Mr. Hernán Felman, KKL-JNF Vice Chairman and Chairman of the organization’s Finance Committee, recently visited the KKL-JNF office in Mexico to hear learn about the social and environmental activities that the office is promoting in Israel and Mexico, and to strengthen the bond between the two countries.
Over the course of the visit, KKL Mexico noted that for them, Israel is their spiritual country, and they therefore believe in nurturing its close and active relationship with Israel and its institutions.
One of the key projects is a
collaborative research agreement with Mexico’s Postgraduate College in Agricultural Sciences (COLPOS) in the field of pest control. According to the agreement, KKL-JNF will host two scientists from Mexico in order to identify future cooperation projects, following the
success achieved in importing a Mexican ladybug as a safe, biological pest control against the cochineal scale insect, which was infecting Israeli crops in northern Israel.
Another project, which was presented to Mr. Felman during his visit, concerns the request for cooperation in hosting the Pan-American Maccabi games at the Israeli Sports Center of Mexico in 2019. The Sports Center has asked KKL-JNF to be the official sponsor of the event. It was agreed that another meeting would be held in Israel during the visit of the Sports Center Executive Committee to the Maccabi World Congress, during which the proposal would be examined and a proposal submitted to the KKL-JNF Board of Directors.
In addition, KKL-JNF Mexico, in cooperation with ORT Mexico, will launch the first
online program for graduate studies in the field of "Environmental Education in the Era of the Global Crisis", which includes a module on Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund as a pioneer in agricultural technology and water management. These topics will be taught by an Israeli environmental expert. Hernán Felman has been instrumental in making the connection with KKL-JNF Israel, in order to be able to successfully implement this important educational project.
During his visit to Mexico, Mr. Felman also visited the
Tarbut-KKL Forest, accompanied by the president of the Tarbut Foundation, Mr.
Daniel Bojmal, with whom he discussed future projects with the aim of expanding the scope of existing educational activities.
In activities with the Hanoar Hatzioni Movement in Mexico, Hernan Felman addressed some 250 cadets, instructors and volunteers on behalf of KKL-Mexico.
In addition to the aforementioned events, Felman held working meetings with
Patricia Katz de Saltiel, President of KKL Mexico, and
Nissim Shasho, Director of KKL for the Latin American Northern Region. He also met with
Nathan Shteremberg, Chairman of the Board of KKL Mexico as well as with KKL Mexico guides and volunteers.
At the end of the visit, KKL Mexico expressed its thanks to Hernán Felman for his visit and to KKL-JNF in Israel for its support in the continued development and promotion of core values of KKL-JNF and its role in Israel and around the world.