SARASOTA, Fla., June 24, 2022 — On Thursday, June 16, 2022, philanthropists in Sarasota joined Jewish National Fund-USA at the home of Joan and Dr. Bart Levenson, Chairperson, JNF-USA Sarasota Board of Directors, to learn how the organization’s affiliate, Lauder Employment Center (LEC), is supporting refugees from the crisis in Ukraine and making high-quality job opportunities accessible to new and existing residents living in the country’s Negev and Galilee regions — thus attracting thousands of Israelis away from Israel’s overcrowded, expensive center.
L-R: Joan Levenson; Bart Levenson, Chairperson, Sarasota Board of Directors; Brenda Johnston, Sarasota Board of Directors; Joshua Mellits, Director, Western Florida, Jewish National Fund-USA
The event featured guest speaker, Megan Turner, LEC’s Director of Partnerships, who highlighted how the center maintains relationships with over 850 employers and helps match candidates with professional tools, guidance, internships, on-the-job experience, employment solutions, and job creation. LEC’s first campus, located near Be’er Sheva, had such a successful business model, a second campus, LEC North, was recently established in Akko. Turner also discussed how LEC was one of the first organizations in Israel to provide crucial emergency support for Ukrainian refugees immigrating to the Negev.
“Jewish National Fund-USA is always at the forefront of critical issues in Israel, ready to help and support in big ways and small,” said Turner. “Together with JNF-USA, we identified employment opportunities for these refugees early on, and now LEC has more than 2,000 jobs ready to be filled. These jobs were mapped out and matched to this specific population, ensuring these highly skilled and educated individuals can reach their full potential when they begin their new lives and new careers in Israel.”
“Jewish National Fund-USA’s longstanding reputation opens many doors for its affiliates, oftentimes making the impossible, possible,” added the Levensons. “It’s incredible to hear how JNF-USA is helping grow the population in Israel’s frontier, as well as how the organization is helping refugees from Ukraine and migrants who have come by choice or necessity, integrate into their new country through high-quality job placements.”
To learn more about the Lauder Employment Center or for more information about how Jewish National Fund-USA is supporting Ukrainian refugees, contact Joshua Mellits, JNF-USA Director, Western Florida at 941-462-1330 x865 or jmellits@jnf.org.
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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.