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The Jewish Agency Connection, Issue #4 | February, 2012
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In the coming days, thousands of people will descend on Washington, D.C. for the 2012 AIPAC Policy Conference, where they will spend three days celebrating and strengthening the |
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U.S.-Israel relationship. Accompanying the hundreds of student participants will be no fewer than 20 of our 50 Jewish Agency Israel Fellows to Hillel, who are posted on campuses across North America in a wonderful partnership with Hillel in order to offer Jewish students a personal connection to Israel and Jewish life.
I remember when I first talked about expanding the Israel Fellows program during my first months as chairman of this organization. I found that I was often asked whether I viewed the Jewish Agency as a political organization. The answer, of course, is no, but it is an interesting question and it bears addressing.
Natan Sharansky is Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency. Click here to read his entire message.
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Student hosts picking up their Shabbat dinners
for "Israel Across Penn". |
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Despite its best efforts, the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement against Israel continues to have difficulty gaining traction on college campuses, where Israel supporters have become increasingly sophisticated in their advocacy strategies. Gone are the days of noisy pro-Israel rallies on the quad that grab headlines but hardly move the needle. And when the (BDS) movement announced that its national conference would be held at the University of Pennsylvania, a large group of Jewish students--organized by Sharona Kramer, Penn's Jewish Agency Israel Fellow to Hillel--seized the opportunity to educate their peers.
Click here to read more. |
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Jewish Agency treasurer Eliezer Kaplan arrived in New York to announce a $5 million emergency campaign for world Jewry in view of the "grim danger" on the horizon. Saying that "American Jewry will fulfill the duty devolving upon it in the historic trial now facing the Jewish people," Kaplan also called for increased political cooperation between the U.S. government and the Jewish Agency. (Source JTA) |
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The Jewish Agency's social media guru, Avi Mayer, has launched "Ask Natan Anything"--a Twitter and Facebook campaign inviting you to ask Natan Sharansky, the Jewish Agency's chairman of the executive, about his extraordinary life, his goals for the Jewish Agency, his vision for the Jewish future, or even his favorite chess opening. To ask a question, simply post it to our Facebook page or tweet it to #asknatan.
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JFNA Heart-to-Heart Mission participants learn to bake Moroccan desserts during a visit to Moshav Gefen, near Beit Shemesh.
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In a recent visit to Beit Shemesh, coordinated by the Jewish Agency's Partnership 2Gether program, the 150 participants on the Jewish Federation of North America's Heart-to-Heart mission learned that the ties that bind Jews--regardless of their cultural or religious background--are far stronger than the differences that divide us.
Click here to to read more. |
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The Marker, Israel's most prominent business publication recently ran an op-ed piece written by Yaron Neudorfer, the Jewish Agency's Chief Financial Officer. Neudorfer's piece challenged Jewish non-profits to meet the increasing demand from donors, who want to fund innovative organizations that are aligned in every way with the global priorities of the Jewish people and can show a history of success.
Click here to read the full essay. |
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For tens of thousands of Ethiopian Israelis, their plane trip to Tel Aviv was one of the most anticipated few hours of their lives. Recently, a delegation from the UJA Federation of New York--led by president Jerry Levin and executive vice president and CEO John Ruskay--joined a group of Ethiopians on their journey from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv. While in Ethiopia, prior to the journey, the delegation visited the Jewish Agency's community center, where it houses and assists some 4,000 people preparing for Aliyah.
Click here to read Ruskay's firsthand account. |
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Jewish Week of New York published Natan Sharansky's Op Ed on Beit Shemesh, pluralism and integration of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israeli society
Yisrael Hayom published an op-ed written by Alan Hoffmann on the importance and impact of Israel visits by young Diaspora Jews
Jewish Life Television (Yediot Ahronot) interviewed Alan Hoffmann at the 2011 General Assembly in Denver
Shalom TV interviewed Natan Sharansky at the URJ Biennial in Washington D.C.
Jerusalem Post highlighted the Jewish Agency in a story about a husband and wife in their 90s who recently made Aliyah.
In an op-ed published by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Hillel's executive director, Wayne Firestone, discussed the Jewish Agency's role in training Israel Fellows.
The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California published a feature on local Jewish Agency shlichim.
Click here for the Jewish Agency’s complete In-the-News archive
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Comments or Suggestions
We welcome your feedback.
Please send your comments or suggestions on this newsletter to: connection@jafi.org |
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The Jewish Agency is funded by The Jewish Federations of North America, Keren Hayesod, major Jewish communities and federations, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, foundations and donors from Israel and around the world. |
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