Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Jewish National Fund (JNF-USA) will host the annual Tree of Life™ Award Gala at Congregation Ohev Shalom on Tuesday, March 20, to honor Deborah Dorsky Meitin, Marc Reicher, James Riola, and Rabbi Aaron Rubinger with Tree of Life™ awards for their dedication to the Orlando community, JNF, and Israel.

Guests will hear from Rabbi Leor Sinai, co-CEO of Alexander Muss High School in Israel, and Ariel Kotler, JNF's Israel operations development officer, who will speak about "Israel and the next generation," focusing on engaging youth and young adults in the U.S. and in Israel.

The Tree of Life™ award is a humanitarian award given in recognition of outstanding community involvement, dedication to the cause of American-Israeli friendship, and devotion to the peace and security of human life.

The Alexander Muss High School in Israel-JNF's mission is to promote, build, and strengthen life-long bonds between youth and Israel through the study of the history and culture of Israel. Students are inspired to live outside their books, encounter new ideas and challenge themselves to find their own link within the chain of Jewish continuity. AMHSI-JNF is an important contributor to the leadership and educational fabric of the North American Jewish community and boasts more than 22,000 alumni.

Leor Sinai

As Israel operations development officer, Kotler travels around the world educating communities about JNF's mission and its transformative projects throughout the land of Israel. Kotler has provided critical leadership for JNF's campaigns to build communities in the Negev and modernize Israel's fire and rescue infrastructure. Prior to joining JNF, he served two tours of duty in Lebanon, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander in the Intelligence Infantry of the IDF.

The Orlando Tree of Life™ award gala will take place on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 6 p.m. at Congregation Ohev Shalom, located at 613 Concourse Parkway South in Maitland. There will be heavy hors d'oeuvres, an open bar and dessert served. Dietary laws observed.

RSVP by March 6 at jnf.org/orlandotol

Sponsorship information and tickets also are available online at jnf.org/orlandotol. For more information on this event or ways to get involved with JNF in Orlando, please contact Laura Abramson at labramson@jnf.org or 407.804.5568.