BECAUSE OF YOU…
Hedva is just one of many Israeli artisans and small business owners in Israel’s Western Galilee who are represented in JNF-USA’s Online Mitzvah Marketplace. The Marketplace was opened in response to the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, Israel’s Western Galilee region welcomed over 2 million tourists annually and the tourism industry employed 40% of the region’s residents. When travel to Israel came to an abrupt halt, small businesses in that area were unable to sell their products to tourists. Western Galilee Now CEO Michal Shiloah Galnoor notes that the online marketplace was a lifeline when many small businesses needed one. “As much as the pandemic hurt people, the Mitzvah Marketplace gave our small businesses access to clients whom they wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise,” she said. “And because of that, many were able to stay in business.”
Hedva Klein’s site on the Marketplace showcases her one-of-a-kind jewelry creations. She is a brilliant jewelry designer who has taken her love of books and the printed page and turned it into fabulous wearable art. What looks like cork or feathers or leaves are layers of die-cut book pages in a multitude of languages and, in some cases additional pieces of colored papers. Combine these elements with modern beads and you’ve got unique, stunning, customizable necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
From baked goods to boutique chocolates, crafts to cosmetics, honey to handmade percussion instruments, all of these and more are available in the Marketplace. It is part of the JNF-USA’s Go North initiative which is revitalizing the region, with the goal of bringing 300,000 new residents to the area and supporting them with critical modern infrastructure, increased tourism, and opportunities for education and employment. The Go North strategic initiative to strengthen and grow the region is vital for the long-term strength and prosperity of our Jewish homeland.
JNF-USA’s strategy to help grow the region included establishing the Western Galilee Tourist Information Center in Akko as a gateway to the region. It is instrumental in fostering co-existence between Arabs and Jews and is the home to local artists and small business owners. In May 2021, when rioters looted the city of Akko, small businesses were destroyed and property was damaged, including JNF-USA’s Tourist Information Center. The organization immediately went to work, with students from its Frontier Israel program volunteering to clean up the area. “Every day, those students were cleaning up rubble, making the area livable again,” said Galnoor. “It was inspiring to see these young men and women step up and make a difference.”
The Galilee is recovering from both the pandemic and the recent attacks because of the support of the important work that JNF-USA does in the region. And because of you.
Written by Jackie Goldstein, Co-Chair of JNF-USA Women for Israel in Atlanta and Marty Betagole, Women for Israel Circle of Sapphire