Israel Independence Day at the 13th Annual Jack Hirsch Memorial Breakfast

On May 12, I had the privilege of celebrating Israel Independence Day at the 13th Annual Jack Hirsch Memorial Breakfast held at The Temple on Peachtree St.  Being a supporter of Israel and those of the Jewish faith, this opportunity was an honor for me.  It was also a new experience, as I am Roman Catholic.

For those who may not know, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) is a non-profit organization founded in 1901 by Theodor Herzl, a Viennese journalist, who witnessed virulent anti-Semitism at the Dreyfus trial. He knew it was time to take action, and was determined that before the Fifth Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland came to an end, a national fund would be established to purchase land for a Jewish State in Ottoman-controlled Palestine.

Over the past 113 years, JNF has evolved into a global environmental leader by planting more than 250 million trees, building over 240 reservoirs and dams, developing over 250,000 acres of land, creating more than 2,000 parks, providing the infrastructure for over 1,000 communities, and connecting thousands of children and young adults to Israel and their heritage

The keynote speaker at the 13th Annual Jack Hirsch Memorial Breakfast was Lieutenant Colonel Tiran Attia, the Director of Special in Uniform, a JNF partner and innovative program which integrates young men and women with disabilities into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Highlights below:

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13th Annual Jack Hirch Memorial Breakfast at The Temple.

Bonnie M. Morét _4640

The attendees were welcomed by Scott & Shelley Kaplan, Co-chairs.

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Beth Gluck, Southeast Regional Director of JNF Atlanta

Lt. Col. (Res) Tiran Attia

Ending Prayer

Prayer for the State of Israel: Howard Wexler, Co-President JNF Atlanta, Alan S. Wolk, Co-President JNF Atlanta, Shelley and Scott Kaplan.