DENVER, Colo., September 28, 2022 — Longtime Jewish National Fund-USA ambassador and partner (donor) Sam Goldberg has been appointed incoming president of the organization’s Mountain States region. Beginning October 1, 2022, Goldberg will work in tandem with the organization’s professional team to lead strategic initiatives and spearhead fundraising efforts throughout the state of Colorado, with a primary focus on the Denver and Boulder communities.
In this role, Goldberg will steer the Mountain States Regional Board of Directors, set the agenda, and drive awareness of the vital work of Jewish National Fund-USA in support of the land and people of Israel. Additionally, as the Mountain States Regional President, Goldberg will serve as a key ambassador for the philanthropic movement throughout the state and engage the public to support the organization’s mission.
Sam Goldberg
“Through Jewish National Fund-USA’s philanthropic investments, Israel has become a global laboratory solving some of the world’s most significant challenges,” said Goldberg. “Short on water? Not enough food to feed everyone? Lacking the capacity to care for those most disabled among us? Burdened by urban density and needing to populate areas that are currently desert? These global problems are being solved by Israel and our incredible movement.”
Since becoming a Jewish National Fund-USA partner (donor) in 2006, Goldberg helped create JNFuture, the organization’s community of young philanthropists aged 22-40, and served on JNFuture’s initial national board. Goldberg became a member of the organization’s elite major donor society, the World Chairman’s Council, in 2017. He even met his wife Natalie at a JNFuture event.
Over the years, Goldberg and Natalie have supported several of Jewish National Fund-USA’s affiliates and visionary initiatives in Israel including Nefesh B' Nefesh, which helps Americans facilitate making aliyah (immigration to Israel) by removing or minimizing the financial, professional, logistical, and social obstacles that potential new immigrants face; and Green Horizons, a transformative program for Israeli youth that builds interpersonal and leadership skills while fostering a strong connection to the land of Israel.
In addition, the Goldberg family has also helped ensure the next generation of Zionists by backing the organization’s Alexander Muss High School in Israel, a one-of-a-kind study abroad program that has transformed the lives of 35,000 high school students; as well as helped make Israel accessible to all by supporting projects that improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and special needs, ensuring no member of Israeli society is left behind.
“Led by our leaders and professionals, Jewish National Fund-USA continues to innovate, perhaps best represented by our new and ambitious project to build the World Zionist Village,” explained Goldberg. “To be blunt, Zionism is evolving. It wasn't long ago that Israel needed the Diaspora for survival and charitable giving, but Israel’s needs have changed. It is up to us to lead by example. While Israel isn't perfect, and we shouldn’t pretend it is, the objective of Zionism, like the responsibility of the Jewish People, is to make the world a better place. That is something worth cheering. That is something worth supporting and our philanthropic movement is instrumental in making that a reality.”
“Sam is a business leader with a proven track record of rolling up his sleeves and getting the work done,” added Matthew Leebove, Jewish National Fund-USA Director, Mountain States. “I am confident that his drive, vision, and entrepreneurial success will encourage philanthropists of all ages to support our visionary work in Israel’s Negev and Galilee.”
For more information, contact Matthew Leebove at mleebove@jnf.org.
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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.