Blog

Jewish Federation Mourns Ariel Sharon

The Jewish Federations of North America mourn the death of Israel’s former Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, who passed away today at the age of 85 following medical complications. JFNA Board of Trustees Chair Michael Siegal and JFNA President and CEO Jerry Silverman...

Why I Give: Michael Staenberg

Michael Staenberg was raised in a family of modest means. But his parents didn't use that as an excuse not to support their community.  They felt lucky to have a roof over their heads and food on the table. "They taught us that it is important to give to people who...

This year in Jerusalem

It has been a whirlwind couple of days in Jerusalem. After arriving late Wednesday night, we checked into our hotel and then got together as a group and prepared for Yad Vashem.  People were moved by the personal connections some of us have to the Shoah and were...

Another Day Up North!

Happy new year! Shana tova! Or Happy Silvester, as they say in Tel Aviv. After a night celebrating the new year, we awoke bright and early to head to Mount Bental, on the border of Syria and Lebanon.  Now a popular tourist destination, the mountain housed a...

…And up to the Galilee

What a day! We started off with a long bus ride to Tzfat (two hours!) and spent more time on the bus later in the day, but that doesn't mean we couldn't have fun! The bus is always filled with chatter about what we've seen during the day or talked about at...

Out of the Negev…

We had a lovely night in the Bedouin tents! We received a warm welcome of spiced coffee, traditional songs, and an insight into the lives of the Bedouins before enjoying a communal dinner. After cookies and sweet warm tea, we cozied up in our tent to hear more about...