Jewish National Fund (JNF) is proud to host an event on Thursday, August 29, 2019,  discussing the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies’ work towards educating future leaders on dealing with the environmental challenges of our time. Chaired by Evie Cohen and Julie Shaffer, this complimentary event will feature guest speakers Mohammed Azraq and Odeliya Matter, both of whom are Arava Institute alumni. The morning program will begin promptly at 11:00 am at the Boulder JCC (6007 Oreg Ave, Boulder, CO 80303) and RSVP is required for entry.

“We are looking forward to discussing all of the great research being done at the Arava Institute,” said Cohen and Shaffer. “Nature truly knows no bounds, and having cooperation from those across borders to accomplish this environmental work is not only inspiring but also tantamount to the survival of the region.”

Azraq, a Jordanian born in Kuwait, is the recipient of the Atkin Fellowship for Arab Israeli Peace at King’s College London. He has published a paper on grassroots community initiatives for renewable energy generation for West Bank villages and is developing a migration narrative project to help young Arab immigrants and Mizrahi/Sephardic Jews connect in Europe.

Born and raised in Jerusalem, following her army service, Matter organized a delegation of volunteers to the island of Lesvos, Greece to assist their refugee population. Upon her return to Israel in 2018, she studied at the Arava Institute, where she cultivated her interest in grassroots activism, environmental development, and community-based collaborations.

“Such amazing things are being done at the Arava Institute and I am proud to support its vital work and share the success stories with our community,” said Michael Marcus, President of the Friends of the Arava Institute.

With support from Jewish National Fund, the Arava Institute advances cross-border environmental cooperation and educates and prepares future leaders from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, and students from around the world to solve shared environmental challenges.

Registration for this free event is required by August 23 via jnf.org/BoulderAravaEvent. For more information about Jewish National Fund and to get involved, please contact Matthew Leebove, Associate Director Mountain States, at mleebove@jnf.org or 303.573.7095 x976.