Robinson Report—August 2025
Dear Friends,
In times of challenge, you discover who your true friends are. Considering everything our land and people of Israel have endured recently, and how we have stood by and supported them no matter what, they don’t just see us as friends—they see us as family. We are them, and they are us. No other philanthropy works more closely with or is as trusted to deliver on its promises than Jewish National Fund-USA. In this Robinson Report, I’m delighted to share an update on how our circles of impact are driving our vision to attract 800,000 new residents to Israel's frontier regions. As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me at ceo@jnf.org.
Always Forward, Always Building
You can measure the summer heat in Israel’s South in degrees (123°F earlier this month!), yet I measure it by the energy of the people who keep building their lives—moving forward, believing in tomorrow no matter what. They are still living with trauma, loss, and war, yet they continue to believe in themselves, in Israel, and in us.
Through it all, you and I are there—through Jewish National Fund-USA. Just as we were there yesterday for 125 years, we are there today. And because of your donations and involvement, together we are igniting progress and fueling our people’s pioneering spirit. This is not 1901. This is not 1948. This is 2025—yet the same spirit is alive and well.
This month, I want to update you on the lives we’ve touched, the milestones we’ve reached, and the dreams we are making real.
That is the Jewish National Fund-USA story—and our secret sauce. Some organizations allocate funds. Some operate small projects. But we have developed a second-to-none ecosystem of affiliates that gives us hands-on implementation through a nationwide strategic plan.
Circles of Impact: Where One Ripple Creates Another
When we say that no initiative or project is a standalone effort, this isn’t rhetoric—it’s reality.
In July, students at our agricultural high school cleaned and restored kindergartens in Israel’s North. This is what the spirit of Israel’s next generation looks like. Rather than spending time in front of screens, they embody the pioneering energy of Israel’s founders—building their homeland, our homeland.
That same spirit is now expanding with a new campus, officially recognized and licensed by Israel’s Ministry of Education: a four-year Zionist boarding school for the best and brightest, located in the Eshkol region (Israel Envelope). And this September, a brand-new campus in Yir’on, on Israel’s border with Gaza, will open its doors.
This is what our circles of impact look like—one action sparking another, until the ripple becomes a wave of growth across Israel’s North and South.
Healing the Body, Healing the Soul
At our Jewish National Fund-USA-supported Rehabilitation Village (ADI Negev–Nahalat Eran) in Ofakim, every patient represents a person, a family, a story of resilience. There is no place like it anywhere in the world.
This summer alone, 850 staff cared for 170 residents with severe disabilities, educated 210 students in special education programs, while continuing to treat 50,000 outpatients annually. Therapies touch every corner of life—from hydrotherapy and animal-assisted therapy to rehabilitation for soldiers with PTSD and severe injuries.
And now, the rehabilitation hospital is expanding from 135 to 175 beds—more hope, more healing, more lives transformed.
This is a Jewish National Fund-USA circle of impact—made possible by your trust in us to make your philanthropic investments.
Zionist Education That Doesn’t Just Teach—It Transforms
Our Alexander Muss High School in Israel, the premier semester-abroad experience for teens, welcomed 30 high school students this summer across tracks in entrepreneurship, exploration, and Jewish history. With new partnerships forming—including joint programs with our agricultural high school—Muss continues to be the place where Jewish journeys and academic success take root and blossom.
By January 2026, we project enrollment will return to our pre-October 7 numbers of 1,700 teens annually.
If you know a high school student, tell them about Dream Israel—where they can earn $7,500 toward Muss or another long-term study abroad program in Israel. We also offer scholarships, fellowships, and grants. Cost should never be the barrier—the opportunity to shape the next 100 years of Zionism is just too important.
Heritage Site Highlights
At Ammunition Hill, the iconic site of Jerusalem’s reunification, history lives on. This month, it hosted ultra-Orthodox youth tours, IDF ceremonies, scout anniversaries, and even bar and bat mitzvahs. Every year, nearly 250,000 young people walk through the trenches of the battle that brought us back to Jerusalem after 2,000 years.
They also walk past plaques honoring Jews who fought for the nations where they lived—America, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Poland, Mexico, the UK, Israel, and many more. These plaques remind us that Jews everywhere have fought for freedom and dignity.
At several of our Jewish National Fund-USA-supported Heritage Sites, October 7 survivors and soldiers with trauma are finding places of healing, strength, and renewal. Here, history doesn’t sit quietly—it actively shapes lives today. That is a Jewish National Fund-USA circle of impact.
Building the Future on Israel’s Frontier
From Israel’s North to South, we are rebuilding together and reimagining tomorrow.
In the Israel Envelope, 800 fortified safe rooms are being installed in homes that had none before October 7—giving families the security they need to move back. Pastor Jentezen Franklin and his Ministry made a lead commitment at Kibbutz Gvulot to make this possible.
A new family resilience center, a central park, and new housing sites are also rising in Kibbutz Re’im. What many thought was impossible—residents moving back to the Israel Envelope—is now a reality. Not only are people returning, new residents are joining them. That is victory. That is winning!
In Kiryat Shmona, less than a mile from the Lebanese border, 30 new families moved back just this month. Through our affiliates, 30 new teachers arrived. Construction continues on the first regional medical and emergency response center in the Upper Galilee. From prenatal care to breast imaging to emergency services, this center creates a ripple effect: jobs, families, economic growth, and strengthened borders.
In the Negev, Israel’s Prime Minister recently endorsed our vision for Mitzpe Ramon, including a new airstrip, solar fields, and Israel’s future “Space City.” Twenty years ago, we dreamed of growing Mitzpe Ramon from 4,200 to 30,000 people. Today, with new housing, parks, skate parks, and a conference center, our dream is becoming a reality.
These are not just construction projects. They are blueprints for Israel’s frontier future.
A Taste of Tomorrow: Galilee Culinary Institute by JNF (GCI by JNF)
In January, GCI by JNF will move from vision to reality. Suites are nearly ready for a soft launch, and the first volunteer missions have already stayed overnight—sharing incredible feedback
By early 2025, our main campus building will open with dairy and meat kitchens, a 100-seat showcase kitchen with broadcast-quality equipment, outdoor dining, an amphitheater, and a working farm. A second building is also underway—featuring a brewery, wine bar, bakery, and gift shop. Recruitment for our first student cohort begins in January for a Fall 2025 start.
The GCI is already transforming Israel’s North by creating jobs for tradespeople, engineers, and local businesses. It’s not just about food—it’s about jobs, tourism, and global connection.
“Tachles”: Getting It Done
I love the Hebrew word tachles. It roughly translates as “turning words into action.”
In Israel’s North, our Tachles Forum brings together 18 organizations to turn ideas into jobs, homes, and education. In July alone, youth festivals, employment programs, and strategy sessions gained momentum. And this August, the energy continues with Galiladies’ tech (female entrepreneurs) and a major youth festival in Kiryat Shmona.
Tachles is about rolling up our sleeves and acting. That’s how Jewish National Fund-USA has propelled our great movement for almost 125 years—turning words into action.
We Build Because We Believe
Whether it’s our small business initiative, Western Galilee Now, bringing culture to the ancient northern city of Akko, farmers in the South growing pineapples in the desert (as shown proudly in the above image by our incredible philanthropic partner and supporter of water innovation in Israel, Alan Cohen), or new families moving into new homes, the story is the same: Jewish National Fund-USA is there. Always there. Always ready.
One Last Note
We don’t just respond to crises—we prepare for tomorrow. We don’t just talk about the future—we build it. And we build because we believe in the land of Israel, the people of Israel, and the unbreakable bond that ties us together as Americans and Israelis—around our shared values and common destiny.
Thank you for walking with us, for strengthening our mission, and for showing the world that our people will always rise.
Am Yisrael Chai,
Russell F. Robinson
Chief Executive Officer
Jewish National Fund-USA
P.S. Our Global Conference for Israel is right around the corner—October 23–26 in Hollywood, Florida. Most tickets are already gone. Don’t miss out. Register today at jnf.org/global and let’s Unite for Israel’s Future.