“The challenges that were true at the beginning of Zionism are also true for 2023”: a conversation with the first woman at the head of KKL-Jden

In the eyes of many, the National Fund for Israel is associated with land, forests and the absorption of immigrants, but according to the new chairman of the organization, Yifat Ovadia-Lusky, one of the functions of KKL-Junk is the fight against anti-Semitism. For her, this is a natural connection, because the foundation is part of the Zionist institutions that act as representatives of the Jewish people around the world. “In my previous position as the head of the department for Hebrew and culture, I saw how with the help of these fields it is also possible to fight anti-Semitism. Once you connect Jews and non-Jews to our culture, there is no way to explain it. They understand that Israel is not what they are told.”

This week, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Ovadia-Lusky participated in the March of Life in Poland, which the foundation supports. “We do a lot of helping Holocaust survivors and create activities for them,” she says. “The parade is connected to our values. The connection with Diaspora Jewry begins with the delegations in the March of Life, and then continues in Israel when the participants arrive for a week that ends with a march on Independence Day. It is a tremendous connection of Jewish youth from around the world to the State of Israel, and we lead it.”

We meet before her trip to Poland, at the KKL-Junk center in Nes Harim, which is located in the heart of a forest. Through cameras scattered around the complex, we observe what is going on there and see dozens of children, divided into groups, going through field and field stations. from Ukraine,” says Ovadia-Lusky. “There were hundreds of orphans here. For a year we gave them a home with all the meanings, including emotional support, education classes and a connection to nature. At some point they moved to reception centers in Ashkelon, and on Purim we brought them here for an experiential activity. The kids were really excited to come back here. They ran away from war and came home. What organization would do such a thing in such a short period of time? We were attacked, we canceled the participation of other groups and presented alternatives. A good reception of immigrants in Israel can keep them with us and make them better citizens.”

Yifat Ovadia-Losky (46) grew up in Bat Yam and served in the army as a soldier teacher. She is married to Emir and a mother of three, and lives in Tzur-Hadasa. “In the four months since I took up my position, my children see me less, but there is an understanding in the family. My husband is very supportive, and without his help over the years it would not have been successful. It is a position similar to the management of a large government office, and the intensity is great. I really want to learn it and quickly.” .

She is still studying the huge organization, marking her goals. “The same challenges that were true at the beginning of Zionism are also true for 2023. Education, settlement, absorption of immigrants, development of the periphery – these are things I strongly believe in. In particular, I want to convey to the Israeli public the necessity of KKL-Junk. We need to increase awareness and information, so that the public understands the necessity of this organization, how important it is, how much it builds the country. The public identifies KKL-Jeff with forests and does not understand how much we touch the life interfaces of the citizen in the State of Israel

The full interview will be published tomorrow (Fri) in the “Yoman” supplement of Mokor Rishon