New, Alternative Summer Vacation in Israel Announced by JNF

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

March 5, 2009 -- New York, NY -- Stayed at the King David already? Climbed Masada? Floated in the Dead Sea? Feel like you’ve been there, done that?

Well, gear up for the transformative experience of a lifetime.

Join Jewish National Fund (JNF) on its first-ever Summer Service in Israel Trip, July 5-12, 2009, designed for men and women age 30 and over.

Instead of just seeing the sights in Israel, jump right in and make yourself a part of the landscape! Join other like-minded individuals from around the country this summer to work on community service projects in the Negev Desert and meet the people who make it their home. They may not live in your neighborhood but they’re part of your family.

Days will be filled with hard but fulfilling work; late afternoons and nights with entertainment, music, and fun. The group will also interact with the people they are helping and hear from environmental experts and scholars to better understand the complexities of the region. The last three days will be spent touring, but participants will see a side of Israel that other trips don't, going above and beyond the classic tourist experience.

Your hands will get dirty, you will get splattered with paint, but most of all you will smile from ear to ear and feel an incredible sense of fulfillment.

To participate, you are responsible for raising $3,900 for JNF’s Operation Security Blanket: Southern Israel, a campaign that is providing immediate and long-term relief for Israeli children and their families living in areas along the Gaza border.

Proceeds will benefit the community in several ways:

• Fund the 20,000-square-foot secure indoor recreation center JNF built in Sderot.
• Sponsor Sderot’s youth to be members of Green Horizons scout groups.
• Build a fire station in Sderot and purchase five new fire trucks for southern Israel (previously purchased trucks already service Ashdod and Ashkelon).
• Build and maintain security roads along the border with Gaza to protect the area’s residents as they travel to work and school.

Working much like walk-a-thons and bike-a-thons, fundraising is done online using JNF’s easy Teamraiser system. By asking friends and family to urge you on, not only do you get your hands dirty on the job, but you also help build the State of Israel.

Summer Service in Israel will turn you on to Israel like never before. Visit www.jnf.org/summerservice to sign up now. Round- trip airfare is not included.

For information, contact Jodi Bodner at  212-879-9305 ext. 221 or jbodner@jnf.org.  

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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.