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From left, Genevieve Rossi, Tania Pons Allon, speaker, Margaret Surowka and Elizabeth Epstein. Photo courtesy of Yakov Binyamin Photography. Photos courtesy of Yakov Binyamin Photography.

ALBANY— One hundred and fifty philanthropists attended Jewish National Fund-U.S.A.’s (J.N.F.-U.S.A.) third annual Women for Israel reception. It featured a keynote speech by Tania Pons Allon, the director of the Kasser Joint Institute for Food, Water & Energy Security. The Institute represents a  partnership between JNF-USA, the University of Arizona, and Israel’s Arava Regional Councils that hopes to shape  the future of desert agriculture and sustainability in vulnerable arid and hyper-arid settings around the world.

Back row from left, Robyn Marinstein, Jessica Richer, Diane Burman, Linda Mandel, Kathy Golderman, Lisa Packer, Amanda Aussems Poskanzer, Laura Segal, Lianne Pinchuk Wladis, Chanie Simon, Joy Davidoff, and Laura Weisblatt.
Front row, from left, Mara Ginsberg, Nicole Stein, Hope Amsterdamer, Lauren Iselin, Ruth Heller, Robyn Polansky Morrison, and Phyllis Wang.

Co-chairwomen of the reception were Karen Lobel, Robyn Marinstein, Lianne Pinchuk, Laura Segal, and Nicole Stein.

“Imagine a world with no convenient access to fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Marinstein, who is also a member of J.N.F.-USA’s Capital Region Women for Israel Steering Committee. “Now picture living in a place where your yard is not a green haven, but a hot, arid desert. In such harsh conditions, growing a lush garden full of produce seems unimaginable. Now, imagine the possibilities—and the hope—that these challenges inspired in a group of visionary thinkers, researchers, trailblazers, and scientists. Their important work is making a powerful impact in Israel and beyond.”

Rebecca Wladis and Lianne Pinchuk Wladis.

Allon, the speaker, explained,  “From May to October, it’s 110-115 degrees. There’s less than one inch of rainfall in a year, so you can imagine how hot and how dry it is and how challenging it is to live there. It’s very far away from urban centers like Eilat and Be’er Sheva, but because of a lot of research and development, we’ve been able to create this blossoming garden, and we’ve been doing all these amazing things because we had no other option. Living in the middle of nowhere in this great stretch of land, we had to do something to protect the borders, and agriculture is the way…and because of that, the Arava became this lab for research in advanced agriculture, efficient water use, and renewable energy. There’s so much to share with the world.”

Dana Gerbie Klein and Linda Mandel.

Additional remarks were offered by the event co-chairwomen, and Rabbi Rena Kieval, and Maayan Amsterdamer, a local high school student who spoke about her experiences attending Alexander Muss High School in Israel, J.N.F.-USA’s college-prep, study abroad in Israel experience for American teens.

“At Muss, I realized that every Jew is a link in a long, unbroken chain—one that continues to grow with each generation,” said Amsterdamer. “I discovered a new part of myself and learned that each of us can make a difference. We are all part of something greater than we can ever truly grasp.”

Maayan Amsterdamer, Hope Amsterdamer.

J.N.F.-USA Capital Region Women for Israel member Jody Ference also shared a tribute to last year’s keynote speaker, Olga Meshoe Washington, who died in January.

Information about J.N.F. or upcoming programs in this region, may be obtained by contacting Emily Pfeffer at epfeffer@jnf.org or 617-423-0999, ext. 812.