Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund held a meeting of its new board of directors on the first day of the new year. The board, comprised of 37 members—13 of them women—was selected at the end of a process occurring once every five years, which begins with elections to the World Zionist Congress.
It includes representatives from a wide range of streams and sectors in Israeli society, including secular, religious and haredi communities; liberal and pluralistic streams; and international organizations and movements.
During the inaugural meeting, board members unanimously elected Eyal Ostrinsky as the next chairman of KKL-JNF.
A resident of Mevaseret Zion, west of Jerusalem, the 40-year-old holds a law degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In the past five years, he served as head of Israel and Diaspora relations at the World Zionist Organization and chief of staff to the acting chair of the Zionist executive. Prior to that, Ostrinsky was a senior adviser to Amir Peretz, Israeli minister of economy and industry, and served as Peretz’s chief of staff during his tenure as chair of the Labor Party. Between 2015 and 2017, he was senior adviser to KKL-JNF chair Danny Atar.
Ostrinsky, who will be the 16th chair since the agency’s founding 124 years ago, is the youngest person to hold the position. He is a married father of one.
At the meeting, he said: “It is a very great privilege and a great responsibility to hold this position, which has been filled by towering figures in our Zionist history. For me, this role is a dream and a profound mission.
“I have great respect for the representatives of all the factions sitting here, and I believe that together, with the dedicated employees of KKL-JNF, we will take KKL-JNF to places that are more meaningful and impactful than ever.”
