Hello! You may know me as Avi or Elsie Nassau. I am a rising 10th grader in McCaskey High School in Lancaster, PA. I am also a part of Congregation Shaarai Shomayim, the reform synagogue here in Lancaster.

I am excited to be participating in the Dream Israel Teen Initiative and raising funds for important projects in Israel. The money that teens raise in the Dream Israel program will go towards funding several important initiatives such as inclusion for Israel's special needs population, support for emergency and rescue services in Israel, funding for environmental problem solving, and much more. I will be raising money for the Environmental Studies program. This program brings together Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians in order to solve problems involving both agriculture and environmental concerns. I chose this cause as environmental concerns are rising day by day. These issues require more funding and attention now than ever. Additionally, this program brings people from differing backgrounds in order to solve these issues. This not only provides diverse perspectives and innovation, but also assists in building essential person-to-person connection that is the foundation for peace.

If I meet my fundraising goal, JNF will provide me with a grant towards my own Israel travel experience. In my case, this will be the Heller High program. This program is a semester-long program in Israel in which I will connect with many Jewish students from across the world and learn more about Jewish history, both ancient and recent. I will be attending this program this fall. Please consider supporting this important initiative and my efforts to meet my fundraising goal.