As they wrap up the final pieces of the High Holiday Campaign and work on various arrangements for next year's Negev Gala honouring Joseph Wilder, Q.C., the JNF Manitoba/Saskatchewan staff is busy planning for Chanukah, Tu Bi'Shevat and some exciting new things coming up in the coming months.

The JNF Manitoba/Saskatchewan branch welcomed JNF Canada Education Emissary, Hadar Epstein, to Winnipeg at the end of October. Hadar met with teachers and administrators from Gray Academy and Brock Corydon School to introduce some of the new JNF programming that she has developed. Hadar started in her current position last October when she relocated from Israel to Toronto. Hadar knows JNF inside and out having worked in various positions at KKL since the 90s. Hadar will return to Winnipeg in December to work with the children in classrooms and to engage them in activities related to learning about Israel and how the JNF contributes to the Holy Land. 

For Chanukah, the Jewish National Fund is partnering with Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre and the Stay Young to help deliver a Chanukah Shabbat Dinner on November 29. The event will feature Eli Herscovitch as the entertainer and is open to everyone. Tickets are available by calling Gwen Secter at 204-339-1701 or by visiting their office at 1588 Main Street.

Coming up on December 1, Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be honoured at Toronto's Negev Dinner and the JNF Manitoba/Saskatchewan branch is happy to have ample representation from the prairies at this event, with many members of the community travelling to Toronto for this momentous event. 

For Tu Bi'Shevat, the JNF is excited to welcome Aviram Tzuk from Israel for Tu Bi'Shevat. Tzuk will speak to both Brock Corydon and Gray Academy on Friday, January 17 and then will speak at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue on January 18.  Aviram began his career in Agricultural research and taught at in Tel-Hai College in the Upper Galilee region of Israel. In 1991, he started working at KKL-JNF as a district ranger for Kiryat-Shemona in Northern Israel and then as a Forest Department manager of KKL’s Northern Region. Since 2005, he has been the forest supervisor of all the Upper-Galilee and Golan Heights Forests. As a forest supervisor, Aviram is responsible for all the forest management plans, implementation and research. He leads special projects for the benefit of the unique and diverse communities of the region and for visitors and tourists.

If you are interested in finding out more information about any of the JNF's upcoming events, please visit their website at manitoba.jnf.ca or call the office at 204-947-0207.