FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rebecca Kahn
JNF Campus Programs Manager
212-879-9305 ext. 248
rkahn@jnf.org

250 College Students to Help Rebuild Their Homeland JNF Sends Them to Northern Israel During Spring Break

August 31, 2006 -- New York, NY -- Answering the needs of the Jewish homeland, Jewish National Fund (JNF) will send 250 college students to volunteer in northern Israel during their spring break this March. Their efforts will help make the north home again and will imprint the participants with a lasting connection to the Jewish State.

Instead of sandy beaches -- the standard spring break fare -- their hands will sift through burnt soil. Tans will be acquired but not by lolling in the sun; they'll be earned the hard way, through hours of work. Still, they will experience the time of their lives and create memories and a commitment to last a lifetime by getting their hands dirty rebuilding their homeland.

As a result of this effort, guest houses across the region -- now suffering terrible economic losses from the war -- will be full, forests cleared and replanted, environmental clean-up provided, bomb shelters refurbished, attention paid to the needy population, and parks and recreation sites used by northern residents rebuilt.

“The environmental disaster that this region is facing has still not been fully calculated,” said Sol Lizerbram, Vice President of JNF’s Israel Advocacy and Education Department. “As caretakers of the land of Israel for Jewish people everywhere, we need to respond with our sweat as well as our pockets. These students will make a substantial impact on the region both physically by the work they accomplish, and spiritually by showing they care.”

This trip will be JNF’s second annual Alternative Spring Break connecting college students to the land and the people of Israel by working in projects benefiting communities. During the inaugural trip last year, students had the time of their lives while experiencing what the early pioneers of Israel experienced: building the land of Israel.

Now, 250 students will have the opportunity to perpetuate the legacy of their ancestors. “Our great-grandparents planted these forests,” said Ben Sack, who participated in last year’s Alternative Spring Break and is a senior at the University of Central Florida. “Then what took two generations to mature, was destroyed in a matter of weeks. Now it’s up to my generation to rebuild it. We are the fourth generation of Israel’s builders and our participation is as important today as it was 60-70 years ago.

“As a past participant in JNF’s Alternative Spring Break, I saw first-hand the absolute necessity of developing Israel,” he said. “Now, with this current crisis, that need has grown exponentially. JNF’s Spring Break in the north will help Israel achieve its needs for safety, security and prosperity.”

Understanding the importance of empowering today's generation to make a difference in the world, JNF is affording them the opportunity to leave their own handprints where their grandparents left theirs. This trip is a recreation of the early pioneer spirit that helped create the State. It is a visceral connection that a trip filled with days of touring simply can't accomplish.

Students will not only give of their time and energies, they will also have the opportunity to fundraise, forging a connection of a different sort. To be accepted, students will commit to raise a minimum of $800 through personalized fundraising websites (similar to those used in walk-a-thons), by asking friends and family to sponsor them and support their efforts for the Northern Renewal campaign. All funds raised will go towards the 10-year, $400 million international campaign that JNF is launching to rebuild and restore the ecosystem and communities destroyed by rocket attacks. This campaign is not a crisis campaign but one of partnership and long-term vision.

During the week-long trip, days will be filled with hard but fulfilling work, and nights will be filled with entertainment, music, and fun. The group will also interact with the people they are helping and hear from environmental experts and scholars to better understand the ramifications of the destruction.

For more information or to sign up, email mailto:asb@jnf.org or visit the website at www.jnf.org/springbreak or call Rebecca Kahn at 212-879-9305 ext. 248.

Captions: On last year's Alternative Spring Break, students worked the land and helped build infrastructure in Negev communities.

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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 putting its century of experience to work with the Blueprint Negev initiative, 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 1-800-542-TREE (8733) or visit www.jnf.org. To contact your local office, please call 888-JNF-0099 or visit www.jnf.org.