there has been an all-time increase in visitors, totaling close to 350,000 in the last year. In preparation for the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification, the site is restoring its battleground thanks to major support of Larry and Sunny Russ, opened a Commemoration Hall funded by Bruce K. Gould, and the new JNF-Ammunition Hill Museum will open in time for the May 2017 Jerusalem’s reunification festivities. All in the name of honoring the battle for Jerusalem and educating the next generation on its heroes’ values.

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TRAVEL

SEE ISRAEL LIKE NEVER BEFORE

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

When you travel to Israel with JNF, you transcend the boundaries of a standard trip.

It’s not just talk when we say, “No one knows Israel like Jewish National Fund.” We hear that repeatedly from our tour participants and donors. Time and again JNF mission and tour participants point to JNF’s inside connections, top quality tour guides and hotels, and our history of being part of the country since before the state was created, as to why they repeatedly come back on a JNF trip or recommend us to family and friends. Popular trips include our Culinary, Wine, and Music Tour; Sunshine Tour for Active Adults 55+; Spirit of Israel Tour, and the Young Professionals Tour for Singles Ages 30-45. JNF hosted over 2,000 people in Israel: 150 people joined our one-day Wednesday Bus Tour to see some of JNF’s groundbreaking projects in the northern Negev, and over 507 traveled with us on 16 organized tours. Additionally, 200 JNF donors spent a day visiting sites and projects in Israel on private tours. The One Billion Dollar Roadmap Mission last March offered the opportunity for more than 100 members on our various Task Forces to personally see the progress of their respective projects in Israel, assess objectives, cultivate strategic collaborations and partnerships, and create action steps that will continue to grow the impact of JNF’s work in Israel.

Of special note: In December, JNF launched the “Israel H2O Tour: A Tour on the Trail of Israel’s Water Solutions,” with nearly 40 participants from around the world joining to see how Israel overcame its severe water crisis and became a global powerhouse for water solutions and technology.

Remember the family, Come home for a visit. Call 877.563.8687

SPEAKERS BUREAU

BRING ISRAEL INTO YOUR COMMUNIITY The best speakers for community events, synagogue gatherings, retreats, conferences, and more.

JNF's Speakers Bureau was founded in 2014 to support JNF events across the country, increase awareness of JNF, and provide a go-to resource for credible speakers on Israel to bring the latest currents events and developments in innovation, technology, the Middle East, water resources and sustainability, a positive Israel message, Jewish culture, and more. Since the Speakers Bureau began, requests for guest

speakers from outside organizations for their events have tripled. In 2016 alone, the Speakers Bureau secured guest speakers for over 300 of JNF’s events across the country, ranging from intimate parlor meetings and synagogue engagements to breakfasts, gala dinners, and the National Conference. In 2016, JNF secured 20 new speakers, bringing the total number of speakers who participate in JNF’s Speakers Bureau to 207. In addition to professional speakers, such as reporters, academics, authors, and journalists, the Speakers Bureau features JNF Makor members, JNF senior professionals, and staff from JNF’s many partners in Israel.

To book a speaker, call 212.879.9307

PRODUCTS

TREE CERTIFICATES From birth to death and every occasion in between, plant a tree in Israel. JNF’s iconic Tree Planting Program provides a unique opportunity and entry point for donors across the globe to forge a special connection with the land and people of Israel. In 2016 more than 370,000 people took part in this time-honored tradition, and many enjoyed our new Online Tree Store, that launched in May and increased the growth of our online tree planting by 20%.

To plant a tree, call 800.542.8733

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

Trees serve as “green lungs” in urban areas, provide areas for recreation, halt desertification, prevent soil erosion, and protect watersheds.

250M trees planted to date 250,000 acres of green forests 2-3M trees planted annually

2016 YEAR IN REVIEW

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