spring 2010 - JNF TORONTO - Jewish National Fund of Canada

Jerry WergerMessage from theJNF Toronto PresidentGreetings. I would like totake this opportunity towish all of you and yourfamilies a very good Pesach.Let me quickly bring you upto date with what JNF Torontohas been up to since last fall.First and foremost, we held our61st Annual Negev Dinner. Congratulations to our staffand volunteers for making this past year’s event oneof the best ever. The Honourees for were Tony andElizabeth Comper. With the funds raised, the Comperschose to support the “MAOF” project in Israel, aneducational program that reaches out to youth inunderprivileged and peripheral areas to study ecologyand Zionism. Their love of natureand Elizabeth’s teaching backgroundmade this project aperfect fit. Let me once againthank Tony and Elizabeth fortheir unbelievable support anddedication.I am writing this article on theeve of our Annual Tu Bi’ShevatTelethon. It is a wonderfulmitzvah to plant at Tu Bi’Shevat.What I find especially heartwarmingis seeing so manyyoung students working the phones and articulatingthe virtues of the Jewish National Fund, while at thesame time learning a little more about JNF/KKL.Next on the agenda is our very popular “Band-Tastic” Please note that this event has been moved upon our calendar to April 20th, which this year is YomHa-Atzmaut. Further details are available in this issueof ROOTS.This year’s Golf Tournament is going to be held atCoppinwood Golf and Country Club on June 7th. Westill need your help with sponsorships. I ask that youwatch for our Golf Tournament ‘on line’ Auctionbetween May 15 and June 8. Congratulations inadvance to our Golf Chairmen, Howard Davidson andSam Lighter as well as our Event Chairmen MarvynBudd and Stan White for what we know will be anotherunbelievably successful tournament.This is the last time that I will be contributing to thispublication as JNF Toronto President. In a few monthsmy term will come to an end. It has been a wonderfulexperience for me; in fact it is hard to believe howJNF TORONTO ANNUAL MEETINGThe 2010/11 Annual GeneralMeeting of the Jewish NationalFund of Toronto is scheduled forWednesday, June 2, 2010 at6:30 P.M. The event will takeplace at Beth Emeth Bais YehudaSynagogue, 100 Elder Street.Donors to JNF are eligible toattend the meeting. If you planon attending, you must reserveby contacting Lisa at the JNFoffice (416) 638-7200 x24quickly the three years have gone by. Writing articlesfor ‘ROOTS’ during this time has provided me a greatopportunity to share my highs and lows with thereadership.I accepted my role as President because I wasdetermined to change the over branded image thatJNF merely plants trees. I must confess when I firstjoined the Board of JNF; my understanding of whatJNF is all about was pretty thin. However, it took onlyone JNF mission to Israel, and another trip to the“Homeland” as a delegate for the JNF “World LeadershipConvention”, to open my eyes. As I have said innearly all of my speeches. “JNF is the land of Israel”.JNF began purchasing the land in Palestine over100 years ago, Shekel-by-Shekel; thanks to the sellingof trees, the filling of Pushkesand stamps for leaves. Sincethis time, we have built parks,made water flow in the desert,constructed roads and builtcities. JNF/KKL currently leadsthe world in environmentalresearch and development.Following the devastatingearthquake in Haiti, Israeli (infact KKL) technology was usedto purify the drinking water,saving countless lives.I was in Israel when war broke out in July 2006. Atthis time JNF commenced its Operation SecurityBlanket. Where needed, JNF built security roads andprovided respite from daily rocket attacks on Sderotby moving young children to the safety of JNFovernight camps.I could write a book on what JNF/KKL means toIsrael. ‘Research, Education, Beauty and Security.’That’s our contribution, and our mandate is for Israeland only Israel.This past week, January 27, we marked anotheranniversary, one that I wish we never had to remember.It was the 65th year of the liberation from Auschwitz.It was the survivors of this dark period of our historythat fast-forwarded the creation of a free Jewish Statein Israel.I am now even more convinced of the need tosupport, build and preserve the State of Israel to keepsafe our children and grandchildren everywhere.Thank you for your support; thank you for allowingme to serve JNF Toronto. It’s been a pleasure.ROOTS VOLUME 11 • Number 15