Jewish National Fund

With offices throughout the country the JNF focuses on raising funds for environmental help for Israel

Bride gets her green wedding wish

Adopt an Acacia is a new JNF initiative which has itself been adopted by Sydney couple Zoe and Darren Smorgon.

The Smorgons were married in February last year and had requested no presents, opting to raise funds for a project in Israel’s Arava region.

Darren, 33, told J-Wire: “Zoe is a bit of a greenie so donating to the JNF seemed an obvious choice. We saw seven options with the acacia project ending up the most interesting.

The Sydney banker and his 31-yr-old architect wife visited the project on their honeymoon. Smorgon added: “It’s a pity that we can’t be there for the launch but I am glad Zoe’s wishes are being realised.”

A spokesperson for JNF in Israel said:  “The most exciting and heart-warming donation we received was from Zoe Spiegel and Darren Smorgon  who donated their wedding money to the “Adopt an Acacia “ project in the Arava.

Michal Marmory writes from JNF Israel:

“Acacia trees are a characteristic feature of the Arava region. They form a unique, beautiful savanna desert landscape and constitute the basis for a rich and important ecological system, such as not seen elsewhere in the world. Recent decades have witnessed a substantial mortality among the acacia trees accompanied by virtually no natural propagation.
Keren Kayemeth L’Israel has risen to the task by inaugurating the “Adopt an Acacia” project.
In spite of the project’s enormous cost, KKL-JNF World Chairperson, Efi Stenzler has personally joined in the effort, with the aid of a big contribution made by Australian Jewry that donated several thousands of NIS, designated for the benefit of the project.

The first stage began a year ago; KKL-JNF began a process of mapping and identifying the trees suitable for reproduction. The KKL-JNF Seed Unit began a process of collecting, sorting and mapping the suitable seeds from the most impressive and high-quality trees. After this, the seeds were transferred for germination and planting at KKL-JNF nurseries.

The lengthy process ended after suitable areas were selected for planting together with farmers from the region, open spaces where no future development is intended in order to prevent the trees from being cut down in the future. The trees are now growing to a sustainable size that allows their planting. They will be planted along the edges of agricultural fields and the farmers will be responsible for the care of the trees, their adopted trees.”

The first Acacia trees will be planted today at a festive ceremony ahead of Tu B’shvat.

JNF Gala Dinner hosts outstanding speakers

The packed AJC Function Centre at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney was recently exposed to the unexpected as far as Jewish community functions are concerned.

Instead of the conventional keynote speaker, highly-awarded Current Affair interviewer Jana Wendt undertook a wide ranging discussion with. former Mossad chief, Ephraim Halevy and US diplomat and Middle East expert, Elliot Abrams in what had been billed as a discussion on ‘Insights into Intrigue’

Topics covered included the threat to Israel’s security by Iran, Syria and Palestinian extremists, the changed relationship of the American Jewish community toward Israel under the new administration of President Obama, the critical subject of the future of Israel-Palestinian relations and the outcomes for a meaningful peace process.

Some intriguing insights into the thought processes of the White House toward Middle East relationships were revealed by Abrahams, a former senior director of the National Security Council and senior director of the NSC for Near East and North African affairs.  Even more intriguing for the audience were revelations by Halevy into the workings of the Mossad and into his career as secret envoy for a succession of Israeli prime ministers.

British born Halevy played a central part in bringing the Jews of Ethiopia to Israel in the mid-1980s and in forging special relationships with various Middle Eastern countries.

Pressed for a projection on Israel’s present situation and the future, Halevy – to thunderous audience applause – vigorously stated that despite Arab rhetoric, Israel cannot and will not be destroyed and the world had better adjust itself to that reality. As to the future, he sounded a cautious optimistic note saying that economic and environmental as well as political issues will ultimately lead to a rapprochement but he declined to go into detail as to the nature of such a rapprochement.

In a spirited introduction, JNF president in NSW, Stuart Romm urged  the community to support the environmental efforts of the JNF which this year starts a new Negev project to provide urgently needed water to the Sha’ar Hanegev region, located only a short distance from the Gaza border

“While covering more than half of Israel’s land area, the Negev is home to only 8% of its population with an average rainfall of a mere 150mm per year while in the South this dwindles to a mere 25mm,” he stated.

“Without additional water resources, there is little hope for population growth, additional jobs, industry or upgraded agriculture in the Negev.

“Its challenge is to create a sustainable future for the people who live there today, for those seeking a new lifestyle and for the children growing up to live there in the future.

“The Negev’s challenge is our challenge!”

Australian know how to recycle Israeli rainwater

Work will begin on a simple reserve in the Israeli town of Kfar Sava this weekend…but under its trees and plants will lie a bio-filter developed in Melbourne designed to recycle the town’s rainwater.

The technology is the work of Melbourne-based Israeli Yaron Zinger who is working towards a PhD at Monash University. In conjunction with the university’s Professor Ana Deletic, a hydrology expert, Zinger has devised a method of harvesting rain-water and returning it to Israel’s aquifer system…a series of underground dams.

The project is being funded by the Victorian Jewish National Fund Gold Patrons Group. Joe Krycer, Executive Director of JNF Victoria, told J-Wire: “Ultimately, the goal is to see a 50% increase in the volume of Israel’s drinkable water.”

Zinger explained that the biofilter could be installed in any open area and “consists of layers of soil and plants with deep roots. A developed bacterial population breaks down polluted matter in the runoff.”

The water will be subject to careful scrutiny and subject to passing thorough testing will be returned to the aquifer.

Krycer added: “The whole system will be totally disguised…the biofilters can assume the appearance of reserves, streetscapes or even a small outdoor theatre.”

The first biofilter is expected to take around six weeks to build. JNF holds rights to acquire the intellectual property and Dr Avi Gafni, a hydrologist with the JNF in Israel, is participating in the work.

A spokesman for JNF  told J-Wire other Israeli municipalities are monitoring the progress of the scheme “with great interest.”

Gathering of Presidents JNF Style

During last month’s JNF Memorable Moments Mission, three Australian JNF presidents met the JNF Chairman.

At a meeting in Tel Aviv Efi Stenzler, the Chairman of Keren Kayemeth L’israel, hosted a meeting with Australians Ron Ferster, Michael Naphtali and Grahame Leonard.

Ron Ferster was JNF Federal President between 1999 and 2004 when Michael Naphtali took over the position.

Melbourne-based Grahame Leonard has just been appointed President of JNF Australia.

Aboriginal activist honored in Israel

William Cooper, an Aboriginal who demonstrated in Melbourne in 1938 against Kristellnacht, was honored in Jerusalem today.

On November 9, 1938, 91 Jews were murdered as Nazis went on a rampage throughout Germany following the assassination of Ernst Vom Rath by Herschel Grynzpan. Kristellnacht spelt the destruction of more than 200 syngagogues and initiated the Nazi  Final Solution…a plan devised to murder the entire Jewish population.

News of Kristellnacht made little impact on the world’s community but on December 6, 1938, William Cooper, the founder of The Australian Aborigines’ League, led a group of protesters to the German Consulate in Melbourne to demonstrate against the wholesale slaughter of the German Jews. They carried with them a resolution calling for an end to the “cruel persecution” of the Jewish people by Nazi Germany. The group was ignored by the Germans.

But the Australian community did not forget and this morning 70 trees were planted  in Cooper’s name and a plaque dedicated to his memory in the Martyrs’ Forest near Jerusalem. Cooper’s grandson Alfred was present at the ceremony as well as JNF officials and James Larsen, the Australian Ambassador to Israel.

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