IsraelCast Episode 142

Overseeing more than 180 heritage sites around the country, The Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites (SPIHS), a JNF-USA affiliate, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Israel’s historically significant locations, ensuring that learning about the past is readily available to the present and future generations. Jewish National Fund-USA supports SPIHS as part of its efforts to increase visitation and elevate the importance of Israel’s history to residents and tourists alike. Host Steven Shalowitz sits down with Noa Gefen, the Executive Vice-Chairman of SPIHS, to discuss the stories behind several of our heritage sites, the importance of preserving and learning from history, and how Jewish National Fund-USA has supported renovations of heritage sites both famous and overlooked.

As the Executive Vice-Chairman of SPIHS, Noa Gefen is helping SPIHS undertake new restoration and preservation projects every year. Sites include the Ayalon Institute—an underground bullet factory during Mandatory Palestine, as well as the Atlit Detention Camp—where the clandestine immigrants from Europe, as well as Arab countries, were detained before the establishment of the State of Israel. Noa previously served as a Training Manager at Stanford University and as Training and Development Manager at Israel’s largest logistics company, Bar Group.