UPDATE TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS. Spring 2018

Transcription

1 UPDATE TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS Spring 2018

2 Dear Friends, We are pleased to send you the monthly update to the Board of Governors on activities, challenges, and ongoing issues. As always, we welcome your feedback and comments. With Passover coming upon us, we wish you, your loved ones, and the entire Jewish people a happy holiday. Natan Sharansky Chairman of the Executive Michael Siegal Chairman of the Board Celebrating with Natan Sharansky Photo Credit: Jonathan Levine On March 7 at the Cipriani 25 event venue in downtown New York City, The Jewish Agency for Israel celebrated the exceptional achievements of Natan Sharansky, as he completes his nine-year tenure as the organization s Chairman of the Executive. At An Evening of Storytelling to Celebrate with Natan, special guests former U.S. President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led tributes to our iconic Chairman. The event was chaired by Jim and Merryl Tisch, with honorary chairs Sheldon and Dr. Miri Adelson. It inspired $6 million in pledges to support the founding of The Jewish Agency s new Shlichut Institute, which will raise the level of preparation and ongoing training to help our shlichim thrive amid the evermore-complex challenges of Israel engagement today. The evening s program was developed by The Jewish Agency s Marketing Unit. Vera Golovensky, Natan s senior advisor, was a key figure in both the financial resource development and the program planning.

3 The evening s presenters recounted how their lives have been influenced by Sharansky and the qualities that characterize him: tenacity, faith, humor, optimism, chutzpah and courage. They included Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein, prominent Russian-Israeli singer and actress Ania Bukstein, Rabbi Avi Weiss of New York, Natan s daughter Rachel, and Miryam Khononov, a Russian-Israeli Israel Campus Fellow to Columbia University. Julia Koschitzky and Michael Siegal toasted Natan after Jim Tisch s welcome. A highlight of the evening was a conversation On Democracy and Freedom between George W. Bush and Sharansky, moderated by American journalist and newscaster Paula Zahn. Marking the next chapter in the story of its celebrated leader, The Jewish Agency launched The Shlichut Institute with Sharansky as the Founding Chair. Dozens of Shlichim (Israeli emissaries) joined the evening s celebration to bring the importance of their role to life. A trending hashtag, #CelebrateWithNatan, invited friends around the world to share their Jewish story and take part in this celebration. At last count, that hashtag has had more than 13 million Twitter and Instagram social media impressions. Natan Sharansky has embodied The Jewish Agency s goal of building unbreakable bonds between all Jews. The gala extraordinary event was a fittingly warm and memorable tribute to a man who has done so much for the Jewish People and Israel. Click here to watch (and share!) the tribute video that was shown at the dinner. Upcoming MK Missions to Jewish Communities in the Diaspora In the framework of The Jewish Agency s ongoing joint initiative with the Knesset to bring dozens of MKs and Israeli government decision makers to Jewish communities worldwide, we continue to hold missions to Jewish communities in the Diaspora. These visits are critical for strengthening bonds with the Jewish world and deepening Israeli leaders understanding of the challenges facing the Diaspora. In April, we will bring MKs to the Jewish Federations of Chicago, Palm Beach and Boca Raton, in cooperation with the JFNA. The participants are Deputy Minister of Defense MK Eli Ben-Dahan (Ha'Bayit Ha'Yehudi), Deputy Speaker of Knesset MK Nava Boker (Likud), MK Avraham Negoise (Likud), MK Amir Ohana (Likud), MK David Bitan (Likud), Deputy Speaker of Knesset MK Meir Cohen (Yesh Atid) and MK Omer Bar-Lev (Labor). In May, a mission to St. Petersburg for members of senior government and Knesset aides will include MK David Bitan (Likud), MK Yoel Razvozov (Yesh Atid), MK Yoel Hasson (Chair of the Zionist Camp Faction), and MK Tali Ploskov (Kulanu; Deputy Speaker of Knesset), as well as Albert Sakharovich, the Director General of the Knesset. Both trips will be accompanied by Josh Schwarcz.

4 P2G Youth from Zichron Yaakov Show Solidarity at Site of Florida School Shooting A makeshift memorial has been created on the fence that surrounds Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the site of a shooting in February that killed 14 teenagers and three staff members. Flowers, crosses, banners and cards adorn the fence, many bearing symbols of states beyond Florida, including Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Minnesota, and New Jersey. The official flag of the municipality of Zichron Yaakov is now part of this display of solidarity. It was brought there by a delegation of 13 teens who were about to travel to South Palm Beach County on a Partnership2Gether mission when they heard about the shooting. I think it s very important that they know they re not alone, and they have support and people are standing with them, said Uri Klempner, a sophomore in Zichron. When it happened, the mayor of Zichron Yaakov was like OK, let me get you a flag. It was five hours before our flight. It was important to the students, he said, to pay respects in person. When we hear that teenagers are being killed in school, which is supposed to be a safe place, it s tragic and horrifying for us, Uri said. It s hard for us to comprehend. I was very shocked, and I felt very touched by the teenagers who are working to making a change. The European Shlichim Conference Around 50 shlichim, heads of offices and partners participated in the European Schlichim Conference in February in Budapest, Hungary. The conference addressed the challenges inherent in connecting young European Jews to Israel in the 21 st century, and aimed to strengthen the community of Shlichim, develop them professionally, and provide inspiration for future activities. The participants also visited local Jewish programs in Budapest that were initiated at the grassroots level by young adult alumni of Jewish Agency programming, and took part in a hackathon run by the Strategy, Planning and Content Unit.

5 Passover Seder for New Immigrants On March 30, nearly 1,400 new immigrants from Ethiopia will celebrate their very first Passover in the land of Israel, at a huge Jewish Agency Seder for those who live in five of our absorption centers. An event of this scale requires tremendous amounts of logistics, and our staff have worked hard to find a suitable venue, purchase Haggadot in Amharic, arrange the meal and all the items needed for the Seder rituals, etc. Many Israelis have volunteered to celebrate with the Olim and to help lead the Seder. As part of the preparations, each absorption center is conducting a model Seder to teach the olim what to expect. Employment Fair for New Immigrants On March 5 the Unit for Aliyah, Absorption and Special Operations held an employment fair in Haifa for graduates of our absorption programs in northern Israel. Approximately 1,000 olim participated, discussing thousands of actual job openings with representatives of 86 companies including Philips, Matrix, Zim, Strauss, Osem, the Israeli national health funds, hospitals, and more. Both the olim and the employers reported feeling the Fair was successful, and many of the olim are now in more advanced stages of the hiring process. The Aliyah unit holds regional employment fairs every six months, in three different regions of Israel. The fairs are coordinated together with local municipal authorities and with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration. Tikkun Olam in South Africa The Jewish Agency s delegation to South Africa has initiated a new program, Your Neighbor (Makhelwane in Zulu), which encourages local Jewish youth to volunteer with impoverished children in nearby areas. The Shlichim operate the program in conjunction with the King David school, Jewish youth movements, and other organizations in the Jewish community of Johannesburg, as well as with the Kliptown community center in the Soweto neighborhood. In the first of what will be a monthly event, young Jewish volunteers spent a Sunday at the center providing extra-curricular enrichment to children in math, literature and English. June 2018 Board of Governors Meetings The June 2018 Board meetings will take place from Sunday, June 24, through Tuesday, June 26, 2018 in Jerusalem. Details to follow.