On March 12 philanthropists in the tristate area united at the Ronald S. Lauder JNF House on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for Jewish National Fund-USA’s Purim legacy luncheon. Attendees enjoyed catered lunch and delicious Hamantaschen while learning how Jewish National Fund-USA has supported communities in Israel’s north and south both before and since the horrific Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
The event’s keynote speaker was Talia Tzour Avner, Jewish National Fund-USA’s chief of staff in Israel. Expanding the organization’s circles of impact, in which every project, initiative and program supports job creation, community resilience and economic development—key drivers of population growth in the Negev and Galilee—Avner emphasized that Jewish National Fund-USA’s ability to aid in resiliency efforts was primarily due to the relationships it had built over years of work in the region.
“Jewish National Fund-USA has worked in the impacted communities for decades, with the people, municipalities, and mayors to provide all the services we can, from hospitals to playgrounds,” said Avner. “Everything leads back to one vision, one goal—to strengthen these communities and to give them the same quality of life that young families would have if they were living in the center of Israel.”
Avner noted that after the nightmare that was the Oct. 7 massacre, Jewish National Fund-USA leaped into action immediately, evacuating and relocating tens of thousands of residents in Israel’s south, while providing thousands more with housing, food, clothing and other supplies.
“Jewish National Fund-USA, within less than 24 hours, was able to contact the mayors and municipalities to find out what they needed,” she said. “Until this day, every mayor that you meet in this area will tell you that Jewish National Fund-USA is the only organization that was with them from day one.”
Attendees also heard from Rabbi Greg Litcofsky, executive director of recruitment and partnerships for Alexander Muss High School in Israel, Jewish National Fund-USA’s premier college-prep, study-abroad experience in Israel. While Litcofsky briefly highlighted the program—where students blend traditional academics with an immersive Israel studies curriculum—his primary focus was on Purim and the lessons that can be learned from the megillah.
In addition, Jewish National Fund-USA’s planned giving professionals discussed how individuals can meet their personal, financial, and estate planning goals through charitable giving. From donor-advised funds to charitable gift annuities, experts walked the crowd through different ways they can support the land and people of Israel while maximizing their tax and fiscal benefits.
For more information about Jewish National Fund-USA’s Planned Giving opportunities, visit: jnflegacy.org. You can also contact a planned giving specialist at 800-562-7526 (plannedgiving@jnf.org).