FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jodi Bodner
JNF Director of Communications
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jbodner@jnf.org

Israeli Artists Redesign JNF Blue Box
Proceeds go to Restoration of Northern Region

October 23, 2006 -- New York, NY -- Throughout the years, artists have put their unique designs on bulls, lions, and penguins that are then displayed in different cities in Israel. This time it is the Jewish National Fund (JNF) Blue Box.

Designed to promote restoration of the northern forests that sustained much damage during the war with Hezbollah, JNF invited 20 of Israel's most prominent artists to redesign giant models of the iconic Blue Boxes. Each box was sponsored by one of Israel's leading financial companies with the proceeds going to Operation Northern Renewal, JNF's $400 million, 10-year campaign to restore the north and make it home again.

The giant boxes -- some relating to the burnt forests, others focusing on JNF activities -- are on display to the general public at an outdoor exhibition on Rothschild Boulevard for a period of three weeks that began during Sukkot. At the close of the exhibition, the boxes will be auctioned off to raise more funds for the campaign.

The tree-lined Rothschild Blvd. is one of Tel Aviv's most popular spots for walking, biking or meeting friends. One of Tel Aviv's first streets, thanks to a generous contribution from Todd, Yadira, and Joshua Patkin of Boston, MA it was renovated by JNF with new walkways, benches, and trees and rededicated just last year.

"This initiative is part of our campaign to restore the north," said Efi Stenzler, worldwide chairman of JNF-Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, "a task that will take years. The Blue Box has always been the symbol of world Jewry's support for JNF-KKL, and our hope is that in the future, every Jewish home and school, in Israel and abroad, will once again have a Blue Box."

The Blue Box was created in the early 1900s when a small-town Galician bank clerk, Haim Kleinman, wrote to the Zionist movement's newspaper "Die Welt," proposing that a collection box be placed in every Jewish home so that contributions could be made to JNF at every opportunity. In the period between the two World Wars, about one million Blue Boxes could be found in Jewish homes throughout the world.

Israeli photographer Ziv Koren, one of the artists who took part in the project, spent five weeks this past summer fighting in the war. "I saw the damage done to our forests on a daily basis," he said. "Redesigning the Blue Box is a great idea and part of the retro-trend that is so popular today."

Said Binyamin Levy, whose works are exhibited at museums in Israel, Paris, Buenos Aries and Toronto: "My drawing on the giant Blue Box expresses my hope that "that which has been planted never be uprooted.' I emphasized the eyes of man appreciating trees, for it is by opening our eyes to our surroundings and by listening that we will be inspired to care for our environment."

For Irit Hadani, a leading Israeli artist, participating in the project represented the closing of a personal circle. "My father was Yeruham (Benny) Ben-Dror, who was sent to the States by JNF in the early 1960s to raise funds for JNF activities," she said. ""Afforestation' was one of the first words I knew as a child, along with my first English sentence: "My father is on a mission from the JNF.' He was a tremendous orator and scholar and entirely devoted to JNF and the State of Israel. He died a few years ago, so being invited to participate in the Blue Box project is a way for me to reconnect with his beliefs in the Jewish people's ties to its land, heritage and natural surroundings."

"Over the past summer we have been witness to a bloody conflict related to man and land," said artist Tzvika Lahman. "We must never forget that only when these disparate elements interact with each other -- survival, human needs and care for the earth -- can we hope for a better future. For me, that is JNF's mission."

Elan and Michal Safrai, residents of Modi'in, came to see the exhibition. Said Michal: "It's great to see people from all over Israel and from all walks of life come together to join and unite for a common cause: restoring the north. Israelis may not agree on everything, but just see all the people who came together for this. This is what Israel and JNF are about -- caring for each other."

In recognition of their contribution to the restoration of Israel's forests, Stenzler presented each artist with a beautifully designed certificate of appreciation, along with a Blue Box -- a regular size one -- as a personal souvenir.

Participating artists are: Michal Negrin, jewelry designer; Ziv Koren, photographer; Gadi Halperin, interior decorator; Uri Fink, comics artist; Tzivi Geva, painter and sculptor; Tzvika Lahman, painter and sculptor; Michael Azulai, interior designer; Yifrah and David Ben-Tzvi, furniture designers; Irit Hadani, painter and designer; Pavel Wohlberg, photographer; Anat Wolf, silkscreen artist; Yael Ze'evi, artist; Noah Tani, graphic designer; Benny Levi, painter; Sigal Aboudi, Tali Hai, and Rinat Leibowitz, McCann Erickson Advertising Agency; Avi Casuto, painter; Yuval Rubichek, humoristic illustrator; Eran Shakin, artist; Danny Kerman, illustrator; and Menashe Kadishman, painter.

All photos are available in high resolution jpegs upon request.

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Jewish National Fund is a non-profit organization founded in 1901 to serve as caretaker of the land of Israel, on behalf of its owners-Jewish people everywhere. Over the past century, JNF has planted over 240 million trees, built over 180 reservoirs and dams, developed over 250,000 acres of land, created more than 1,000 parks, provided the infrastructure for 1,000 communities and educated students around the world about Israel and the environment. Today, JNF is restoring northern Israel, making it home again to its residents, and is putting its century of experience to work with Blueprint Negev, supporting Israel's newest generation of pioneers in developing the Negev Desert, Israel's last frontier. For more information on JNF or to plant trees in Israel, call 800-542-TREE (8733) or visit www.jnf.org/trees. To contact your local office, please call 888-JNF-0099 or visit www.jnf.org.