CAMPAIGN UPDATE

We have had a good week of fundraising. Our 2019 annual campaign is running 7% ahead of last year in dollars raised, and we are 11% ahead of last year in the number of major gifts closed.  Our General Campaign division ($1,000 +) is also doing well compared to the same date last year with a 6% increase in the number of gift units closed. We continue to advance toward our ten-year $1 Billion goal and are at $581 million.

2019@$1000 

As a national team, we have closed more than 900 gifts for 7.6 million. Keep up the great work!

These communities have closed a minimum of 30 gift units at $1,000 or more:

• Greater Los Angeles
• Illinois
• Mid-Atlantic
• Mountain States
• Nevada 
• New England
• Northern California
• Northern Florida
• San Diego
• Southern Florida
• Tri-State (Greater New York area)

I want to alert you that Tuesday, March 19 is NATIONAL JNF CLOSING DAY. As part of our 2019@$1,000 campaign, all JNF offices will limit outside meetings and work the phones to close outstanding gifts. You can help. Please offer to spend an hour in your local office and make some phone calls.

MAJOR DONOR WEEKEND

Please join us in Las Vegas for our annual Major Donor Weekend April 5 – 8 at the Four Seasons Hotel. Many fun and interesting programs are planned, including a wonderful Shabbat Dinner with JNFuture leaders from around the country, VIP tickets to the Cirque du Soleil show Mystere, a visit to the MOB Museum and a book signing with former mobster Myron Sugarman, the author of The Chronicles of the Last Jewish Gangster. You are also invited to attend an open meeting of JNF’s National Board of Directors on Monday morning, April 8th.   To register for major donor weekend, click here:  www.jnf.org/majordonorweekend

CAMPAIGN PLANNING SUMMIT AND NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Because this year’s National Conference is taking place so early on the calendar, September 13-15, we have decided to schedule the annual Campaign Planning Summit for the Monday immediately after the conference on September 16. The Summit will be a one day meeting from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm and is open to any lay leader serving on a JNF board, committee or task force.

Registration for the Campaign Planning Summit is included on the National Conference registration page. Please be sure to register for the National Conference and on the drop down menu there is a place to indicate you will attend the Campaign Summit. Click here to register for National Conference:  https://www.jnf.org/events-landing-pages/2019-national-conference

LAY LEADER TRAINING SEMINAR

The next training session will take place March 27 and will focus on solicitation training.

If you missed any of our previous training sessions, you can click below to watch the videos.

Leadership Training Seminar #1 (9/13/18) – History of Zionism and Jewish National Fund

Leadership Training Seminar #2 (11/14/18) – The Power of the JNF Brand and Brand Management

JNF Organizational Overview and Financial Structure #3 (1/16/19)

Shabbat Shalom!

Bruce K. Gould
President Elect and Vice President, Campaign

B’Yachad is proud to be the largest Jewish-American newsletter in circulation. To ensure that we continue to produce an engaging and informative publication on the life-changing work you and Jewish National Fund accomplish for the land and people of Israel, we want your feedback. Your response is valued and will help us elevate B’Yachad even more! Please take a moment to take our short survey.

Don’t miss the latest episodes of IsraelCast! Most recently, we heard from Alon Aviel, liaison to Jewish National Fund partner Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center. Listen to this inspiring conversation now at jnf.org/israelcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

We welcomed students from Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Maryland to campus this week. Our Co-CEO, Rabbi Leor Sinai recorded a special episode of Jewish National Fund’s own IsraelCast podcast in our own Radio Studio! Look out for that to be released in the coming weeks. Stateside, our recruitment leadership continued to work hard, and we were pleased to participate and present at the National Association for Independent Schools (NAIS) annual convention in Sourthern California. And, of course, we were proud to host the final moments of JNF’s Mega Mission, and in addition to our tour and programming, we had a great time facilitating a special B’Yachad sing-along with the 150 incredible leaders who participated in the trip.

This past week, Jewish National Fund featured prominently in the media. Read two featured Jerusalem Post stories below!

Jerusalem Post: Inspiring Generations to Be Inscribed

Jerusalem Post: 10 Years Later, Sderot Playground Remains Staple of Community  

I’m in Israel with 150 JNF lay leaders on the Israel Relations Committee & Task Forces Mega Mission. What drives so many dedicated people to do so much for Israel? Let’s take a look at this this week’s Torah portion Vayakhel, where G-d commands the donation of materials for the construction of the Mishkan. All kinds of material were required for the Mishkan's construction: metals (gold, silver and copper); fabrics and materials (wool, linen and skins); wood, oil, spices and precious stones.

As soon as Moses finished talking, the people began collecting items to donate to the Mishkan. The people were so happy to contribute that they brought everything they had: jewelry and material and skins and fabrics. They brought so much, that Moses had to tell them to stop.

Next, the Torah describes the workers who volunteered to build the Mishkan as "every man whose heart inspired him." These Israelites had absolutely no experience in this type of unique construction. What then made them qualified to carry it forth? The answer: Their "hearts inspired them." In other words, they had a desire. They were eager to do it. And by virtue of this desire and eagerness, they became qualified and they rose to the occasion.

We’re taught that the most essential ingredient is not contemplation or analysis, but action. When we’re presented with an opportunity to do a mitzvah, to become more religiously observant or to get involved in a worthwhile endeavor, let us lighten up a bit on the philosophical introspection and self-examination and "Just do it!" 

This is what makes our leadership and donors so special. They are truly an inspiration, and they move others to join them. Each stand up and don’t just talk about what they want to do, or how things can be done better; they take action and they make things happen even if it is something they have not done before. They join Task Forces, they become Makor members, they host parlor meetings, they travel to Israel to see JNF’s work and meet with our partners and they do so much more.

Shabbat Shalom,

Yossi