On October 26 and 27 2010 a Galilee Roundtable Conference took place at 'Hofit' Hotel at Moshav Shavei Zion in the western Galilee.

The conference was designed to recruit the Jewish communities and major philanthropic organizations operating in the Galilee, together with the Israeli government through the Ministry of the Development of the Negev and the Galilee, to help to carry out a number of major regional change-generating measures, in addition to the welcome work the organizations already perform.

The conference focused on areas of:

*  Economic Development and Employment

Chair:   Harold Gernsbacher, Central Area Consortium
Speakers:  Eival Gilady, Western Galilee College
Michal Lev, Ness Loan Fund
Talia Omer, Galilee Development Authority

*  Young Adults in the Galilee as a Platform for Development

Chair:   Shepard M. Remis, JFNA
Speakers:  Lea Golan, JAFI
Yifat Kariv, Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee

*  Higher Education, Sciences and Research

Chair:   Mark Gurvis, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver
Speakers: Dr. Oscar Ambon, Rebecca Ziv Medical Center, Zefat
Yeshayahu Peri, MIGAL

The Event was hosted by Vice Prime Minister, Minister for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee, Mr. Silvan Shalom and was honored by Mrs. Raya Strauss-Bendror - Co-chair Partnership 2000 JAFI, Mr. Mick Davis - Chairman UJIA, Mrs. Lea Golan - Director General of the Israel Department JAFI and Mrs. Orna Hozman Bechor - Director General, Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee.

The attendance of the conference was highly impressive and included representatives from the Ministry of the Development of the Negev and the Galilee, JAFI, JFNA, UIA Canada, UJIA Great Britain, Community representatives and varied main organizations, foundations and non-profit organizations operating in the Galilee.

The importance of this gathering lies in the holding of the first roundtable at which the majority of the main organizations operating in the Galilee discussed the need to channel efforts into a number of main directions, in order to generate change. The conference also allowed the participating parties to get to know each other, during and between the discussions, and important understandings and agreements emerged from the discussions, both in the groups and in the plenary sessions.