2023 JNF-USA Global Conference to be Held in Denver

National Fund-USA will hold its annual Global Conference for Israel November 30 to December 3. The venue for this year’s event is Denver, Colorado, where more than 1,400 attendees will gather to hear from world-renowned speakers, network with pro-Israel colleagues and discover what they can do to support and advocate for the Jewish State. 

“This will be one of the largest pro-Israel gatherings of the year, and include one of, if not the largest Shabbat dinners in the world,” Susie Toczek said. Toczek — who serves as JNF-USA’s Greater Los Angeles co-president of the board with her husband, Fred — added that the conference will include “the most amazing Zionist thought leaders, influencers and entertainers together to celebrate all that we have accomplished while also planning for Israel’s future.” The conference will feature talks with former Israeli Ambassador to the United States  Michael Oren, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, actor and activist Yuval David and Professor at New York University’s Program of International Relations, Ido Aharoni. Sessions include “Israel, A Nation of Start-Up People” featuring panelists Erel N. Margalit, Ph.D., founder and executive Chairman, Jerusalem Venture Partners and Gidi Grinstein, president and founder, Reut Institute; Countering Anti-Zionism Campaigns on Campus, with Jacob Baime, CEO, Israel on Campus Coalition and two students, Tessa Veksler and Orlando Valdez; “The Confrontation Between Jacob and Esau: The First Battle for the Land of Israel,” with Rabbi Hershel Billet, rabbi emeritus, Young Israel of Woodmere; and “Is Social Media Good for the Jews?” moderated by JNF-USA’s Director of Communications Stefan Oberman. 

A Shabbat Friday night dinner and Saturday morning services will be held. After Shabbat and havdalah, Alex Edelman, star of Broadway’s “Just For Us” will be performing standup comedy. There will be summits for college and high school students as well.  

JNF-USA’s Task Forces will be meeting at the conference. They include the housing development fund, arts and entertainment, disabilities and fire and rescue task forces. “The Global Conference for Israel is the perfect place to see our task forces in action,” Susie Toczek said. “These are the groups that influence Jewish National Fund-USA’s philanthropic investments, and the beauty is any member of our Donor Societies can join.” 

JNF-USA, a nonprofit organization, engages in a number of initiatives in Israel, including providing state-of-the-art rehabilitative services, medical care and special education to special-needs individuals, donating equipment and vehicles to Israel’s firefighters and bringing 300,000 people to the Northern region of Israel, building infrastructure and offering opportunities for employment and education.

JNF is well-known for its tzedaka boxes and its mission to plant trees in Israel. As of 2023, it has planted over 260 million trees, which cover more than 250,000 acres throughout the country. 

In addition to attending the conference in Denver — where former Prime Minister Golda Meir lived as a teenager – people can become involved with JNF-USA in a myriad of ways. Young professionals can join JNFuture, which has chapters across the country, or people can sign up for a career group like Rabbis for Israel, Healthcare for Israel or Lawyers for Israel. There are also donor societies, mitzvah projects and personal fundraising opportunities available.

“Our Global Conference for Israel is the closest they can get to visiting Israel without being there.” – Susie Toczek

Fred Toczek said the goal of the conference is “to unite our Zionist world and Israel supporters everywhere as we leverage the power of philanthropy to positively impact the land and people of Israel.” Susie Toczek echoed his sentiment. “Israel supporters want to have their voices heard,” she said. “They want to be part of supporting Israel’s future, and our Global Conference for Israel is the closest they can get to visiting Israel without being there.”