Top Musician in Jewish Music Teams up with JNF to 'Rock the Planet'

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

March, 2009 -- New York, NY -- It worked with Bono.

Looking to inspire and motivate the public to make a positive impact on the environment, Jewish rock performer Rick Recht and Jewish National Fund (JNF) are teaming up.

The organization and the musician share a passion: making the world a cleaner, greener place. So their partnership, dubbed “Rock the Planet,” is borrowing a page from the secular world in which the influence of music and celebrity are regularly leveraged together to support the efforts of environmental organizations.

Said Recht: “I’m truly honored to be a partner with JNF to literally rock the environment with music, the energy of youth, and one of the most essential values of Judaism - the challenge to make our world a better place. This is what Judaism is all about. Music has such a unique and powerful ability to motivate communities to action and this is the perfect vehicle for connecting youth and young families with our fundamental responsibility to the environment."

The partnership will launch live on Sunday, May 31, 2009 at the Salute to Israel Parade in New York City when Recht and his band climbs aboard JNF’s float and performs for the crowds that line Fifth Avenue.

Rick Recht (http://www.rickrecht.com/) is the top-touring musician in Jewish music, playing over 150 concerts a year in the United States and abroad. He is widely recognized for his appeal to youth and family audiences not only as an exceptional musician, singer/songwriter, and entertainer, but as a role model for involvement in Jewish life. Recht has become an icon for Jewish youth in the United States, elevating the medium of Jewish music as a powerful and effective tool for developing Jewish pride and identity among the masses.

Throughout the last century, Jewish National Fund has been known for greening the land of Israel by planting 240 million trees and creating over a thousand parks and recreational areas. The JNF GoNeutral program (www.jnf.org/goneutral) allows people to offset their impact on the environment by planting trees in Israel. In addition to tree planting, JNF has become a global environmental leader by performing comprehensive, cutting edge work to help solve the problems that are plaguing our planet.

Today JNF grapples with the challenge of balancing Israel's phenomenal growth and development over the last decade with maintaining an ecologically sound environment. As such, JNF sponsors conferences on battling land degradation and combating desertification, shares afforestation and water conservation techniques across the world, funds research on grappling with arid land management, invests in alternative and solar energy projects, and leads the world in water desalination and purification techniques.

A Jewish celebrity environmental activist, Recht will serve as a musical spokesperson for JNF, utilizing his music, merchandising, educational materials, website, videos, social networks, and established organizational partnerships to inspire the public.

“We are every excited about this partnership with Rick,” said Jason Feirman, JNF senior marketing manager. “It’s a great way to educate and energize young people about Israel, the environment and their responsibility and role in the future of this planet." 

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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.