2018-2019 Annual Report

Dear friends and supporters,

We’re happy to report that, thanks to you, the Arava Institute had a year (2018-2019) of continued growth: extending our commitment to educating students; achieving environmental solutions; and building cooperative ventures in Israel and across our borders. We continue to believe that respect and shared goals can move us closer to the peace we all hope for.

Our academic program is bursting with students, so much so that this is our fourth consecutive semester in which we were at capacity. The 2018 Israel Ride was the biggest on record, with more than 200 riders. And almost three years in, our Track II projects are making substantive steps forward, as featured in the New York Times in November.

We are especially glad to have you on our team now, because we are going to need your support for the coming year too. After more than 20 years, the Arava Institute has firmly established itself. We are extending our philosophy across borders and tackling bigger projects.

We are currently in the early planning for our future needs. We need dorms and classrooms for our burgeoning number of students; meeting rooms for the more than 100 Track II participants and partners; and to further the Arava Institute as a regional center for cross-border environmental cooperation.

We can’t wait to show you our plans. We are excited for this new stage in the life of the Arava Institute and hope you will continue to support our students, faculty and efforts toward solutions to the region’s environmental issues.

David Lehrer
Executive Director
Arava Institute for Environmental Studies

Miriam May
Executive Director
Friends of the Arava Institute

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Thank You!

The Friends of the Arava Institute would like to sincerely thank the following supporters for gifts received from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. 

Endowment and Capital Campaign Donors

Fishman Family

Sara Fishman

Jonathan Fishman

Howard & Sara Metzenberg

Richard & Nancy Moskovitz

Joseph M. Schor Family

David & Alena Schwaber

Jerome E. Toffler Private Foundation

$25,000+

Kathryn Ames Foundation

Anonymous

Jeffrey Bain & Rabbi Anat Moskowitz

Beverly Foundation

Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation

Elias Family Philanthropic Fund

Aaron Frank & Julia Chang Frank

Albert B. Glickman Family Foundation

Sally Gottesman

 

Isadore and Bertha Gudelsky Family

Foundation

David & Aviva Lee-Parritz

Marion Mueller

Jay Myers & Joni Segal

Sylvia Neil & Dan Fischel

The Osprey Foundation

Marc Plonskier

The Abe & Kathryn Selsky Foundation

Ronald & Katherine Stein

$24,999-$10,000

Michael & Judith Berman

Janine & Edward Biskind

Harry Bleiwise

Michael Cutler & Dale Rosenthal

Robert & Carol Deutsch

Joseph & Deborah Eppstein

 

Jonathan & Gail Fishman

Russell & Brenda Frank

Bernard Friedman

Melvin & Geraldine Garbow

Cathy Horwitz & Mark Campbell

David & Brenda Jaffe

Jane & Malcolm Jozoff

 

Sheldon Kahn & Sarah Liron

Daniel Kaplan & Kay Richman

Gary & Deborah Korus

Francine Lavin Weaver

Paul & Carol Miller

Stephen & Laura Olson

The Oreg Foundation

 

Linda Peotter

Jack & Andrea Platt

Nathan & Mary Relles

Robert Sillins Family Foundation

Mark Saifer & Merry Sherman

Transwell MRI Inc.

Peter & Deborah Wexler

$9,999-$5,000

Pauline Altman Foundation

Lawrence & Marcia Arem

David Arfin & Madeline Chaleff

Katherine Arthaud

Theodore Banks

Rita Blitt

Sharon Boguch

Claire & Daniel Caine Fund

David Camp & Gwen Borowsky

Frank Chudnow & Margie Patlak

 

Janice Cohen & Byron Fisher

Elliott & Marlys Badzin

Cary Feldman & Nancy Jacobs-

Feldman

Lori & Michael Gilman Charitable Fund

Mark & Mary Glick

Amy Goldman & Joel Brill

Richard & Renee Goldman

Barbara Gural Steinmetz & Thomas

Steinmetz

Jon & Rabbi Carol Harris-Shapiro

 

Harry Heiman & Abby Friedman

Samuel & Meredith Hendler

Daniel & Naomi Kayne

Robert & Carol Keehn

Honey Kessler Amado

Charles & Esther Lee Kimerling

Charitable Foundation

Kenneth & Amy Krupsky

Roberta Landau

Mary Ann Levitt

Jack & Judith Lief

 

Michael & Laurie Marcus

Craig Margolis & Carrie Flaxman

Richard & Nancy Moskovitz

Hinda and Joel Miller Fund

James & Kala Paul

Saul Pilchen

Hershel & Betsy Richman

Hillel & Judy Salomon

Marcee & Mark Samberg

Steven & Penny Sanderson

Myron & Linda Schonfeld

 

Charles Shain

Ann Stehney

Lee & Nancy Tabas

Cheryl Lang Ullman

Michael Fischer & Susann Wilkinson

Matthew & Lisa Winkler

David Yaffe

$4,999-$1,000

Debra Aaron

Judy Ackerman

David Adler

David & Ryna Alexander

Richard Altman

Bar-Cohen Family Charitable Fund

Rose Barlow

Craig & Robin Beden

Ron & Susan Berman

Steve & Gita Berman

Eric Berzon & Danielle Ruymaker

Michael & Diana Bickford

Jonathan Breakstone

Judith & Frederick Buechner

Eileen Chudnow

Brad Cogan

Harvey & Katharine Cohen

Sharon Cohen & Eric Barker

Michael Cooperman & Anne Archer

Elliot & Marjorie Davidoff

 

Bennett Deutsch

Kay & Steven Dixon

Halley Faust

Federation for Jewish Philanthropy of

Upper Fairfield County

Roberto & Eileen Fischmann

Ronald & Dana Fishbein

Morris & Debra Flaum

Brian & Jennie Foont

Robert & Sara Franco

Isaac Frank

William Ganong

Richard Gering & Nancy Bell-Gering

David & Sandy Gerschultz

Jonathan Gertman

Catharyn & Mike Gildesgame

Debbie Goldman

Fran Goldman

Philip & Carol Goldsmith

Susan & Michael Gordon

Peter & Gavriela Gottlieb

 

Reyla Graber

Steven Greenberg & Jennifer Sylvor

Melodie Greenblatt

Richard Heinrich

Debbie & James Heller

Paul & Shelly Hendler

Highland Park Minyan

Libby Hill

Daniel Jacobs

Rondy Jennings

Judy Joseph & Mark Greenberg

Kaplan Family Foundation

Andrew & Jayne Klein

Zachary & Keisha Korenstein

George & Barbara Kramer

Sheri & James Krell

Michael & Patricia Krigel

Leighton Family Fund

Margaret Mandell

Jodi & Ross Mansbach

Yaron Marcus

 

Miriam May & Rabbi Shaye Cohen

Louise Mayo

Mark Miller & Michele Fleeter Miller

Mark & Pnina Mintz Charitable Fund

Michael Needle

Obadiah Designated Fund of the

Community Foundations of the Hudson

Valley

Jonathan & Robin Parritz

Andrew & Catherine Pines

Michael & Mary Alice Polifka

Roberta Quiat

Elliott Rebhun

Paula & Azzy Reckess

Sidney Redner

Daniel & Dina Relles

David Roberts & Sue Fischlowitz

Howie & Susie Rodenstein

Gerald Rosen

Joseph Rosenberg

David & Diane Saltzman

 

Eric & Michele Schaffer

Karen Schapiro & Douglas Frazer

Andrew Schiller & Susan Westmoreland

Robert Schloss & Emily Sack

Stuart & Joan Schoenfeld

Jonathan & Gail Schorsch

Leonard & Celia Schuchman

Mark Segal

Stephen & Patricia Segal

Senville Foundation

Susan Shachar

Melvin Simon

Karl & Paula Singer

The Raffa and Paul Atlas and Joel Atlas

Skirble Endowment

United Jewish Fund and Council of

St. Paul

Andrew & Julie Wilshinsky

Nolan Zail

$999-$500

Samuel & Bernice Behar

James & Karen Bellis

Albert & Peninah Berdugo

Michael & Caren Bianco

Sandra Brawarsky

Joan & Harold Burstyn

Rabbi Michael Cohen & Alison Hill

Mark & Wendy Comstock Family Fund

Mark Druy & Johanna Rothman

Frances Ehrenberg-Hyman & Carl

Hyman

Andrew Eller & Andrea Solomon-Eller

 

Emanuel Synagogue Brotherhood

Diana Fischmann Orenstein

Lynn & Bob Flayhart

Thomas Fritz & Beryl Brodsky

Richard Goldman

Goodwin Foundation

Mary Gray Holt

Deborah Greitzer

Jack Hendler

Philip Herschenfeld

Robert & Sandra Honig

Joakim Isaacs

Israel Congregation of Manchester

 

Joann & Thomas Adler Family

Foundation

Mark & Ruth Joffe

Jason & Mimi Kahan

Marjorie Kaplan & Michael Stanislawski

Amir Karby

Stuart Kiken

Charna Kinneberg

Congregation Kol Ha’Emek

Susan Kraham & Adam Joseph

Roger & Lisa Krakoff

Larchmont Temple

Nancy & Arthur Laskin

 

David Lehrer & Barbara Pinsker

Fred & Lynn Levine

Scott & Stacy Lewin

Barry Lichtenberg

Shelley Ann Lipowich

Robert Marcovitch & Elise Eplan

Morris & Amy Maslia

Joe & Christine Miles

Melinda & Richard Moulton

Giordana Pagano & Federico Velardi

Jonathan & Dena Parmet

Gregory & Bryna Rapp

Robert & Debra Rosenthal

 

Rabbi William Rudolph

David Sabih

Carol Schneider

David Simpson

Alan Fisher & Barbara Sommer

Jon Ulanet

Michael & Serene Victor

Stephen Wagner & Susan Woog Wagner

Solomon Weingarten

Joan & Bernard White Philanthropic

Fund

Mark & Patricia Wolkow

Elliot & Michele Zide

$499-$250

Arlene Ash Charitable Fund

Rosalyn Becker

Carla Berzon

Steve Blechman

Edward & Eva Borins

Rabbi Bradd Boxman

Sean Boyd

Amy & Marshall Brinn

Julie & Andrew Burden

Michael Ceigler

Brett & Heidi Cohen

Melvin Cohen

Robert & Ellen Dobrusin

 

Timothy Durning & Barbara Wagner

Jonah Eisen

James Estes

Carl Frankel

Jay Glicksman

Tammy & Brian Goldstein

Wendy & Steve Greenspan

Havurah Keruv of Southern Vermont

Shawn Hawkins

Alexandra Horigan

Miriam Hyman

Sherry Israel

Carl Jacobs

Shana Jacobs

 

Ted & Debby Jewett

Adam Kaplan

Greg Kellner

Marvin Krislov

Luis & Lee Lainer

Stephen & Joan Levene

Robert Lindenberg

Erica Lippitz

Michael & Susan Lippitz

Harold & Amy Masor

Rabbi Steve Masters

Bernard & Barbara Meyers

Laura Miller

Nancy & Gregory Moore

 

Mitch Moskowitz & Cindy Sweet

Deborah Neipris & Clifford Hendler

Marilyn Newman

John & Kayla Niles

Susan Patz

Steven & Randi Piaker

Edward Potash

Jeffrey & Jane Robbins

Ilene Rosenthal

Myrna Sameth

Pb Schechter

David Schreiber

Lori Schuldiner Schor & Joshua Schor

Barbara Segal & Howard Brown

 

Eric Segal

Bill Siksay

Anita Stein

Marion & Ronald Stein

Janet Stotsky

Leroy & Joyce Strom

Louis Tenenbaum

Ronald & Stephanie Weiss

Janet Wellish

Rabbi Steven & Jody Wernick

Ann Wimpfheimer & Edward Snyder

Gary Zaidenweber & Rachel Adelman

$249-$180

Michele Alperin & Steven Sheriff

Hamoody Atwa

David Barash & Debra Gorra Barash

Ira Bartfield

Robert Becker

Ami & Mark Belsky

Robert Bloch

The Bocian Family Gift Fund

Peter & Susan Bradford

Jeffrey Burack & Shelly Ball

Mary Call

Daniel Cedarbaum

Yvette Chalom

Glenda Claremon

Chad Coerver & Karen Fiss

Selk Conroy Giving

Thomas Cooper & Chris Engemann

 

Morris Deutsch

Kristina Donnelly

Paula Doress-Worters

David Eisenberg & Fran Caplan

Nancy Facher

Daniel Feldman

Andrew Fischer & Linda Jason

French & Co. Fine Properties

Leslie Fried-Kuperstein & Jerry

Kuperstein

Robin Friedlander

Gamzu Family Fund

Joseph Glider

The Goddard-Mele Living Trust

Raymond Goldberg

The Gregg and Ruth Gorrin Family

Fund

Ama Dawn Greenrose Manasse

 

Susan Hendrie-Marais

Todd Herzog

Booker Holton

Jenny & Brian Immerman

Lance Kawesch & Anne Exter

Daniel Kestin

Rabbi Jonathan Kligler & Ellen Jahoda

Barry & Marcie Koffler

Hanne Kooy

Robin Kramarow

Kevin Lake & Sallie Deans Lake

Lydia Lazar

Tajlei Levis

Paul & Ruth Levisohn

Jackie Lewis

Richard Lieberman

Larry & Georgi Lockerman

Sara & David Nelson

 

Ellen Rader Smith

Marc & Miriam Reimer

Patricia Renzulli

Ben & Ronit Rose

Ellen & Jack Rosenberg

Keith Rosten

Russell Ruthen

Eslee Samberg

Steven Sanders

Manar Sarie

Joshua Schon Wirtschafter & Diane

Wirtschafter

Rachel & Lawrence Schonberger

Patricia & David Schwartz

Sara Segal & Benjamin Kantor

Joanne Shapiro

Robert Shapiro

Jennifer Silver

 

Jason Slosberg

Jeffrey Stecker

Barbara & Howard Steinmetz

Rachelle Taqqu

Temple Emanu-El of Sarasota

Ken Toltz

David & Paula Touger

Paul & Neimah Tractenberg

Len & Libby Traubman

Martin Wagner & Naomi Dworkin

Eric Wasserman

Synthia Wayne

Richard Weber

Meir Yehoshua

Mark and Margie Zivin Gift Fund

$179-$1

Fred Abrams

Joshua & Debra Abrams

Benjamin & Gail Adams

Abdallah Alhaj Mohd

Barbara Altman

Amitai Foundation

Caryn & Edward Andrews

Elizabeth Anisfeld

Donna Aranson

Marina Armstrong

Chana Arnon

Charles Bach & Robin Dolsky-Bach

Michael Bahr

Ken Bearman & Karla Larsen

Lonny Behar

Emile & Gail Bendit

Barry Bergman

Marjorie Berman

Naomi Berman

Christine Berry

Jan Bieringer

Barbara Bigelow

Edward Blachman

Sidney & Brian Blair

Sidney Blatt

Joel Bloomberg

Susan Blum

Lester Blumberg & Robin Hasenfeld

Goldie Blumenstyk

Jeffrey Borkan & Suzanne Jacobs

Kelly Boulton

Jorden Brinn

Lisa Brinner

Jeremy Brochin & Reena Spicehandler

Judy Bronston

Jeffrey Brown & Rachel Haft

Melissa Brown

Samantha Bucciero

Scott Buckner

Amy & Phil Bursky

Diane Buxbaum

Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake

Melanie & Ed Canale

Andrew Chaikin & Victoria Kohl

Marilyn Chandler

Ken Chasen

Tom Cheatham

Ann Clemenza

Amy Cohen

Beatrice Cohen

Lawrence Cohen

Rabbi Malcolm & Sarah Cohen

Michael & Jackie Cohen

Mitch Cohen

Sheva Cohen

Michael Comins

Allan Cook

Cotton Family Trust

Brian Crenshaw

Bradford Davis

Stuart & Betsy Diamant-Cohen

Robert & Sara Dickman

David Diskin

Kelly Anne Dolan

Ruth Donner

Julie Dorfman & Jerry Herst

Drench Family Donor Advised Fund

Herb Dreyer

Jevin & Janine Eagle

Sharon Eckstein

David Edell

Henry Einhorn

Rabbi Richard Eisenberg

Richard Eisenstein

Rt. Rev. Thomas Ely

Stephen Engel

Rabbi Helaine Ettinger

 

Vanessa Evan-Bouchelle

Michael & Holly Fahn

Marilyn Feinberg

Samuel Feinsmith

Brenda & Leon Fine

Robert M. Finer & Nancy L. Finer

Charitable Fund

Gary & Denise Fink

Daniel & Debbie Fins

Rabbi Michelle Fisher

Philip & Sylvia Fishman

Shalom & Deborah Flank

Judith Foster

Susan Frankel

Allan Freedman & Amy Rappaport

Bonnie & Sheldon Freidenreich

Mona Freidin

Sandy Friedman

Sherry Friedman

Beverly Friend

Vivian & Leo Fuhrman

Susana Galdamez

Stuart Garrilick

Larry & Carla Gash

Seymour & Shirley Gash

David Gersh

Margaret Gillespie

David Ginsberg

Ginsburg Shuchat Family Fund

Morris Glassman

Kathy Glazier

Freddie & Joel Glucksman

Gold Family Charitable Trust

Steven Gold

Gold Family Fund

Kesselman-Goldberg Benevolent Fund

Richard & Lois Goldberg Donor Advised

Fund

Tamara Goldman

Seth & Amy Goldsweig

David & Suzon Gordon

Gregory Gottlieb

Anne Gould

Maurice Green

Martin & Debra Greenberg

Tova Greenberg

Sharon Greenfield

Rabbis Nadya & Victor Gross

Robin Gross

Karyn Grunwald

Ricki & Marc Grushcow

Rachel & Bob Gur-Arie

Stephen & Judy Gutmann

James & Marilyn Hand

Tova Handelman

Judith Hellerstein

Eric Hendler

Laura Hershcopf

Paul Hertz & James Rauchman

Amjad Hijazin

David & Shelley Hiller

Robert Hoberman

Barbara Hodas

Avi Hoffer

Arthur & Carol Hoffman

Stacy Hollander

Laura & David Honan

Muriel Horowitz

Lois & Martin Infeld

Frederick Isaac

Riyad Jaber

Jonathan Jacoby

David & Sara Jewett Fund

Cydney & Norman Josephy

Tammy Kadish-Harper

Lynn and Michael Kahan Charitable

Fund

David Kahn

 

Elaine Kahn

Melissa Kahn

Jenya Kahn-Lang Charitable Fund

Grace Kaminstein

Linda Kane

Steven & Wendy Kapustin

Madeline Katz

Marc & Deborah Katz

Elizabeth Kaufman

William Kavesh

Eugene & Lela Kay

Bill Kedem & Laurel Rest

Judith Kessler

Kissileff Family Foundation

Steven & Illana Klane

Mark & Sandra Koffman

Janet Kolodner

George & Deborah Kornfeld

Marion & Edward Kornstein

Ellen Kouwenhoven

Steve Kover

Daniel Kramer

Vivienne & Ryan Kramer

Susan & David Kriger

Michael Kronenberg

Noel & Judy Kropf

Philip Kruger

Ilana Labow

Paul Laffal

Zoe Lang

Jay & Susan Lapidus

Miki Laws

Rhonda Lees

Abraham Leibson

Jonathan Sebastian Leo & Rabbi Teri

Appleby

Susanna Levin

Ely Levine

Albert Levis

Joan Levy

Myrtle Lewin

Marc Lewyn

Sheldon & Lucile Lichtblau

Michael Lieberman & Randi Abramson

Matthew Liebman

Jonathan Lightman

Merle & Bernie Lightman

Ellen Lippmann

Ruth Loew & Robert Tabak

Ernest Lowenstein Foundation

Rabbi Michael Luckens & Sharon

Schumack

Berel & Barbara Lutsky

Conor & Tamar Maccallan-Finkelman

Jonathan Machta & Betsy Brooks

Bethany Macneill

Denni Mador

Lori Maki

Ruth Malman

Joyce Mandell

Marc Mangel

Susan Marcus

The Carney-Mark Family Giving Fund

Daniel Marrow

Paul Marsolini

George Mason

Ari Massefski

Claudia Mattison

Anne & Mitchell Max

Rabbi Vivian Mayer

Steve & Judy McPhail

William & Amy Mencow

Phil Metz

Alvin & Roberta Michaels

Elinor & Charles Miller

Lisa Miller Ryan

Noa Milman

Gerald Mintz

 

Andy Mirer & Jesse Green

Sarah Mix

Jonathan Morgenstein

Karen Morris

Edward Moses

Elisha Musgraves

Alan Nemes & Fawn Chapel

Shlomo Nessim

Miriam Newman & Michael Pinnolis

Sarit Oberlander

Jeff & Margo Olson

Peter & Beth Ornstein

Eugene Oscapella

Sherif & Anne Osman

Michael Ostroff & Esther Rosenberg

Beth Peck

Jill Pelavin

Susan Pelavin

Edna Perlmutter

Lisa Phillips

Brona Pinnolis

Joshua Pinnolis & Rebecca Redner

Ariana Pinsker-Lehrer

Rabbi Richard & Lisa Plavin

Polasky Furgang Family Fund

Caren Press

Steven Rabinowitz

Rhoda Rabkin

Jeffrey & Karen Raizen

Rayzel Raphael

Richard Rappaport

Lauren Rauch

Josie Reiter

Charles Rich

Karen Rich

Daniel & Micole Richter

Barbara Richter-Kobrin

Barbara Rick

Arnold Rintzler

Stewart & Beverly Roseman-Shapiro

Murray & Lorna Rosenberg

Louis Rosenblum & Lya Dym

Rosenblum

Rosenfeld-Lobovits Fund

Ben Rosenthal

Paul & Elaine Ross

Wendy & Mathew Rostal

Michael Rothbaum

Jacqueline Royce

Jeffrey Rubin

Rabbi Robert & Susan Rubin

Sarah Rubin

Dalia Rudavsky

Robert & Marlene Ruderman

Judy Rudiakov

Michael & Roslyn Rudnick

Rebeca Rydel

Paul Sager

Karen Salomon

Michael Samberg

Nina Samberg

Susan & Neil Sandler

Rabbi Regina Sandler-Phillips

Cindy & Mark Saper

Susan Sapiro & Lewis Polishook

Laurie Sasson

Jennie Savage

Robert & Cynthia Savett

Barbara Sayres

Hannah Schafer

Barbara Schechtman

Harvey Schein

Rabbi Jeffrey Schein

Jonah Schein

Robin Scheiner Miller

Ephraim Schwartz

Beverly Schwartz-Katsh & Ethan Katsh

Rabbi Daniel Schweber

 

Rachelle Sclan

Ilan Segev

Serow Family Fund

Wendy Seymour

Lilach Shafir

Mark & Judy Shankman

Robert Shatten

Douglas & Joan Shaw

Nola Sheffer

Walter & Barbara Sherwood

Elaine Shizgal Cohen Charitable Fund

Martin & Aveva Shukert

Daniel Silver

Jen Silverman & Robert Follansbee

Lisa Silverman

Bennett Simon & Roberta Apfel

David Simon & Esther Rosenberg

Sklarew Family Fund

Irving & Lois Slott

Charlotte Smokler

Debra Smolkin

Eric Solomon

Lauren Solomon

Paula Sommer

David Sonnenfeld

David & Linda Sotnick

Judith Souweine

Kimberly Spatz

Rabbi Toba Spitzer

Debi Sproule

Lois Squires

Eli Steier

Rabbi David Stein

Alvin Stern

Shoshana Stern

Alan Strauss

Edward Summers

Irene Susmano

Karin Susskind

Yaacov & Terry Sutton Kravitz

Michael Tabak

Fred Tischler

James Tischler

Ellen Ussery

Al Vermut

Roland & Helen Victor Turk

Robert & Marlyn Vogel

Alan Warshaw

Thompson Webb III

Barbara Wechsler

Rabbi Ezra Weinberg

Rabbi Sheila Weinberg

Mordie Weintraub & Amy Gerber

Paul & Allison Weiss

Adrienne Weiss-Harrison & Andrew

Harrison

Rosanna & James Wertheimer

Diane Williams

Dina Wizmur

Aaron & Carolyn Wolf

Edith Wolf

Anais Woyciechowicz

Colby Wyckoff

Lynda Yankaskas

Michael Yasner

Randy Yavitz

William Yelen

Jenna Zargon

L. R. Zeitlin

Scott Zetlan

Gloria & Nathan Zimet

Bob Zimmerman & Jerry Silverstein

Steven & Barbara Zimmerman

Michael Zwirn