PLANT TREES IN ISRAEL

WEEKLY UPDATES 1.12.18 – JEWISH NATIONAL FUND

 

Dear JNF Campaign Leaders:

 

With a significant boost to our campaign from End of Year donors, we are now at $483 million toward our $1 Billion goal.  If our pace continues at this clip, I believe we will go over the $500 million mark by the end of our Chai at $1,000 spring campaign.

Speaking of the $1,000 General Campaign giving level, please be sure you and your professional staff are reviewing your Campaign Progress Report (CPR) on a regular basis to check your community performance against your annual goal, as well as your pace compared to the last two campaign years.  While our overall dollars look strong, we are a little behind at the $1,000 giving level.  You can review your CPR and see who gave last year, but has not yet made their annual gift.  We are more than 1/4 through our 2018 fiscal campaign year, but because the first quarter is one of our strongest, your community campaign should actually be more than 30% toward your annual goal.  Use that as a measure of your progress.  Your JNF professional fundraiser can run a CPR at any time to review with your local leadership team.

Shabbat Shalom,




 

 

Bruce K. Gould
President Elect and Vice President, Campaign


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D’Var Torah

By Yossi Kahana

In last week's Parshah, Moses cried bitterly to G-d about the hardships that the Jews were experiencing. Now, in Parshah Va'eira, G-d speaks to Moses and promises him that he will indeed save the Jews. He tells him that he must go to Pharaoh and demand that he let the Jews out of Egypt.

Indeed, Moses is the greatest of all Jewish leaders and arguably the greatest leader of all time. Moses was handpicked by G-d and perfectly executed His most important mission—redeeming His People from slavery in Egypt, the regional super power of the time, to freedom and Divine Revelation through earth-shattering and supernatural miracles. He guided three million people, from infants to the elderly, through the arid Sinai Peninsula and brought them to the brink of the Promised Land, reflecting a leadership career of greatness, humility and selflessness.

There are myriad leadership lessons to be learnt from Moses. Much ink has been spent and many books have been written to describe in detail these phenomenal leadership attributes. Torah also teaches us that Moses’s speech impediment did not disqualify him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When asked to lead the Israelites, Moses initially objects that he is “heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue”— a phrase that has led many rabbinic interpreters to assume that he spoke with a stutter or lisp. In response, G-d affirms Moses’s many capabilities and notes that his brother Aaron can offer any support that Moses needs to fulfill his responsibilities.

Our colleague, Itzik Becher, Director of Major Gifts, Desert States shared the following from Rabbi Pinchas Allouche about the greatest Jewish leader Moses who took us out of Egypt. Rabbi Allouche encourages each and every Jew “to find their own Moses within themselves, and deliver themselves out of their own Egypt. Be a leader!”

Each and every one of us has the opportunity to make the world a little bit better than what we inherited. Like the confidence G-d has in Moses, we should each have confidence in our own abilities and the impact that we can have as individuals on society as a whole.


PARTNER UPDATES

Adopt a Heritage Site

Every year, Jewish National Fund partner Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites provides a myriad of special activities and programs to students, volunteers, and guides through its education department. One of the most successful programs is the “Adopt a Heritage Site” program. As a part of this activity, schoolchildren “adopt” a specific heritage site in their area, where they learn about the site’s history and are given hands-on experience in preservation. In 2017, over 200 school groups participated in the “Adopt a Heritage Site” program at 60 different heritage sites around the country. This important initiative provides students with a fun and interactive way to learn about, and help preserve, Israel's history and brave pathway to independence.

Employment Marathon

Jewish National Fund partner Eretz-Ir hosted its 6th "Employment Marathon" for young adults looking to enter the workforce. Participants were very satisfied with the guidance they received, from help with job search tools, how to prepare for a job interview, and more.

Halutza Communities

Last week, two Jewish National Fund groups visited the Halutza communities. JNFuture Volunteer Vacation participants worked on a beautification project at a local school, while Alternative Break participants worked to make the heart of the Naveh community more amazing.

The Theresa Lungwitz Supportive Care Center

Theresa Lungwitz, Jewish National Fund's most recent World Chairman Donor in Arizona, visited Jewish National Fund partner ALEH Negev-Nachalat Eran this week on a professional tour, helping to launch The Theresa Lungwitz Supportive Care Center program within the upcoming new Rehabilitation hospital. Owner of Thema Health Services, Theresa volunteered to assist Aleh Negev’s professional staff in creating a training program supporting families in trauma. The visit included meetings with doctors, social workers and the directors of ALEH Negev as well as participating in project “929” Torah studies at the home of the President of Israel Mr. Reuven Rivlin.

Special in the IDF

This week, 20 children from The Tikvah Program at Camp Ramah traveled to Israel with Taglit-Birthright. These children who have disabilities, spent a day with Jewish National Fund partner Special in Uniform to enjoy the experience of being a soldier for a day.

Young Leadership Farm Program

This week the Young Leadership Farm program participants held a farmers market in the center of Hadera, where the community farm is located. They sold the crops that they themselves planted along with the Youth Organization participants, to raise money for future trips and activities and to help keep the farm growing!

 

 

 



PLANT TREES IN ISRAEL