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2017 MFF monthly newsletter
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"In a place where there is no leader...
...strive to be a leader" - The Talmud
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Dear Friends,
Spring is in full bloom! The Milstein Family Foundation and our partners are hard at work on a range of exciting projects. Our Milstein Fellows have returned back on campus with a renewed energy and passion after attending the 2017 Policy Conference in Washington, DC!
In this month’s newsletter, we feature the stories from one of the student activists inspired by their experience as Milstein Fellows at the Policy Conference, we share Adam Milstein’s latest piece in the Jerusalem Post, and update you on the results of the Second Annual “Inspired by Israel” Video Competition.
With appreciation for your continued commitment to strengthening the State of Israel and the Jewish people,
Gila and Adam Milstein
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“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” This quote, attributed to Winston Churchill, has been a secret of the Jewish people for 5,000 years.
Written by Adam Milstein
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"Inspired By Israel" Video Contest
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The “Inspired by Israel” video contest has announced the winners! Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest, and to everyone who voted for their favorite video.
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Grand Prize Winner
Be inspired by one girl’s challenging journey to calling Israel her home…
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A poetic look at our connection to Israel, through the eyes of a teenage olah chadasha.
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Second Prize and Staff Choice Winner
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Israel: A Smile of Peace
Israel is a place of freedom, happiness, culture, and faith; a land fostering intelligent future leaders who dream and seek a world of peace and brotherhood!
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Innovation: Africa
As a strong country today, Israel is transforming lives across rural African villages with innovations in water, solar and agriculture. Innovation: Africa, a non-profit organization founded in 2008, has installed Israeli innovations in over 130 villages reaching over one million people in 7 African countries.
Learn more here: www.innoafrica.org
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Check out the rest of the winning videos on our
YouTube page
!
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Milstein Fellows: Students' Stories
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Last month, the Milstein Family Foundation supported 350 high school and college students who attended 2017 Policy Conference in Washington, DC with our partner organizations. Several Milstein Fellows share their impressions of how the conference impacted them below.
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Written by a high school student from the Far West USY delegation
I was excited to attend the AIPAC policy conference for the first time this year. I have wanted to attend the conference ever since my older brother first went five years ago. Since then, I have watched my two sisters join with him in DC every April. I couldn’t wait for it to be my turn. In middle school, my interest in politics grew and was heightened during the 2016 Presidential elections. Although I understand many key political issues, I came to the Conference knowing very little about American-Israel politics. I’m proud to say attending AIPAC opened my eyes and taught me so much about Israel, its policies, and its relationship with the world.
I learned how American farmers have used technology developed in Israel, how Israel’s relationship with the UN has changed over time, and how Israel interacts with its unfriendly neighbors.
Read the rest of the essay
here
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Written by a college student from the AEPi delegation
The Adam and Gila Milstein Foundation and the Milstein Fellows program afforded me my first opportunity to attend an AIPAC policy conference. I am originally from Little Rock, Arkansas and attend school in Peoria, Illinois. These cities both have rather small Jewish communities. Coming to AIPAC was my first real look at just active and amazing the Jewish community is around the country.
Multiple times throughout the conference I was nearly overwhelmed by the passion and love that our community has for each other and for the State of Israel. I go to a school with an apathetic student body, and to see that type of passion was both refreshing and rejuvenating. I am leaving AIPAC even more motivated and committed to advocating for and protecting the State of Israel in my day-to-day life.
Read the rest of the essay here
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Featured Grantee: JAM
Policy Conference Edition
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This month we are featuring JAM (Jewish Awareness Movement), an MFF-supported organization, and how going to the 2017 Policy Conference has affected their students.
Written by Rabbi Moshe Zaret, JAM Director
As the director of JAM, a campus outreach program in Southern California, I greatly value the opportunity to discuss the impact the AIPAC Policy Conference has had on our students.
This past Policy Conference was the tenth time I've accompanied a group of Milstein Scholars; collectively over 300 students. I've come to realize that an AIPAC Policy Conference can be a life-changing experience. It sounds hard to believe but in many instances, that's what happens. It therefore is crucial to appreciate the power of this opportunity and maximize its potential.
The JAM delegates of Milstein Fellows, arrived in D.C. Friday morning and experienced Shabbat as a group in Baltimore. This created a wonderful group dynamic, and when the students arrive at the Conference on Saturday, they’re well rested!
The following are quotes from students from the 2017 AIPAC Policy Conference:
“The conference gave me the tools to battle BDS and anti-Israel sentiment on my campus.”
“Watching Ambassador Ron Prosor, Speaker Paul Ryan, and Ambassador Nicki Haley reinvigorated my love for Israel’s moral and ethical stance against anti-Semitic/anti-Israel provocations on campus.”
“I realized after attending the general and breakout sessions, that Israel is leading advancement in Western society.”
“A true leader rises to power in uncomfortable times. I think America is an uncomfortable and contentious political climate. I need to rise as a leader to combat anti-Semitism.”
There are young people looking to become passionate leaders in the fight to defend the State of Israel. The AIPAC National Policy Conference, is a proven tool in igniting and directing these energies.
JAM is an on campus club servicing numerous college campuses. JAM's goal is to provide a framework for young Jews to meet each other, be inspired about their Judaism, and explore their Heritage.
We are grateful to The Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation for their inspiration, support, and impact.
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The Mission of
The Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation
("MFF") is to strengthen the State of Israel, the homeland of the Jewish People, and its special ties with the United States of America; and to ensure the special affinity to the State of Israel of the young and future Jewish generations.
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