(Courtesy of One Israel Fund) People often wonder why Judea and Samaria (Yesha) are so important to Israel. Who are the people who live here and why does Israel invest so much time and resources to service and protect this hotly contested area?
Interestingly, most American Jews are unfamiliar with the immense historical importance of Yesha. During this time of year, when the weekly Torah reading brings us on a virtual tour of storied cities like Elon Moreh, Bet El, Hebron and Kiryat Arba—all places in Yesha—it becomes clear that this is the place where the Jewish people were literally born and raised.
The importance of our historic roots in this land cannot be overstated; it is through these deep roots that we stake our eternal and unbreakable claim to Israel; not just to Yesha, but to the entire length and breadth of the country.
We were here first. We were here always.
We are here now. And we will be here forever.
In the very near future, the 500,000th resident will move to or be born in Judea and Samaria. The growth rate in Yesha is the highest in the entire country and it’s not just the religious communities—nearly 1/3 of Yesha is secular. That is why it so crucial to support the towns and communities that dot the area and give them everything they need to survive and thrive.
One Israel Fund was founded in 1994 in order to protect and secure these areas to make them more welcoming to families looking to plant their roots. Thanks to One Israel Fund, schools and playgrounds have been built, mikvaot and synagogues have been established, medical facilities and equipment have been provided and security equipment has been put into operation, enabling the more than 150 communities to remain safe and flourish.
It is crucial to note that One Israel Fund is unique among the ranks of organizations that work in Israel.
One Israel Fund is the premier organization whose sole mission is to support all the communities throughout Judea and Samaria.
One Israel Fund works hand-in-hand with local officials on the ground in the most vulnerable communities, assessing their needs and assisting in the most efficient way possible.
Last year alone, One Israel Fund impacted over 215 unique projects for these areas.
One Israel Fund not only supports, but also actively promotes, Yesha through educational materials, guided tours and informational presentations throughout the year.
One Israel Fund has built, and continues to build, a home for our heartland.
Your donation to One Israel Fund is a donation that benefits hundreds of thousands of brave men, women and children who are living the dream of residing on the land where our forefathers walked. They do this despite the frightening and ongoing threat of terror, the disheartening condemnation from the international community and the alarming new onslaught of attacks from movements like BDS.
In fact, the antidote to BDS is One Israel Fund. As other entities boycott Yesha, we must pour our hearts and souls—and resources!—into building and fortifying it against these growing existential threats. That is One Israel Fund’s mission.
On November 6, One Israel Fund will mark its 24th anniversary at its gala dinner at Three-Sixty in NYC. The dinner will not only celebrate its annual milestone but also the all-encompassing, 24/7 nature of its work. The impact can be felt in towns throughout Yesha literally every minute of the day and night.
To highlight the crucial role One Israel Fund plays in the region, the renowned journalist and author Caroline Glick will be flying in from Israel to deliver the keynote address. Known as a fierce fighter for Israel on the international stage, Caroline is also a staunch supporter and friend of the organization. She is a proud resident of Yesha and aligns herself with One Israel Fund’s mission. Audiences around the world have been awed by her knowledge of the Mideast and her incredible passion for Israel and its people. Her speech will be highly anticipated by all friends of Israel.
Amongst a banner lineup of honorees, One Israel Fund will be paying tribute to one of its own in Marc Provisor. For the past decade, Marc has served as the director of security projects for One Israel Fund. However, anyone who has encountered Marc knows that this title doesn’t even scratch the surface of his unique role. Marc is a professionally trained artist who spent 10 years as the chief security officer for the Shilo Bloc of communities during the height of the Intifada. It was during this time when Marc honed his skills in assessing potential threats and implementing solutions to avoid terror attacks. Through his role with One Israel Fund, Marc has improved upon this mission by raising millions of dollars for highly sophisticated preventive security equipment and training for the first responders throughout Yesha. In fact, many of Marc’s initiatives were later adopted by the IDF. Marc is truly one of the heroes in Israel.
Dr. Steven and Jacqui Herman will receive the Bonei Yisrael Award. Hailing from Englewood, New Jersey, Jacqui is one of the leaders of One Israel Fund, serving as a trustee and passionate spokeswoman on behalf of the fund’s work. Steven now heads up the medical committee for the Binyamin Medical Center, a state-of-the-art medical center planned for the Binyamin Region—the largest Regional Council in the country. Jacqui and Steve have devoted themselves to seeing this project completed and thanks in part to their efforts, construction has begun on this transformative project, which will bring expert medical care to an area that is home to over 100,000 residents and severely underserviced.
Dr. Irwin and Donna Azman and Eli and Mila Burman will, together, receive the Hakarat Hatov Award. The Azmans and Burmans are both from Congregation Beth Tfiloh in Baltimore and spearheaded a campaign to fund the Maryland ER Urgent Care Pavilion of the Binyamin Medical Center. However, that is the tip of the iceberg. Both the Azmans and Burmans are passionate supporters of Israel and especially One Israel Fund and Yesha. Always looking for ways of educating and publicizing the importance of Yesha to the Jewish people, the Azmans and Burmans are involved in numerous projects of One Israel Fund.
Finally, David and Aurora Mosberg will receive the Manhigut Tze’erim Award as young leaders of the future. David and Aurora serve as committee members of the One Israel Fund Young Leadership Division and have been an integral part of recent events including the Game Night and Israel Auction and the Five Towns Summer BBQs. Living in Woodmere, New York, the Mosbergs have participated on One Israel Fund’s day trips, spending the time to truly understand the issues facing these areas. They are totally committed to reaching out to their peers in order to help grow the organization.
In addition to an all-star lineup of speakers and honorees, One Israel Fund is honored to, once again, have the incomparable Ben Brafman serving as the master of ceremonies and Chazan Joel Kaplan from Congregation Beth Sholom delighting the attendees. An outstanding Israel wine tasting will be provided by Royal Wine Corp/Kedem and there will also be an art sale presented by Your Arts Desire, which, this year, will feature paintings by Marc Provisor in addition to an array of other artists.
Yoni and Allison Bellows from Chicago and Bart Baum and Dr. Emma Laskin of Great Neck will serve as dinner co-chairs, and Cherna Moskowitz and Martin Rothman, and Renee Serlin, are the honorary co-chairs. Trustees of One Israel Fund, David and Shari Shapiro will, once again, serve as journal chairs. All are busy at work ensuring that this year’s event will be the best it can be.
The upcoming dinner provides the perfect opportunity for American Jews to demonstrate their unshakable support for our brothers and sisters on the frontlines in Israel. Please consider a generous donation so the residents of Judea and Samaria can continue to benefit from the assistance they desperately need as only One Israel Fund can provide.
For more information go to OneIsraelFund.org, email [email protected] or call 516-239-9202.
