I’m a Woman for Israel Because...
“I am a Woman for Israel because Israel is my home" says Ann Zinman, past Vice President of the Jewish National Fund-USA National Women for Israel Executive Board.
“Each time I’m in Israel and hear Hatikvah, I am brought to tears. I cry a lot in Israel. Tears of joy at the fact that I have a place to call home, a Jewish Homeland.”
Ann’s family history has likely influenced her and her views of the Jewish homeland. Her parents were survivors, originally from a part of Poland, which is now part of Ukraine. Her mother was taken to a labor camp in Siberia at 12 years old and her father survived in the woods on his own. Eventually, they both made their way to Calgary, Canada. Her parents always had Tzedakah boxes in their home and “gave what they could.” Ann has been inspired by her parents and their commitment to give back.
Ann, now living in Arizona, became involved with Jewish National Fund-USA in 2009 after attending a meeting and shortly thereafter joining the Board of Directors of the Desert States Region. She went from that initial step to becoming President of the Region and remains an active member of that board. Today, she serves on JNF-USA’s National Board as Vice President - Small Communities, on the National Woman for Israel Executive Board, as a task force member of “Rebuild the Envelope” Task Force and as a Liaison to the Society for Preservation of Israel Historical Sites Task Force. Ann is also a member of Friends of Green Horizons. Clearly, Ann is a steadfast advocate for JNF-USA! To learn about the many JNF-USA task forces and how they work to further JNF-USA’s mission to support the land and people of Israel, CLICK HERE.
Ann and her Small Communities committee are “always looking for connectors” in communities across the U.S. with less than 5,000 Jews. They write letters to the local JCCs, donors, Rabbis - any entrée into the community. They travel to the towns and meet with people one-on-one to find out what people need and want. JNF-USA now has 10 communities engaged with the organization. Among them are Colorado Springs near Denver, Columbia, SC, Greensboro, NC, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The idea is to establish JNF-USA in these small communities and be the “boots on the ground” for the organization.
But the pull to visit Israel, where Ann “has a place to call home” is ever-present. In mid-January, Ann went on a Volunteer Mission to Israel with JNF-USA along with 180 people. Says Ann, “I came on this trip to help wherever I could.” She felt totally safe as she and her group picked oranges, played with the children of evacuees in a hotel, went to the Soroka Hospital to see and hear how they handled the crisis, visited the Nova Music site, and participated in rebuilding Kibbutz Erez for evacuated residents who hope to return.
“Visiting the Nova Music Festival site made my stomach churn. Walking through the simulated tunnels at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv gave me a terrifying sense of what the hostages are going through,” continued Ann. “The people in the Israel Envelope need us. JNF-USA is the best organization for Israel right now, because they have staff on the ground and, over the years, they have built strategic relationships with key people in Israel who know what’s needed where and when. I’d love for everyone, especially women, to come here and join what I’m doing. The people in this region need you here. So, pack your bags and sign up now.”
Join one of our Volunteer in Israel Missions to provide immediate relief to the land and people of Israel. Spend 4 meaningful days providing hands-on support to people from communities across the Israel Envelope and the Galilee. When you help a community move back, watch a child walk into their school, dance with an IDF soldier, see the gratitude in a farmer’s eyes, you will never be the same. To participate in a JNF-USA Volunteer in Israel Mission, CLICK HERE.
Written by Elyse Ingber, Chair, Long Island Women for Israel Steering Committee