MARGATE, N.J., August 24, 2022 — Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia-area philanthropists recently joined Jewish National Fund-USA in Margate, New Jersey, for the organization’s summer social celebration hosted by Michael & Tammy Steinberg. The event, titled “Spice Up Your Life,” featured renowned chef, award-winning cookbook author, and master spice blender Lior Lev Sercarz and an exotic spice cooking demonstration from CEO and Co-Founder of Soom Foods, Amy Zitelman Hersch.
Judy Galler, Sheila Friedman, Betsy Fischer, Lior Lev Sercarz
The event also highlighted Jewish National Fund-USA’s Galilee Culinary Institute (GCI by JNF), co-founded by Sercarz, which will rethink culinary education and revolutionize the gastronomic scene in northern Israel when it opens in 2023. As part of the organization’s strategic initiatives supporting the Galilee region’s economy and infrastructure and attracting 300,000 new residents to the area, GCI by JNF is expected to transform Kiryat Shmona with this intensive total immersion program that is designed to help students acquire a combination of practical skills and a broad understanding of the major themes impacting the food world today.
Joan Ruttenberg, Glenn Blumenfeld, Susan Blumenfeld
“It is always great to gather with friends, and when you can combine that with a learning experience, it is extra special,” said Michael Steinberg. “The event in our home this summer brought friends together in a relaxed environment and allowed us to educate them about JNF-USA’s philanthropic impact in the Negev and Galilee. The feedback received was that the evening was meaningful for them which was our main goal.”
Prominent community leaders in attendance included Judith Galler, Jewish National Fund-USA’s Southern New Jersey Region President, and her husband Lenny; Betsy Fischer, a member of JNF-USA’s World Chairman’s Council and Chair of the organization’s Gaza Envelope Task Force; and Marla and Leonard Rosenthol, who were so inspired after learning how Jewish National Fund-USA supports the land and people of Israel, they donated a painted bomb shelter via the organization’s Bomb Shelter Beautification initiative.
Scott Barsky, Lior Lev Sercarz
Among its many impactful visionary projects in Southern Israel, Jewish National Fund-USA collaborates with an Israeli street artist to transform bleak bomb shelters found nearly everywhere in the communities that border the Gaza Strip into dazzling masterpieces. More importantly, the fun, dreamlike art makes these shelters less intimidating for children and brings a touch of beauty to structures that constantly remind Israelis of the dangers that lurk around the corner.
For more information about GCI by JNF, Bomb Shelter Beautification, or future JNF-USA events, contact Brandon Cohen, JNF-USA Director, Southern NJ at 973-593-0095 x862 or BCohen@jnf.org.
Leonard Rosenthol, Lior Lev Sercarz, Marla Rosenthol
###
Media Contact:
Jennifer Milton
561.447.9733 x 875
About Jewish National Fund-USA
JNF-USA is the leading philanthropic organization for Israel that supports critical environmental and nation-building activities in Israel’s north and south. Through its One Billion Dollar Roadmap for the Next Decade, JNF-USA is developing new communities in the Galilee and Negev, connecting the next generation to Israel, and creating infrastructure and programs that support ecology, individuals with special needs, and heritage site preservation.