(Courtesy of JNF) Teaneck’s longest-running community event, the Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF-USA) Teaneck Reception, is set to enter a new chapter with a new name, larger venue and updated format. To cater to Northern New Jersey’s growing Jewish community, Teaneck’s 52-year-old event will continue as The Jewish National Fund Winter Reception, and is set to take place at 6.45 p.m. on December 3, at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe.
“I recall working on the first event we held in Teaneck 52 years ago,” said JNF-USA vice president, Zionist Education Continuum and Winter Reception Ambassador Bob Levine. “Things were a lot different back then. We were the ones slicing the bagels, laying out the table cloths and arranging the tableware. While we don’t do that anymore, I’m confident that our new event format will maintain the same communal grassroots feel while appealing to the broader Jewish community and a new generation of people looking to support the land and people of Israel.”
The Jewish National Fund Winter Reception will feature remarks from Israel’s consul general to New York, Ambassador Dani Dayan, and celebrity comedian Modi, who was recently featured in The Hollywood Reporter’s “Top 10 Comedians in NYC.” As the event will be held on Giving Tuesday, every gift will be matched thanks to the generous contributions of the Gene & Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund, Bernice Friedman and Drs. Toby and Mort Mower (up to $1.25 million).
“Ultimately, people don’t give to organizations, they give to people—it’s about relationships. As my generation gets older, we know that to succeed, we must engage and inspire the next generation. In reflecting on this event’s 52-year-long history, I started to read over my old speeches. One thing that stood out to me in my speeches was how the number of trees JNF-USA planted in Israel increased each year. We must be close to 300 million trees by now, which is an incredible achievement. I am also conscious of what drives the next generation. For my generation, it was the memory of the Holocaust that fueled our desire to support the land and people of Israel. Today, while the Holocaust is still relevant, young people are inspired to support JNF-USA because they see all of the incredible things Israel is achieving in the fields of R&D, technology and the arts,” said Levine.
JNF-USA is the leading philanthropic organization for Israel that supports critical environmental and nation-building activities in Israel’s north and south. Through its One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade, JNF-USA is developing new communities in the Galilee and Negev, connecting the next generation to Israel, and creating infrastructure and programs that support ecology, individuals with special needs and heritage-site preservation.
“People connect with JNF-USA in different ways and I smile when I see them find their ‘why.’ For me, my ‘why’ has always been driven by the fact that JNF-USA has built the infrastructure that has enabled Israel to flourish. Things that seem mundane like building roads to improve the lives of everyday Israelis often have additional benefits that people don’t realize. For example, a smooth road makes a world of difference for an injured patient or pregnant woman travelling to hospital in an ambulance. Of course, other peoples’ ‘whys’ are driven by the work JNF-USA does in communities throughout Israel, where they support people with special needs, build bomb shelters for families, fund fire trucks and stations, and preserve Israel’s rich tapestry of heritage sites. The beauty of this organization is that it allows people to connect to Israel in their own unique way,” said Levine.
For more information about The Jewish National Fund Winter Reception, visit www.jnf.org or contact Jacqueline Yehudiel, director, Northern NJ & Rockland County at [email protected] or 973-593-0095, x823.
