FROM B’YACHAD MAGAZINE
Jewish National Fund-USA's Circles of Impact Mission
Together For Tomorrow
At Jewish National Fund-USA, circles of impact are not something partners (donors) observe from a distance. It is something they help shape—with their investment, presence, and participation on the ground. Together, we are building tomorrow.
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A few days before joining Jewish National Fund-USA’s Circles of Impact Mission in February 2026, Dana Fish and her husband, David, met with Moshe Davidovich, mayor of the Matte Asher Regional Council in northern Israel. During their conversation, Davidovich said something Dana would never forget: “Unless your head is cracked open, you don’t go to the hospital if you live up here, because you’ll be waiting for 10 hours.”
For Dana, who serves as co-chair of the Go North Task Force—Jewish National Fund-USA’s specialized ambassador-led group that works to advance population growth and development in Israel’s North—the region’s limited access to urgent, routine, or, importantly, mental health care was a stark reality that no report or conversation back home could have fully conveyed.
That moment with the mayor was only the beginning. Throughout the mission, Dana visited communities where residents must drive hours for routine medical care, and she met leaders working to change that reality, building new medical and resilience centers that would serve entire regions.
She felt changed by what she saw. Being there—meeting residents, walking the land, and witnessing the need firsthand—reshaped her perspective.
“There is simply no substitute for seeing these projects in person,” she says. “My husband and I came back so impacted that we doubled our donation.”
This generous gift, funding the construction of the Medical and Wellness Building at a new medical center in the Western Galilee, will help transform lives across the region.
Jewish National Fund-USA’s Circles of Impact Mission offered participants, like Dana, more than a journey through Israel. It gave them the opportunity to invest not only their philanthropic dollars, but also their time and energy, to witness firsthand the lives they are helping transform across Israel’s North and South.
Through a shared vision, the organization’s partners saw how lasting change is made through interconnected circles of impact: housing developments, medical centers, infrastructure, emergency response initiatives, educational programs, and the countless ripple effects each investment creates in helping drive population growth in Israel’s frontier regions. Together, these efforts form a lasting footprint embedded in Israel’s future.
Amy Berko Iles, left, and Dana Fish, right, stand with Michal Shiloah Galnoor at the Galilee Culinary Institute by JNF
THE IMPACT UP CLOSE
Amy Berko Iles, who serves with Dana as co-chair of the Go North Task Force, was similarly moved by what she saw on the ground: a shared commitment among local leaders to stay, rebuild, and create a stronger future. She saw that resilience reflected in communities determined to move forward.
“It was an extraordinary opportunity to hear about their plans and aspirations,” she says. “Jewish National Fund-USA, and all of us as donors and collaborators in this work, have become true partners to these communities.”
Amy was especially struck by the way the organization and its affiliates had adapted to meet urgent needs, including transforming heritage sites into spaces for healing, education, and connection. It is a partnership that begins by sitting with community members, listening to their experiences, learning from their challenges, and developing solutions together.
“That’s resilience,” Amy says. “The ability to pivot and meet new needs.”
THE HUMAN SIDE OF IMPACT
For Adam Zeelens, a member of the Arava Task Force, the mission brought the organization’s work into focus on a deeply personal level.
The Arava Task Force is dedicated to helping grow the population of the Arava in southern Israel over the next decade by strengthening the infrastructure, services, and opportunities that make life in the region possible. During the mission, Adam saw firsthand how that vision translates into everyday impact.
In the middle of the desert, he stepped into what felt like an oasis: the Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center, where children receive equine therapy. There, he met the Zax family, whose son had once been unable to communicate with them—but through the program, that changed.
“For the very first time, they were able to connect and share joy with their son,” Adam says. “We talk about the big picture, but on this mission, we saw the personal impact.”
Throughout the trip, Adam saw that impact everywhere—from bomb shelters scattered across the desert to clinics supported by Jewish National Fund-USA, where a single doctor might serve an entire region.
“You cannot fully understand the ripple effect of our work without meeting the people living it every day,” he says.
Adam Zeelens
FROM DEVASTATION TO RENEWAL
For Phyllis Solomon, a longtime member of the Rebuild the Envelope Task Force, the mission was also a return.
Formerly known as the Gaza Envelope Task Force, the Rebuild the Envelope Task Force works to provide a safer, more secure, and enhanced life for people living on the border with Gaza.
Shortly after October 7, 2023, Phyllis and her granddaughter visited communities in the region that had been devastated by the attacks. More than two years later, during the Circles of Impact Mission, she returned to those same communities with her daughter and was struck by the strength and healing she found. She felt empowered knowing she had contributed toward the rebuilding and could point to specific, tangible accomplishments along the way.
“I saw how our resilience centers being built in the South are helping people heal, and how vital the Emergency Response Centers truly are,” Phyllis says. “It’s amazing seeing the fruits of our labor and philanthropic investments, and seeing residents breathe easier as a result.”
Phyllis Solomon
MORE THAN A MISSION
Participants explored Jewish National Fund-USA’s vision across sectors—housing, safety, healthcare, employment, and education—engaging as stakeholders in bold initiatives such as the Galilee Culinary Institute by JNF, which will transform the North into a center for culinary excellence, tourism, and jobs. Together, these efforts align around one goal: bringing 800,000 new residents to Israel’s North and South.
Circles of Impact Mission participants Larry and Vicki Robbins with Sharon Engel Adam at GCI by JNF
Just as importantly, they met the people behind the progress: entrepreneurs, educators, and community leaders building vibrant, sustainable futures. Among them were President Isaac Herzog and Be’er Sheva Mayor Ruvik Danilovich, with whom they discussed initiatives like the World Zionist Village in Be’er Sheva—a future hub envisioned as a gathering place for people of all backgrounds united by shared values and a common destiny.
No matter their track—North, South, or specialized areas like water or fire and rescue—participants left with the same realization: Everything is connected, every action creates impact, and it is something that can only truly be understood on the ground.
“You have to be there,” Amy says.
“There is no substitute,” Dana adds.
“Go, and you’ll see the ripple effect of how our work impacts the land and the people,” Phyllis agrees.
Adam puts it simply: “To truly be an advocate, you have to see it. And once you do, it changes you.”
Because with Jewish National Fund-USA, philanthropy is not passive. It is partnership, expressed through generosity, time, presence, and action on the ground. And every partnership helps build the future of Israel’s North and South.
Find your Jewish National Fund-USA mission at jnf.org/travel
Learn about all of our Task Forces atjnf.org/taskforces
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