I am excited to be participating in the Dream Israel Teen Initiative and raising funds for important projects in Israel. Jewish National Fund is supporting Israel and Israelis in a number of different ways. The money that I am raising is earmarked to go towards funding an incredible organization called Aleh Negev.

Aleh Negev is a village for disabled children and adults located in southern Israel. I have had the privilege and honor of meeting with the founder of this organization, Doron Almog. Major General Almog founded this organization to provide residential, educational, medical, and employment opportunities for disabled Israelis. In fact, the residential village is called Nahalat Eran, in memory of his own son who lived in the village until his death.

The Dream Israel Teen Travel Initiative through JNF is teaching me about the behind-the-scenes components of running a fundraising campaign. And, on top of this, it's modeled in a way that will provide me with the opportunity to travel to Israel to study and see the impact of my fundraising efforts in action. This, by the way, is super cool, as it provides me with the additional opportunity to further explore my own connection to the land and people of Israel.

I have set a goal of raising $5,000 and am planning to head to Israel this upcoming January. Please consider supporting this important initiative and my efforts to meet my fundraising goal.

B'ahava,
Shayna B.