WASHINGTON, DC., January 25, 2023 — On Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 8:30 am ET, Jewish National Fund-USA’s annual Breakfast for Israel will be held at B’nai Israel Congregation in Rockville. The free community event will celebrate Israel’s 75th anniversary, address ongoing issues the Jewish community has faced, and highlight several of the organization’s programs supporting the land and people of Israel.
Co-chaired by Dr. Orlee & Irwin Panitch and Suzanne & Josh Schonfeld, the event will also feature keynote speaker Dr. Rachel Fish, a world-renowned expert in combatting anti-Zionism and Jew hatred. The Founding Executive Director of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism who previously served as Senior Advisor and Resident Scholar of Jewish/Israel Philanthropy at the Paul E. Singer Foundation in New York City, Dr. Fish is also the co-author of the book Essential Israel: Essays for the Twenty-First Century.
Rachel Fish
In a recent interview, Fish discussed the current climate of anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses and how it negatively affects Jews. “When there’s a professor who stands up and uses his class as a bully pulpit to rail against Israel…when a syllabus is biased and completely one-sided and doesn’t actually explore the complexity of the multiple perspectives that exist…this is very clearly no longer about Israel, even if Israel is part of the equation,” said Fish. “This is about Jews. This is a clear insensitivity towards Judaism, towards Jews, and towards the Jewish State, because we know there’s a double standard.”
“I cannot wait to celebrate Israel’s 75th anniversary with friends old and new at this year’s Breakfast for Israel,” said event co-chair Orlee Panitch. “We will mark this important milestone in Jewish history, hear from a leading expert in combatting antisemitism, a topic relevant both throughout Jewish history and today, and learn about Jewish National Fund-USA’s breathtaking array of initiatives that support the land and people of Israel, from education to supporting Israelis with disabilities. This event is an exciting opportunity to connect with your fellow supporters of Israel in your community, and one nobody will want to miss.”
As the leading philanthropic organization supporting critical environmental and nation-building activities in Israel’s north and south, Jewish National Fund-USA professionals and partners from the DC area will also discuss the organization’s many game-changing projects that will impact the Jewish homeland and global Jewry for generations to come, including those that make Israel inclusive for all, increase water supply, support forestry and green innovations, and educate the next generation of Jewish Zionist leaders.
For more information and to register for the complimentary event, go to jnf.org/BFIDC or contact Adam Tennen, Executive Director, Mid Atlantic at atennen@jnf.org or 301.589.8565 x842.
###
Media Contact:
Jennifer Milton
561-447-9733 x875
jmilton@jnf.org
About Jewish National Fund-USA
JNF-USA is the leading philanthropic organization for Israel that supports critical environmental and nation-building activities in Israel’s north and south. Through its One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade, JNF-USA is developing new communities in the Galilee and Negev, connecting the next generation to Israel, and creating infrastructure and programs that support ecology, individuals with special needs, and heritage site preservation.