Jason Alexander Visits JNF's Sderot Indoor Recreation Center

Contact: Ariel Vered • JNF Communications Manager • 212-879-9305 ext. 227 • avered@jnf.org

October 31, 2011 – New York, NY – Jewish National Fund (JNF) welcomed actor Jason Alexander to the Sderot Indoor Recreation Center last week. Alexander was very impressed with the center: “It’s amazing, it’s really amazing,” he said.

Alexander, best known for his role as George Costanza on NBC’s “Seinfeld,” toured the “Blue Box,” as the center is referred to in Sderot. CEO Russell Robinson gave Alexander a Sderot tulip, which is crafted from the metal of Qassam rockets that have landed in Sderot.

Since its grand opening in March 2009, JNF’s 21,000-sq. ft., $5 million secure indoor playground and community center has become an important part of daily life in a region that has endured continual rocket attacks from Gaza for nearly a decade. Visited daily by hundreds of children of all ages, the center’s attractions include a soccer field and volleyball court, movie theater, disco, rock climbing wall, snack area, computer center, and jungle gym. Play areas double as bomb shelters, ensuring that all occupants can quickly reach safety in the event of a rocket attack.

For more information, contact Ariel Vered at 212-879-9305 ext. 227 or avered@jnf.org.

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Jewish National Fund (JNF) began in 1901 collecting coins in blue boxes to purchase land and return the Jewish people to their homeland. In over 109 years, JNF has evolved into a global environmental leader and become the central address for partnering with the land and people of Israel. JNF has planted 250 million trees; built over 1,000 parks and recreational areas; constructed security roads; educated students around the world about Israel; created new communities so that Jews from around the world would have a place to call home; discovered new means of growing plants under arid conditions, bringing green to the desert; and built over 200 reservoirs and water recycling centers, increasing Israel’s water supply by 10%. Today, JNF is supporting Israel’s newest generation of pioneers by bringing life to the Negev Desert, Israel’s last frontier. 

A United Nations NGO, JNF sponsors international conferences on desertification, shares afforestation techniques, and funds research on arid land management. JNF is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and continuously earns top ratings from charity overseers. For more information on JNF, call 888-JNF-0099 or visit www.jnf.org.