Presidents, professionals, volunteers, donors and friends of KKL-JNF comprised the delegations that arrived from
various Latin American countries: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Cuba and Mexico. Representatives from Israel and Spain also attended the conference.
The congress was privileged to host the Israeli delegation, which included KKL-JNF’s world leadership headed by KKL-JNF World Chairman Mr.
Daniel Atar: Mr.
Hernan Felman, KKL-JNF Vice Chairman and Finances and Investments Committee Chairman; Mr.
Ze’ev Noyman, KKL-JNF Vice Chairman and responsible for the Fundraising Division; Mr.
Amnon Ben Ami, KKL-JNF Director General; Mr.
Ronnie Vinikov, Executive Director of the KKL-JNF Resource and Development Division; Ms.
Galit Ronen, KKL-JNF World Headquarters Director; Mr.
Ariel Goldgewicht, KKL-JNF Latin America Department Director; and KKL-JNF Latin American Department Coordinator, Ms.
Dalit Cohen.
The conference offered many diverse and interesting lectures, forums and working groups on topics such as fundraising, Jewish-Zionist education in the Diaspora, innovation, religious pluralism in the 21st century, promotion, presentations, digital marketing and many others. Presenters and lecturers at the congress included Professor
Marcus Pakel, Evangelical Priest
Eduardo Gomez, Chef
Jorge Raush and Senator
Edgar Enrique Palasio.
“We had an opportunity to listen and learn at the various meetings, which undoubtedly were a source of inspiration. The digital marketing panel presented a world in which technology plays a leading role in organizations, educational institutions, schools and universities. KKL-JNF has become part of this world, it is at the forefront and it learns from the very best how to approach the digital age,” noted incoming KKL Mexico Chairwoman
Ms. Rivka Mishani.
Among the events that took place as part of the conference, it is worthwhile to note the visit of the world leadership with Colombian Vice President Ms.
Marta Lucia Remiraz, with the purpose of strengthening the ties between the incoming Colombian government, KKL-JNF and the state of Israel.
In addition, a cooperation agreement was signed between KKL-JNF and CAR (Colombian Autonomous Regions Association), with the goal of creating a program for exchanging experience, technology and knowledge regarding the Lake Fukana rehabilitation project in relation to the successful rehabilitation of the Hula Valley, which now boasts the world-class bird-watching center Hula Lake Park.
“Without a doubt, the conference gave us an opportunity to create a framework for sharing experiences and our different circumstances. We had an opportunity to present our projects in the field of education, where we emphasized innovation. The conference created a global network that empowers all the local offices and points in the direction that KKL-JNF will be going over the next two years,” explained
Federico Kremenchuzky, who is the director of KKL Argentina’s department of education.
During their visit to Jewish community institutions in Bogota, the delegations went to a Colombian-Hebrew school in order to better understand the reality of Jewish education in Latin America. There were also meetings at the Jewish community’s Carmel Club, where visitors participated at meetings on public diplomacy on social networks, and at a religious encounter with friends from Evangelical communities.
At the conference’s conclusion, one of the highpoints was the performance of Israeli musician
Rami Kleinstein, who noted the exalted Zionist values that unite all the Latin American leaders.
Beyond a doubt, the conference was an opportunity for all the KKL-JNF Latin American delegations to meet and to grow closer to their communities.
“Conferences like this enable professional growth, mutual Zionist volunteering exchanges, and most importantly, strengthening the bonds of friendship that unite all of us who are part of this big family,” noted KKL-JNF Latin America Department Director Ariel Goldgewicht.
KKL Colombia Chairwoman
Yael Shapiro described the conference as “cooperation between different countries to share experiences and to learn from our friends’ successes. It was exciting to organize the conference and to lead it, to show everyone the beauty of our city Bogota, and to share the various aspects of KKL Colombia’s work with Latin America and KKL-JNF: the Jewish community, the Jewish school, the community club, the warm Evangelical and Christian communities, and government institutions. Thank you to everyone!”
KKL-JNF Vice Chairman Hernan Felman thanked all the participants for attending and for their contributing to the success of the Seventh KKL-JNF Latin America Congress, “a conference attended by chairpersons, professionals and volunteers, and also by a large youth delegation. Beyond a doubt, the Latin American congress provided us with an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the different realities of each of the countries in this region. We successfully joined forces in order to make KKL-JNF into an even stronger global organization.”