Jewish National Fund will host a panel in Tucson, “The Magic of the Negev Desert: From East to West and Everything in Between” on Monday, Jan. 14 (registration at 11 a.m.; event at 11:30 a.m.) at a private residence. The panelists are Michal Uziyahu, JNF’s liaison for the Gaza Envelope region, and Nadav Eylon, chief security officer for the Central Arava region.
JNF’s initiative to revitalize the underdeveloped Negev Desert — “Blueprint Negev” — is improving quality of life for all residents of Southern Israel, says Audrey Lewis, JNF senior campaign executive for Arizona. By confronting challenges — from a scarce water supply, to a lack of infrastructure for housing and transportation, to a need for more job opportunities — head on, many areas are now on a fast track to success.
Uziyahu, a resident of Eshkol, which is in the Gaza Envelope region, recently traveled across the United States as a JNF ambassador to educate thousands of Americans about what life is like living on the border with Gaza. She spoke from firsthand experience about the barrage of rocket attacks and incendiary kites that terrorized her community for over eight months.
Eylon, grandson of one of the founders of the Mossad, is on the frontlines of the communities most affected by an infiltration of terror. After living on Long Island, New York, he chose to move his family back to this isolated area to help make a difference.
The speakers will share their stories and discuss why living on this frontier area is critical to the survival and growth of the State of Israel.
For more information and to register for this complimentary event, contact Lewis at (480)447-8100, ext. 981 or alewis@jnf.org.
