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Togethervm
B'Yachad: The Newsletter of Jewish National Fund
www.jnf.org
On Wednesday September 17, 2008, the Jewish community
of Detroit came together to honor Gina and Arthur Horwitz,
recipients of Jewish National Fund's 2008 Tree of Life Award.
The "picnic in Be'er Sheva" themed dinner was a great evening,
raising money for JNF's vital work in Be'er Sheva.
1. Dinner Co-Chair Ron Elkus, JNF National Campaign Coordinator Rick Krosnick, Tree of Life
Honorees Arthur and Gina Horwitz, Dinner Co-Chair Mindy Soble, Be'er-Sheva River Project
Director ltai Freeman and JNF Michigan Region President and Dinner Co-Chair Jim Hiller
2. Gina and Arthur Horwitz share with the four hundred attendees their long family history and
connection to JNF and Israel as they accept the 2008 JNF Tree of Life Award.
3. Neal Zalenko, past JNF Michigan Region President, and Hannan Lis, JNF Midwest Zone President
4. Morry Bednarsh, Jeanette Weissman, Past Tree of Life Honoree Florine Mark, Rabbi Alon and
Leah To /win, and Don Benyas.
Continued on back cover
for
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ISRAEL
JEWISH
NATIONAL FUND
forever.
Jewish National Funt.
Not Just Trees Anymore
Ay- hen most people hear the words "Jewish National
Fund," one word comes to mind: trees. And while
it is true that JNF has planted more than 240 million
trees in Israel since its inception in 1901, many people are not
aware of the other ways in which JNF has strengthened the
nation of Israel over the past 105 years.
During the first half of the 20th century, JNF purchased the
land that would become the State of Israel. After 1948, JNF helped
create new communities so that Jews from around the world
would have a place to call home. Today, JNF is taking on one of
Israel's most pressing problems — alleviating overcrowding in the
nation's cities by creating educational, social, and employment
opportunities in the Negev desert, where 7 new communities have
already been developed.
Rabbi Alfredo Borodowski, Director of the Hartman
Institute, USA said, "The new JNF has developed into the
organization that adopts modern ecological wisdom to
connect land, water, and life, assuring the total development
of the land of Israel. I just hope that our conception of JNF
can evolve as fast as the organization itself."
People are often surprised to learn that an organization that
began with people dropping pennies into pushkes (or "Blue
Boxes") now invests over $6 million each year in research and
development, constantly devising new ways to utilize the land's
natural resources without exploiting them — the delicate balance
commonly referred to as sustainable development. We also
share our technology with our neighbors in the Middle East
and around the world.
According to JNF's VP of Endowments and Special
Projects, Bud Levin, "We have become the vehicle of modern
Zionism for the United States. There are many Jewish
philanthropies that serve the Jewish people. There are many
Jewish philanthropic organizations that raise funds to help
the people of Israel and Jews around the world. But JNF
has always focused on its mission statement. We are the
caretakers of the land of Israel on behalf of its owners -
Jewish people everywhere."
To learn more about JNF's crucial work in
Israel, please call your local office at 888-JNF-
0099 or visit us online at wwvv.jntorg.1
Jewish National Fund • 27600 Farmington Rd, Ste. 204, Farmington Hills, Ml 48334 • 888.JNF.0099