JNF Birmingham

In the early days of the JNF, Birmingham was one of the few offices that made what the general commission believed was an adequate donation to the general fund. This was in part due to S P Abrams who was very successful in getting the most out of his committee and he pushed them extremely hard to keep up their quota. During the 50’s, Birmingham found in Valerie Gould an inspired leader. Together with a number of dedicated members of the community including Isadore Baum, Cyril Cornberg, Jack Goldstein, and Mannie Gorfunkle, the JNF became the hub of community activity. Functions and activities, such as the Blue and White ball, brought Israel and Birmingham closer together.

During this time Valerie Gould persuaded Leo Cohen and Bernard Zissman to the JNF setup, & the Younger JNF movement was born in Birmingham. For many years Sam Chesler almost single-handedly ran The Mini Raffle (with a Mini car being the prize) as well as coordinating Blue Boxes. These still generate almost £2000 a year thanks to the tireless efforts of Mrs Lucie Pennell. The JNF Stag Night, started in 1956 by Cyril Cornberg, Jackie Freedman, Abe Green, Jack Goldstein, Mick Kaplan, Harry Ritterband and Denis Rubin, became an annual event and developed into the Sportsman’s Dinner that contin’d for almost 30 years.

Birmingham’s main fundraising today has shifted to direct appeals at Rosh Hashanah and (Green Sunday) Tu B’Shevat. The JNF continues to be supported by a large number of Birmingham donors who have purchased trees, groves and forests over the years in many different locations with a Woodland Rest Area in the British Park being the most recently completed Birmingham project. The Birmingham Hebrew Congregation Singers Hill and the Frederick Jacombs and Eva Bloom Sports Lodge have both raised money to plant Groves.

The JNF water projects have seen significant Birmingham donations. A special collection for the Gesher project was made in memory of Walter Schott, who ran the JNF office in Birmingham in the late 80s and early 90s. Members of the Birmingham Community have participated in the JNF Car Rallies (the organisation of which has had the major involvement of Brummie Martin Hone), notably the amazing Judy Wolfenden who, in spite of being severely disabled, made the journey from London to Jerusalem in a specially provided car.

The JNF Education Department has a special relationship with pupils at Birmingham’s King David Junior and Infant School – and all the chedarim have benefited from the flags at Simchat Torah. In 2000, Birmingham was the first community to have a Yom Ha’Atzmaut Seder using the JNF Yom Ha’Atzmaut Hagada. Attracting almost 300 people from the very young to senior citizens it was a tremendous success. The event was also repeated in Nottingham.Some 1000 Jewish students attend university in Birmingham and JNF employs a student field worker, Adam Ross, to promote the organisation. Adam’s enthusiasm and commitment has resulted in almost £4000 being raised from students for a special JNF project, the production of a widely distributed student weekly newsletter and the raising of the JNF’s profile at JSoc events All of which will perhaps lead to a greater commitment to the JNF and Israel in the future. Over the last few years the Birmingham office, run by the deeply committed Ruth Jacobs, has tried to reach out to the other Midlands communities to provide a more personalised service run in the Midlands for the Midlands. A Midlands Centenary event is being planned for June 2002.