By Joe Goldman
LOS ANGELES — At a time in which so much is at stake for Israelis and Palestinians alike, I’m humbled to step into the role of regional director for Southern California at the New Israel Fund.
I joined NIF at a perilous moment for Israel and Palestine. But I know this work is a marathon, not a sprint. For me, it feels both deeply personal and urgently necessary. Israel is my home away from home. I’ve had family and countless friends there most of my life and even raised money for peacebuilding organizations at my bar mitzvah!
Just this past weekend, NIF grantees mobilized over one million Israelis—the equivalent of all Californians protesting on a US scale—to take to the streets in a national strike demanding an end to the Gaza War and return of the hostages.
Now I get to work with you to support the Israelis who give me hope. Despite devastating war in Gaza, settler violence in the West Bank, and backsliding democracy within Israel itself, these Israelis never give up.
NIF grantees are the antidote to these dark times: advocating for a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza, working to block West Bank annexation, pushing toward a lasting resolution to the conflict, and sustaining a diverse ecosystem demanding democracy and human rights. Your support makes this work possible.
Before joining NIF, I worked at the heart of American Jewish advocacy, including at HIAS, MAZON, and JCRC Bay Area. Whether staffing the San Francisco–Haifa Sister Cities delegation with the late Mayor Ed Lee or raising funds to help displaced Israelis after the horrific attacks on October 7, I’ve seen the impact of American support for Israeli civil society.
Taking on this new role means filling very big shoes left by my dear friend Rabbi Ephraim Pelcovits. We’re lucky to have had his leadership here in Southern California, and with your partnership, Laila Lipszyc, our development and program coordinator, and I will work to build on that strong foundation.
As I settle in, I can’t wait to meet you! From Santa Barbara to San Diego to right here in my native LA, I look forward to connecting in the weeks and months ahead. Please reach out at joe@nif.org to set up a time to meet, virtually or in person.
*
Goldman is the Southern California regional director of the New Israel Fund.
NIF is behind many of the anti Israeli protests and funded by Sara Jacobs like minded radical left jews to undermine Israel democracy. They have funded most of anti government protests in Israel.
Why organization who claims to be for Israel is choosing to spend money to overthrow democratically elected government rather than investigate in indisputably beneficial activities like restoring gaza envelope communities, supporting lone soldiers, planting trees,..… there is no lack of good causes.
New Israeli Fund is bad actor
The NIF (“Not Israel’s Friend”) is a radical, far-left anti-Israel organization.