Grapevine December 15, 2024: Changing of the guard

At the annual meeting in New York of Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU), the new chairman of the organization, Andrea Goren, a third-generation supporter of BGU and New York-based finance executive, took up his latest role.

Goren – who succeeds immediate past chair Gary DeBode – previously held a variety of senior roles on the A4BGU board, including treasurer, chairman of the finance committee, executive committee member, and vice chairman. 

He is a member of the first cohort of A4BGU’s Zin Fellows Leadership Program which provides an in-depth immersion into the issues involved in the continuing development of the Negev.

Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as ambassadors for BGU, Goren is leading the A4BGU board’s efforts to amplify the present relevance of the pioneering spirit of David Ben-Gurion, who envisioned that Israel’s future would emerge from the Negev.

A4BGU’s main role is to fundraise for BGU, as the bulk of philanthropic support for the institution comes from the United States. The organization is also building an aspirational movement of Americans who are committed to improving the world through a new 21st-century unifying vision for Israel within the advanced and diverse academic corridors of BGU.

The university was directly and disproportionately impacted by the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, with 117 dead from its community and 6,000 of its students serving in IDF reserves. 

BGU students, faculty, and staff have volunteered in hospitals, aided families of IDF soldiers, and organized logistical operations to circulate food and supplies. As the largest nongovernmental employer in the Negev, BGU is playing a vital role in the nation’s recovery and rebuilding process.

“It is especially meaningful that Andrea is continuing his family’s legacy of support for BGU as chairman of A4BGU’s board of directors,” said Doug Seserman, CEO of A4BGU. 

“His leadership is a modern manifestation of the Jewish value of ‘l’dor v’dor’ – from one generation to another. And it couldn’t be happening at a more crucial juncture, when BGU is leading the way forward for Israel in the ongoing aftermath of the October 7 attacks.”

Goren has over 30 years of experience in private equity, investment banking, and corporate finance and has closed nearly $1 billion in transactions. He currently serves as CFO of NAYA Biosciences, a life science portfolio company dedicated to bringing breakthrough treatments to patients in fertility, oncology, and autoimmune diseases. 

“I visited BGU for the first time when I was seven years old,” said Goren. “It has been part of my life for as long as I remember, and I have been privileged to witness its amazing growth and development over the years. I am deeply honored to lead A4BGU’s board at a time when it is more important than ever for Jews around the world to stand up and do what they can to secure a peaceful future for Israel. 

“I can think of no better way than to follow in my father and grandfather’s footsteps to support an institution that not only is a leading global university but one whose research is serving humanity as a whole and whose local community work plays a central role in developing the Negev and, in so doing, makes Israel safer and stronger.”

Jewish Agency for Israel – North American Council

■ ANOTHER AMERICA-BASED organization with a new leader is the Jewish Agency for Israel – North American Council (JAFINA), which has announced the appointment of Kim M. Heiman as the new Chair of its Board of Directors, succeeding Rachel Hoffer.

Heiman, who has spent 25 years in Jewish community life and leadership, in addition to her prior service on the JAFINA Board, is a past president of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati and past chair of the Cincinnati United Way Campaign. 

She has also worked as a lay leader with The Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) Young Leadership Cabinet as well as JFNA’s Global Planning Table, the American Jewish Committee, the Hadassah Foundation, and Bridges for a Just Community. 

In 2001, the Cincinnati Enquirer named her a “Woman of the Year,” and she was honored as “A Woman to Watch” by Jewish Women International in 2011.

Heiman is Managing Director at Standard Textile Company, a leading supplier of innovative products for healthcare and hospitality markets worldwide. She was born in Nashville, Tennessee, where her family has been involved in community work for six generations.

JAFINA is a US-based nonprofit created to support The Jewish Agency for Israel and its charitable purposes and activities. Funds raised by JAFINA help bring Jews to experience Israel on short-, medium-, and long-term programs; bring Israel to Jewish communities in America and around the world through programs including Partnership 2Gether (P2G), Shlichim (emissaries), and educational and camping programs; help Jews make successful aliyah, whether they are fulfilling lifelong dreams or escaping danger; and assist vulnerable Israelis, including youth-at-risk, new immigrants, and victims of terror.

“I am deeply honored to assume this position at a time when JAFINA and The Jewish Agency are responding to Israel and world Jewry’s period of crisis in such a resounding way, by rallying North Americans to support urgent various priorities for the Jewish people,” Heiman said. 

“So many American Jews want to help at this time of war, as they feel the existential threat that Israel is facing. We are here to answer the call to action.”

The Ximus Forum

■ SOME 50 diplomats from around the world, serving in Israel as economic attachés and key players in shaping global trade, alongside leading figures from Israel’s business sector, including CEOs of prominent companies and members of the Ximus Forum, came together recently in a combination of diplomacy and business.

They convened at the stunning Leitersdorf apartment in Tel Aviv’s Shalom Meir Tower at an event organized by the Center for Jewish Impact (CJI) and the Ximus Forum. 

Ximus is the derivation of the Latin word, Eximius, meaning extraordinary, and each of the forum’s members has extraordinary achievements to their credit, including the sponsors Watergen, a global leader in water-from-air technology; Sompo Digital Lab Israel, a Japanese multinational insurance company; and Moment Productions.

Since October 7, Israel has faced significant challenges extending far beyond security concerns, with the nation’s international and economic relations impacted by the ongoing conflict.The event, under the title of Diplomacy Means Business, was aimed at bolstering Israel’s international economic ties and promoting a “return to business as usual,” fostering economic growth even in challenging times.

Among the speakers were Robert Singer, Chairman of the Center for Jewish Impact; Tomer Cohen, Founder of Ximus Forum and CEO of Wolt Israel; Mike Calvert, Deputy Senior Commercial Officer at the US Embassy in Israel; Andrea (Dushi) Leitersdorf, representing the host family; Yinon Dolev, CEO of Sompo Digital Lab Israel; and Reut Ronen Netanel, CEO of Ximus. 

Attendees participated in speed networking sessions at roundtables, where they explored opportunities for future international collaborations.“The core mission of the Center for Jewish Impact is to connect Israeli society with the diplomatic community and foster meaningful, beneficial relationships between Israel and the world,” said Singer. 

“We believe that understanding Israel requires engaging with its diverse, dynamic, and resilient society. This event brought together over 50 diplomats from across the globe and more than 100 key leaders from Israel’s business sector, creating endless potential for future collaborations.”

A reading President

■ GIVEN HOW hard-working he is, it’s a miracle that President Isaac Herzog, who is a voracious reader, finds time these days to read a book. But the bookcases in his study, which were sparsely filled when he moved into the President’s Residence just under three-and-a-half years ago, are now overflowing. 

The reason: so many people who write a book want to present him with a copy.

Perhaps he reads in the car when driven to destinations outside Jerusalem.

The most recent book he received was from Shraga Biran, the founder of the Institute for Structural Reform, who stressed that the President of the State, acting as a unifying national figure, could fulfill his authority and duty to end the war and release the hostages. 

Biran told the President, “The die is cast. Hamas has collapsed. We must begin with the ‘day after.’ The question is how to definitively eliminate Hamas and save the hostages at the same time, immediately, and not wait any longer.”

He added that there is historic national unity, a cross-party consensus since the days of Ariel Sharon and Menachem Begin, regarding Israel’s need to disengage from the Gaza Strip, to rehabilitate it from its miseries, and thus neutralize the demographic threat it poses. 

He recalled that Ariel Sharon acted in accordance with these goals and believes that he would have succeeded in achieving them had he not passed away prematurely. “I was personally witness to Sharon’s dream when he met with then-Senator Biden to ensure American aid for the rehabilitation of the camps and to remove Gaza from its misery,” said Biran.

The book offers a proposal for the immediate establishment of an international task force led by the US and China to take control of the Gaza Strip for an interim period, to cleanse it of terror elements, release the hostages and begin reconstructing the region.