Jewish National Fund 2015 Year in Review
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JEWISH NATIONAL FUND 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW HERITAGE SITES DISABILITIES & SPECIAL NEEDS FORESTRY & GREEN INNOVATION RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT WATER SOLUTIONS ZIONIST EDUCATION & ADVOCACY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Thanks to you and the generations of donors who have come before, Jewish National Fund remains the preeminent leader in building Israel for the many who call our Jewish homeland home, and for those who hope to. Our long-term vision to improve the quality of life for Israel’s residents and develop the land is what defines us, but we do so much more. In 2015 we realized many achievements due to your support. Thank you for being a valued member of the JNF family. Today we are $325 million closer towards reaching the goals set forth in our $1 Billion Roadmap for the Next Decade. With your assistance we have taken the desert sands of Israel and built attractive and thriving communities for Israelis to live and raise families in. In addition to our work in afforestation, green innovations, and research and development, JNF is growing Northern Israel’s population and economy; expanding on our amazing successes in water solutions, that have been used to combat drought and water scarcity around the planet; and connecting thousands from the U.S. to Israel on our one-of-a-kind missions and trips. But there is still so much more to do in a nation that is 60% desert. As we look to the future, I am excited by the energy emanating from our young professionals. JNFuture, which is comprised of 23-40-year-olds, remains JNF’s fastest growing group and is passionate about protecting the environment, R & D, education, and innovation. Like the donors who helped establish JNF in 1901, today’s young leaders want to see the Jewish homeland survive and succeed. With JNF, they see how their own dollars are making a difference. JNF consistently receives high ratings from organizations such as Charity Navigator and Charity Watch for its financial accountability and transparency. Program Allocations Disabilities & Special Needs - 5% Forestry & Green Innovations - 8% Zionist Education & Advocacy - 10% Water Solutions - 20% Research & Development - 4% Heritage Sites - 3% Community Building - 50% To carry on the important mission of Zionist education and advocacy, this year we opened the JNF Boruchin Israel Education and Advocacy Center with the purpose of increasing funding for JNF and non-JNF programs to reach broader audiences and increase Zionist advocacy in critically needed areas. Additionally, the Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI-JNF) has undergone major campus renovations and remains the best educational experience in connecting Jewish youth to Israel. To counter anti-Israel rhetoric, we have further strengthened our Positively Israel campaign to highlight the incredible work that Israel does every day to make the world better. I am very proud of all that we accomplished and encourage you to take a look at what you helped achieve this year. With my very best wishes, Jeffrey E. Levine President, Jewish National Fund COMMUNITY BUILDING JNF enhances quality of life by building new the Western Galilee, it will open in spring 2016. communities and bolstering existing ones. JNF’s • JNF’s partnership with Western Galilee Now, Blueprint Negev initiative is helping to bring hundreds a consortium of tour guides and businesses, of thousands of new residents to the Negev Desert and including wineries, boutique dairies, artisans and its Go North initiative is focusing on the communities of more, continued to help grow local businesses and Northern Israel. increase employment opportunities. AKKO BEIT SHE’AN & VALLEY OF THE SPRINGS Akko hosts about 2.5 million domestic and foreign JNF has long recognized that to bring 300,000 new visitors per year, but due to the city’s close proximity to residents to Northern Israel and meet the goals set in the center of the country, many travelers simply return the Go North initiative, engaging programming must be home or elsewhere at the end of the day. Few take offered to inspire the city’s 25-40 year-olds to lay down advantage of the vast expanse of natural beauty that roots and stay in the area. runs east from the city’s sandy beaches and north to • Beit She’an Young Leadership Center is currently the green and forested border. in the planning phase and, once completed, will • JNF Western Galilee Visitor Center is being built overlook the scenic Valley of the Springs. in a 200-year-old building in Akko’s old city. The • Young adults in Beit She’an and the Valley of gateway to hundreds of destinations throughout the Springs meet throughout the year, and JNF’s jnf.org • 800.JNF.0099 3 CENTRAL ARAVA Residents of the Central Arava, an arid desert region in Southern Israel, face many challenges, including a harsh desert climate, large distances between communities, and the lack of resources available in urban centers. • The Danielle A. and Irving J. Grossman Sapir Medical Center has raised a high standard of performance and service with lifesaving medical care for 8,000 residents in this remote region. It has also brought employment to the area, adding new paramedics and increasing the amount of professional doctors on call. • The Sapir Command & Rescue Center, situated directly next to the Sapir Medical Center, is in final planning stages. • The Zukim Kindergarten, dedicated in memory of Joanne B. Simches, is the third new kindergarten built in recent years and life is improving for the 14 children who previously spent their days in an old damp caravan. In total, 42 children are currently in the preschool system. • Kibbutz Yahel Physician Housing Compound is dedicated to attracting top-quality physicians to relocate to the area requires providing good housing. Plans for five new homes have been completed, and construction is forthcoming. EREZ COLLEGE The small northern town of Shlomi has been home to Erez College since 1975. Since its establishment, Shlomi has more than tripled in size, drawing students from work impacts hundreds of young people from 13 all over the region. With the discovery of natural gas kibbutzim and two moshavim. fields in the Mediterranean, a new industry is in dire • A Spring Housing and Home Renovation need of educated and trained engineers to cultivate and Convention that JNF sponsored attracted young manage gas exploration and distribution. adults from the area and was attended by several • Natural Gas Lab – A new practical mechanical hundred locals and others from outside the area engineering program is offered in the college’s interested in moving to the valley. state-of-the-art natural gas labs, developed through a unique partnership with JNF. BE’ER SHEVA Thanks to JNF’s efforts in Be’er Sheva, the desert GUSH ETZION city boasts a thriving business district with new JNF has deep roots in Gush Etzion. It is an important restaurants, galleries, and shops, encouraging young heritage site for the Jewish people, and the spot is families to call the city home. Private investors and the sacred to those who lost their lives in the War of Israeli government have followed suit, investing tens of Independence. millions of dollars in residential and commercial areas. • Gush Etzion Visitor Center and Museum – In the • The Lauder Employment Center opened in early final stages of construction. 2015 to help find, source, and grow jobs in the • The Three Boys’ Promenade (in memory of area. It also serves as a regional hub for municipal the three young men killed prior to Operation leaders and Bedouin tribal chiefs to collaborate. Protective Edge in 2014) is in the planning phase. • The River Park Playground, a new element in the Be’er Sheva River Park, allows thousands of families to enjoy outdoor activities in a space more than twice the size of NYC’s Central Park. • Lake Complex – Expansion of the Be’er Sheva River Park includes a 90 dunam lake (approx. 22.5 acres) for recreational and sporting use. jnf.org • 800.JNF.0099 4 HALUTZA “The future of Israel lies in the Negev,” said David Ben Gurion, and his dream to see Israel’s southern frontier developed is our reality. The Halutza region includes three towns: B’nai Nezarim, Naveh, and Shlomit. It is now home to 250 families, many of whom were evacuated from Gush Katif. B’NAI NEZARIM 8,000 • Medical Center & Dental Clinic – JNF secured a residents in the Arava now have $1.9 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust to help build a regional medical center. access to quality medical care The center and clinic are in detailed planning. • A new JNF park and playground is operational. • Entranceway – Every town needs a beautiful • Essence of Life Park and Recreation Area – entrance road, and JNF completed one this year. Permits are currently being obtained. • Emergency Headquarters – This new facility is • For the Essence of Life Park, JNF is using completed and fully operational. cutting-edge wetlands technology to build an environmental reclamation area to recycle water NAVEH without electricity. This will serve as a model • Community Center/Ulpana – The new girls’ that can be used in isolated areas anywhere in religious school is completed and operational. Israel and throughout the world. JNF is now in • Kindergarten – Serving a growing population. negotiation for use of space. SHLOMIT PROJECT BASEBALL • Emergency Headquarters – Fully operational. JNF’s Project Baseball is focused on building state-of- • Kindergarten & Playground – In construction. the-art baseball and softball fields throughout the • Day Care Center & Nursery – In construction. country while also supporting and teaching baseball and softball to Israeli youth through little leagues, summer HASHOMER HACHADASH camps, and clinics. Project Baseball gives the children of “The New Guardians,” a JNF partner, aims to continue Israel an opportunity to learn life lessons while building the historic path of the Zionist movement and lasting friendships.