After an extensive selection process, the Executive Committee of Jewish National Fund-USA’s World Zionist Village has engaged New York-based DBI Projects to drive planning for the next stage of the Village’s development. As the largest philanthropic capital project in the Zionist world, the 20-acre campus will spark a new and all-encompassing global conversation about the future of Zionism.
World Zionist Village Chair, Joe Wolfson said: “When you embark on a project of this magnitude, you need to partner with those who share your vision and who can deliver. We are delighted to partner with DBI Projects, which has a track record of successfully delivering for their clients on projects of this scope.”
DBI Projects is a leader in the field of mission-driven development planning and management, bringing to the World Zionist Village the multidisciplinary expertise of its team and a diversity of cross-sectoral and cross-geographical experience. DBI Projects will partner with the Villages’ various sub-committees to synthesize the project’s objectives and findings, enhance the focus on the core mission, and develop a construction pro forma, budget, and timeline.
“We are incredibly proud to join JNF-USA’s amazing team in making the World Zionist Village a reality,” said Ofer Ohad, Managing Partner at DBI and a native of Be’er Sheva. “Visionary projects have long been at the heart of our work, and it is a point of pride to be able to provide this one with a strong foundation for successful project delivery. My own family history is intertwined with JNF, Beer Sheva, and the Negev, and so this is a special opportunity to be a part of realizing a national vision and a personal one.”
Jewish National Fund-USA’s One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade is attracting 800,000 new residents to the Negev and Galilee by creating high “quality of life” opportunities that entice individuals and families to relocate from Israel’s bustling yet crowded central cities to the country’s north and south.
World Zionist Village Construction and Building Subcommittee Co-Chair, Jeffrey E. Levine said: “Given how unprecedented the planned footprint of our Village is, it’s paramount that we engage a project direction consultant who has the right expertise to ensure our project can be executed upon at the highest of standards and that we can feel confident will achieve our core objectives.”
Perfectly aligned with its strategic vision, the World Zionist Village will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, bring countless tourists from every corner of the globe to Israel, and place the once-sleepy city of Be’er Sheva well and truly on the map. In addition to its laudable economic development credentials, the Village will achieve something much more profound – reignite a conversation that began over 120 years ago with Theodore Herzl about the future of Zionism and the Jewish People. From all four corners of the globe, those invested in Israel’s future prosperity will come together under the same roof and celebrate their Zionism while charting a positive course for the movement’s future.
The Village will also serve as the second home for Jewish National Fund-USA’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel; provide an Innovation Center for post-graduates interning in Be’er Sheva-based hi-tech companies; and include a Zionist Adult Education Center.
For more information on how to support the World Zionist Village, contact International Development Director, Boaz Meir at bmeir@jnf.org or call 303.573.7095 x977.
