NIF Kicks Off Series

The Forward, October 17, 2007

Rebecca Spence

A liberal group that focuses on social justice issues in Israel is making a push to exert a more national presence. The New Israel Fund, a Washington-based charity, is kicking off a series of events in 10 cities around the country, with panel discussions addressing such issues as economic justice, civil rights and the environment in the Jewish state. NIForum 2007 is an expansion of last year’s inaugural event, which was held in New York. “We felt it was important to reach more communities,” said Larry Garber, NIF’s CEO and executive director.

The events, with such speakers as Naomi Chazan, former Knesset member and a leading Israeli civil rights activist, will speak to what NIF terms a “progressive vision” for Israel’s future. Linked to the upcoming 60th anniversary of the Jewish state, the tour will hit Boston, Seattle and Chicago, among other North American cities.

In addition to the tour, the organization is hiring a full-time staffer in Los Angeles, where it hasn’t had an office since 2002. Ellen Barrie Aaronson, a former entertainment industry