The Jewish National Fund-USA Global Conference for Israel stood out from other confabs in the way it united attendees. Participants of the annual Jewish National Fund-USA event came from a multitude of backgrounds, geographies, religions, and political persuasions, yet when they took to the stage during the many plenaries, workshops, and fireside chats, the only topic on everyone’s mind was supporting the land and people of Israel.
All 2,500 philanthropists and supporters of the land and people of Israel who attended the annual Jewish National Fund-USA Global Conference for Israel, held from Nov. 14-17, 2024, at the Hilton Anatole in downtown Dallas, Texas, were unabashedly, unashamedly, vocally Zionist.
The sense that if you were pro-Israel, you were very much around friends was immediately apparent on the Friday morning of the conference when Jewish National Fund-USA CEO Russell F. Robinson made the first of his many appearances during the weekend-long event.
As he walked onstage in the hotel’s striking Trinity Ballroom, greeted by warm applause, the words, “We Are Zionists,” appeared in supersized font on the massive screen behind him.
Robinson spoke of Jewish National Fund-USA’s plethora of recent successes: the organization, which is devoted to supporting the land and people of Israel, particularly Israel’s underdeveloped and underpopulated northern and southern regions, currently counts some 600,000 unique donors and is aiming to reach one million over the next decade, he said.
Since Oct. 7, when a Hamas-led attack on Israel’s south prompted an exodus of thousands of Israelis from their homes in the Gaza Envelope as well as from the region bordering Lebanon in the north due to the threat of Hezbollah, Jewish National Fund-USA has been there providing critical support for those unable to return to their homes, Robinson added.
True to his ever-optimistic form, the Jewish National Fund-USA executive wasn’t timid about his organization’s ambitions for Israel’s economic future, which has taken a hit as the Jewish state’s war in Gaza—not to mention its more recent war in Lebanon, recently subject to a cease-fire agreement – continues for more than a year.
“We are going to reignite tourism in Israel,” Robinson declared, again garnering enthusiastic applause.Robinson wasn’t alone in expressing such unveiled excitement for the land of Israel and, more broadly, the Jewish people."
"All weekend long, the conference’s presenters spoke of the unmatched resiliency Israelis have exhibited since last October and the strength of global Jewry – Jews young and old – in standing up against antisemitism.The conference’s speakers included Sinai Temple Emeritus Rabbi David Wolpe, who on Friday afternoon delivered a masterclass in public speaking –and with no teleprompter to boot! – as he reflected on “The Future of American Jewry.”
The highlights of Wolpe’s 30-minute lecture –which preceded a lengthy dialogue with JNFuture President Ian Sachs that drew on questions from conference attendees –were many. But a few quotes stand out that are worth repeating here.
“When you look at Jewish history, it is astonishing, unprecedented, and literally unbelievable that we should be here,” Wolpe said. “And so, the first obligation of the Jew who wants to fight for Judaism is to have faith in the idea that we are not going anywhere.”
On Israel: “One of the things that we have to recognize is that no other country in the world, none, is targeted for elimination. Nobody says, ‘Look, Germany fought two world wars, let’s get rid of Germany.’ ‘The Chinese are mistreating the Uyghurs, let’s get rid of the Chinese.’ ‘Myanmar, look what they’re doing to the Rohingya, we should end Myanmar.’ No. The only country in the world that people say should no longer exist happens to be the only country in the world that is inhabited by people who’ve been hated for thousands of years. Isn’t that a coincidence?“So, the ability to stand against that, to have that courage, is indispensable for Jews,” Wolpe said.
On what distinguishes Jews living today from those of previous generations: “We have to remember: We are not alone, we are not powerless, we are not wandering, we are not in the predicament of our ancestors,” Wolpe said.
If Wolpe’s speech was an eloquent reminder of all the Jews have endured and overcome throughout history, Jewish actor and comedian Michael Rapaport offered a decidedly lighter tone when he emceed the conference’s Saturday night gala.
Rapaport relied mostly on crowd work as he gently ribbed people in the audience, but he also didn’t shy away from the sentimental as he spoke about how isolated he’s felt in Hollywood since Oct. 7.
Of course, fear of speaking out against, say, the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas hasn’t been unique to the entertainment community. Everyone in the room at the Jewish National Fund-USA conference had experienced feeling alone the past year due to their steadfast support for Israel.
So, when Rapaport looked out onto the well-dressed gala crowd and said, “I feel like I’m amongst family,” everyone knew what he was talking about. Along with such big-ticket speakers as Wolpe and Rapaport, the conference also offered more-intimate panel discussions, held in the hotel’s various meeting rooms.
There was a lot to choose from. One could stumble into “Hashtag Zionism,” and hear from four pro-Israel social media influencers, including Emily Austin, Shai Davidai, and Israeli judoka world champion and Olympic medalist Peter Paltchik. They shared what it’s like to advocate for Israel on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. The takeaway: it’s not easy.
“Nobody was listening to me anymore, so I turned to social media,” Angelina Palumbo, a student at Binghamton University, said during the panel. Amidst the rise of antisemitic protests on her campus after Oct. 7, anti-Israel demonstrators began calling Palumbo “little miss Zionist.”
She now shares pro-Israel content on social media using that moniker. “Instead of hiding, I chose to embrace it,” she said. Austin – who has more than 2.5 million followers on Instagram –said she’s been heartened by the support she’s gotten since she began sharing her pro-Israel views.
“It sounds so cliché, but I’m like everyone else,” she said in an interview. “I guess people just like my opinion.”Or one could check in on “Israel Making the World a Better Place,” where panelists including Aviva Klompas, author of the newly released “Stand Up Nation,” discussed the ways in which Israelis were uniquely equipped to export their expertise in fields such as agriculture, water, and energy to other countries in the world.
Still, the most rewarding experiences might’ve been those not on the agenda, such as meeting in person someone you’ve previously only interacted with via email and on Zoom during Friday evening egalitarian services, or, somehow, at a conference with thousands of attendees from all over the country, being seated at the same table as someone from your hometown during the Friday night Texas barbecue Shabbat dinner (kosher, of course).
When this reporter expressed disbelief at how many people were gathered for said Shabbat dinner, a Jewish National Fund-USA spokesperson remarked, matter-of-factly, “Everything’s bigger in Texas.”
For the young people in attendance – of the 2,500 attendees, there were reportedly 500 college students, 250 Alexander Muss High School in Israel students and dozens of young professionals from JNFuture, a community of young Jewish National Fund-USA philanthropists, ages 22-40 –the conference was an opportunity to spend a weekend with likeminded people.
Such was the mentality of Austin, Texas high school student Yiftah Kovatch, a member of Tzofim (Israeli Scouts). In an interview during lunch, he explained how he recently painted the area around his parking spot at his Austin, Texas high school with the word, “Shalom.” Doing so made his mom nervous, he said, which was emblematic of the times.At the Jewish National Fund-USA conference, though, the teen needn’t worry about being confronted with any hatred simply for being Jewish. “We’re all here together for the same cause,” Kovatch told this reporter. “To connect to Israel, help out and spread the [pro-Israel] word.”
Next year’s Jewish National Fund-USA conference is scheduled for Oct. 23-26 and will be held at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. Register today at jnf. org/global.