has engaged longtime Jewish philanthropic leader and Chicago native Richard Wexler to lead a $300 million fundraising campaign for a new education village in Israel to better connect Israel to the global Jewish community. The 16-acre site of the new JNF Israel Education and Technology Center in Beersheba will offer dormitory buildings, apartments, dining hall, restaurant, cafes, synagogue, conference center, classrooms, community and leisure rooms while providing three unique centers within the village: the new southern campus of the Alexander Muss High School in Israel; a Zionist Education Center where adults will study with Jews from across the globe; and a Technology Center offering 100 college and post-college students one and two-year internships in Beersheba, where more than 60 global hi-tech and cyber companies have major headquarters. The village is expected to begin construction next year and open in 2024.
“I am incredibly excited to be part of this new chapter in Israel’s history and lead this fundraising effort,” said Wexler. “I’m grateful for this opportunity because it is only in Israel where you can witness the true impact of your investment on the next generation, and no organization does it better than Jewish National Fund.”
JNF-USA President Dr. Sol Lizerbram of San Diego, CA added, “For JNF-USA and for everyone, this new campus is a game changer for global Jewry while also serving as the gateway to higher learning and employment in the fastest growing city in Israel.”