MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Tuesday, Mar 3, 2026 — Congregants of Temple Menorah in Miami Beach and other community members partnered with Jewish National Fund-USA at “Shabbat of Strength, United for Israel” to donate a fire truck to a community in Israel in honor of Rabbi Eliot Pearlson’s decades-long tenure.
As the only official U.S. partner of the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority, Jewish National Fund-USA equips Israel’s firefighters with fire trucks, protective gear, life-saving equipment, and modern fire stations. The contributions will go towards Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority, which is mobilizing to support Israel’s home front during the current crisis with Iran.
A Jewish National Fund-USA-supported fire truck in Israel's South. Photo courtesy of Jewish National Fund-USA
“Jewish National Fund-USA has provided more than half of all the fire trucks in Israel,” said Ron Kriss, a member of both the organization’s Fire and Rescue Task Force and Temple Menorah. “The relationship with Israel Fire and Rescue Authority goes back decades. We are the exclusive nonprofit organization that raises money for Fire and Rescue.”
The fire truck fundraiser, which was chaired by Rabbi Pearlson and his wife Judy, kicked off on Friday, February 6, 2026, at Jewish National Fund-USA’s annual Unity Shabbat event at Temple Menorah. This year, Rabbi Pearlson suggested the philanthropic funds raised should go towards the deployment of a fire truck in Israel’s underpopulated North or South, and be dedicated in memory of Elad Riven, an Israeli teen who lost his life fighting the biggest fire in the country’s history. Once the funds are raised, the Temple Menorah community will receive continuous updates on when the truck will be deployed on its lifesaving missions.
“It’s a great honor,” Rabbi Pearlson expressed. “Some communities would tell their rabbis, ‘No, we’re not going to raise funds for another Jewish nonprofit. Our priority must be only our synagogue,’ but here at Temple Menorah, we know that we become stronger when we participate in making the land and people of Israel stronger.”
Rabbi Eliot Pearlson. Photo Credit: Temple Menorah
Nearly 200 community members attended the Unity Shabbat, which featured Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist and editor-in-chief of SAPIR Bret Stephens, who offers a powerful voice on Jewish life, democracy, and Israel.
The former editor of The Jerusalem Post also shared his personal connection to Jewish National Fund-USA, and how his family planted a forest in Israel after his father passed away. “I know that everyone at JNF-USA will want to tell you that they're more than just about trees, which is true,” said Stephens. “But I like the trees, and I'm grateful to Jewish National Fund-USA for giving me the opportunity to honor my father in the country that he loved so much.”
Representatives from Jewish National Fund-USA and longtime members of the congregation also presented Rabbi Pearlson with a Golden Certificate that reads: ‘Presented to Rabbi Eliot Pearlson as a tribute to your decades of inspiring leadership and pioneering spirit for Israel. Shabbat of Strength, United for Israel, February 6, 2026.’
The Temple Menorah and Jewish National Fund-USA fire truck donation campaign has raised nearly $240,000 of its $250,000 goal, including pledges. If you would like to contribute, click here.
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About Jewish National Fund-USA
Jewish National Fund-USA is building a strong and vibrant future for the land and people of Israel. Through its One Million Voices for Israel campaign, the organization unites supporters nationwide around its holistic approach to supporting individuals, families, communities, and regions in Israel's North and South, known as circles of impact. Leveraging its 125 years of impact, Jewish National Fund-USA is developing the most livable towns and cities in frontier communities to attract 800,000 new residents; creating a lifelong continuum of Zionist education through travel, learning, and leadership; and establishing the World Zionist Village in Be'er Sheva, a global hub for connection and peoplehood. With donor recognition and legacy giving at its core, supporters ensure their values and impact endure—yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Learn more at jnf.org.
