Hollywood Stars Watts and Schreiber in Israel for First Time

Traveled the Country with Jewish National Fund

Contact: Jodi Bodner • JNF Director of Communications • 212-879-9305 ext. 221 • jbodner@jnf.org

June 23, 2009 -- New York, NY -- In Israel for the first time, Hollywood stars Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts and their two young children planted trees in a Jewish National Fund park and visited Sderot.

The couple also took in the important Christian and Jewish holy sites, met with President Shimon Peres and enjoyed Tel Aviv's renowned beaches and night life.

Schreiber's most recent roles were in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," and playing Zus Bielski in "Defiance." Watts of "King Kong" fame was most recently in "The International."

The itinerary was planned by Jewish National Fund (JNF), caretakers of the land of Israel for more than 107 years. The first official stop was helping to green the land by planting a tree up north in the Galilee. As Naomi read aloud the tree planting blessing, Liev looked to place the pistachio sapling in the ground but first had to remove his son Sacha who had eagerly planted himself in the hole. To watch the video, go to http://www.jnf.org/support/tree-planting-center.

Swimming in Lake Kinneret, visiting the Western Wall, and going to the biblical zoo were itinerary highlights but one of their favorite stops was the secure indoor recreation center JNF just built for the children and families of Sderot.

"As a mother of two young children," said Watts, "I know how important it is to have a great play environment. This place is a great source of fun for these children and the attention to detail is just magnificent. I thank JNF for bringing us here and building this special place." To see the video, go to http://www.jnf.org/.

Schreiber said his grandfather was a strong Zionist who had always wanted him to go to Israel. His grandfather died before he could make that happen, so this trip has special meaning for him.

Captions: Liev Schreiber, Naomi Watts and their two children, 22-month-old Sacha, and 5-month-old Samuel Kai (under the blanket owing to the 100 degree weather) plant roots in Israel with JNF.

Schreiber, Watts, and Sacha enjoy the Sderot indoor rec center's blow up slide with area residents.

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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. JNF gives all generations of Jews a unique voice in building a prosperous future for the land of Israel and its people.

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.

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 888-JNF-0099 or visit www.jnf.org.