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June 12, 2009
JNF works to increase safety
Negev Dinner raises funds for shelters and honors Max Fugman.
JEANIE KEOGH
On May 31, Jewish National Fund (JNF) supporters congregated in the Four Seasons' Park Ballroom for the annual Pacific Region Negev Dinner. The chief fundraising initiative of JNF, the event was for one of 250 projects that the nongovernmental organization has in the works this year: building portable bomb shelters for the protection of visitors to JNF-owned forests and residents in southern Israel. The project's primary supporter is this year's honoree, Max Fugman.
The evening's program opened with an education award being presented in absentia to Joel Bellas, in recognition of his 30-year career as a teacher and as an active board member of Beth Israel and Vancouver Talmud Torah.
Ruth Freeman received the Bernard Bloomfield Award for community involvement and volunteer service. Freeman held posts on the JNF board of directors for two decades and was president from 1994 to 1996.
JNF national president Frank Wilson addressed the generosity of the guests for their attendance. He called for building a stronger foundation for Israel, metaphorically addressing the roots of the country as "what keeps the tree from falling down."
"We've still got much more work to do. Without the JNF, the state of Israel would not exist ... we bought the land, but yes, we overpaid," Wilson said.
Wilson highlighted the ongoing accomplishments of a wide scope of JNF ecological contributions: from helping citizens of East Timor and Indonesia plant trees and cultivate crops to tackling the drought crisis in Israel with a circadian irrigation process that extracts moisture from humidity through chemical bonding and condenses it into distilled water.
In closing, Wilson thanked Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his "unwavering support for the people and state of Israel."
Jerusalem emissary and local shaliach (representative) Araleh Lapidot acknowledged the importance of building three mobile, reinforced shelters in the Sderot region as it is within the range of Hamas missiles. His hope is that the structures will signify solidarity to visitors to the area, as well as offer reprieve to residents whose lives are routinely interrupted by missiles.
"People do not give up on nature, even in times of hostility," Lapidot said. The project, he said, will hopefully allow people "to enjoy the freedom of walking in the woods in safety."
He continued, "The Fugman family chose a project which helped after the Cast Lead war in Israel. JNF took it upon itself to build these bomb shelters in order that ... if something will happen, they can have a place to hide and not be hurt. I hope we will come to an agreement with the Palestinians and then we don't need all these bomb shelters."
In speaking of the presence of pro-Palestinian protesters congregated on the corner of Georgia and Howe who are opposed to JNF actions, master of ceremonies Michael Fugman said, "We're gifted and lucky to live in a country where people can protest."
A choir of the Israel Defence Forces performed a vibrant program of traditional Hebrew songs, departing from the modern Israeli repertoire they present for soldiers stationed at bases around the country. The dinner was blessed by Schara Tzedeck Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt and Philip Owen, former mayor of Vancouver and a recently inaugurated member of the Order of Canada, paid homage to Max Fugman in the closing speech. Owen delivered humorous anecdotes about his 50-year relationship with Fugman, which began in the 1960s when they were both working in the garment industry – Owen for Eaton's at $110 a week and Fugman for Alan Frome at $120 a week. Owen spoke of the tireless, dedicated work of his friend and noted that Fugman's commitment to the community is evident in his being recognized as a JNF honoree.
Past JNF president Harvey Dales said, "The JNF is the infrastructure of Israel and people don't comprehend that." He said that people largely associate the organization with tree planting, but that JNF's involvement in national security is largely overlooked. As well, he added, the organization makes up the backbone of land preservation for Israel, even going beyond the government's efforts at environmental protection.
Jeanie Keogh is a freelance writer living in Vancouver.
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