Seizing the Moment:
Miami & Israel Scaling Community & Business Growth

Thursday, April 29, 2021
12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
Main Program on Zoom (12:00 - 12:40pm ET)
Breakout Sessions on Spatial Chat* (12:40 - 1:00pm ET)
Join Jewish National Fund-USA to hear from two popular mayors on how they are taking their cities to new levels. Mayor Francis X. Suarez of Miami & Mayor Tal Ohana of Yerucham (Miami’s sister city in Israel) will share with us how they are governing during these extraordinary times and how they are capitalizing this moment of unprecedented growth to better their cities. Miami and Yerucham might be worlds apart but have more in common than meets the eye.
Following the program, jump into various networking sessions on SpatialChat* including:
- Update from Tamar Gil Menachem from the Lauder Employment Center in Israel to discuss its successful economic development model keeping young talent in smaller communities
- Learn about the new SoFla-Israel Tech Innovation Entrepreneurship Council (TIE Council); the premier networking group connecting the South Florida tech community to Israel’s ecosystem
- Discussion on South Florida’s real estate market
- Discussion on real estate & cryptocurrency in philanthropy
- Updates from the communities in the Negev in southern Israel
- Network with event attendees ranging from investors, business leaders from a variety of industries, & community members
Featured Guest Speakers

Mayor Francis X. Suarez
Mayor of Miami
Francis X. Suarez is the 33rd Mayor of the City of Miami. He serves as Chair of the Environment Committee, on the Advisory Board of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and Vice-Chair of the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). He previously served as Miami Commissioner for District 4 during an eight-year tenure.
Mayor
Suarez is dedicated to elevating the quality of life of the residents he serves
by focusing on transportation and connectivity, resiliency, and job creation by
nurturing the growth of technology and innovation. He is also committed to
expanding affordable housing, tackling the poverty pandemic and, as a
corollary, reducing crime.

Mayor Tal Ohana
Mayor of Yerucham
Tal Ohana was elected mayor of
Yeruham in 2018 and is the first woman to hold this position in the town’s
history. As mayor, Ohana’s focus is on economic development and social
mobility. From 2010 until her election as mayor, Ohana served as deputy and
acting mayor of Yerucham, managed the city’s education and strategic
development portfolios, and was a member of the Planning and Building
Committee. In 2011, she established a movement for Zionist activities in
Morocco that today has the participation of hundreds of Jewish youth from
Israel and abroad.

Tamar Gil Menachem
Deputy Director, Eretz-Ir & Associate Director, Lauder Employment Center
Tamar Gil is the Deputy Director for Eretz Ir, which promotes community resilience in Israel’s Galilee region and Negev Desert by encouraging civic activism and the creation of businesses that have a social impact. Gil leads the partnership between Eretz Ir and Jewish National Fund-USA’s (JNF-USA) Lauder Employment Center, which provides comprehensive career services, guidance, and resources to college alumni and the general Negev population. Following the success of the Negev's Lauder Employment Center, Gil is leading the replication of the model in Israel’s north. Gil previously completed an extended service in the Israeli Air Force as commander of air-picture operators.
Event Chairs
Mitchell Feldman
Adam Lipkin
Adam Yormack
Event Committee
Maia Aron
Mara Mades
Robert Sapozhnikov
Kenneth Segel
Doris Suttin
More Information
Mike Teichberg, Director, Miami-Dade
[email protected] or 305.682.0025 x897
Thank You To Our Sponsors
Glickfield Family Foundation




Sandi Samole of