Over 150 Chicagoans Unite for Jewish National Fund-USA and Temple Beth El partnership event
On Sunday, Feb. 4, over 150 Chicagoans united in solidarity with the people of Israel at Temple Beth El in Northbrook for Jewish National Fund-USA and the Temple’s “Build Together: Stand with Israel” partnership event.
The event’s keynote speaker was Shahar Azani. An expert in Israel Education who now works to fight against BDS on college campuses and antisemitism globally, Azani serves as founder and principal at Fourth Dimension Strategies and as senior vice president at Jewish Broadcasting Services. He spoke to the crowd about how Israel has changed since Oct. 7, countering antisemitism both on the ground and in the media, and Israel’s precarious situation on the global stage.
Local lay leaders also discussed how individuals can support the Jewish Homeland in the short and long term through Jewish National Fund-USA’s Israel Resilience Campaign (jnf.org/ways-to-help/support-israel), which has raised nearly $60 million since Oct. 7, 2023, supporting the evacuation and relocation of tens of thousands of residents in Israel’s South while providing thousands more with housing, food, clothing, and other supplies.
The campaign also includes the Livnot B’Yachad - Build Together plan, a bold, strategic initiative to rebuild communities in the Israel Envelope (formerly known as the Gaza Envelope) and the lives of broken people.
“Jewish National Fund-USA has been with the communities of the Israel Envelope for over two decades, and they haven’t left their side for over 120 days,” said Jewish National Fund-USA Chicago board member Bruce Werner. “We will be there in the future with them, to help them build and grow stronger out of the ashes of Oct. 7, and your support here today means that they can do more in Israel tomorrow.”
For information about Jewish National Fund-USA or to learn about upcoming events in Chicago, visit www.jnf.org or contact Assaf Grumberg, executive director, Illinois at agrumberg@jnf.org or (847) 656-8880, ext. 766.