ImpactIsrael is pleased to welcome four new members to its Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2019. The new members were unanimously elected to their volunteer posts during ImpactIsrael’s November 2018 bi-annual board meeting in New York City.

New Board Members for Friends of Yemin Orde.

The new Board members are: David Amar (Los Angeles); Judith A. Kaye (Boston); Barry Shrage (Boston); and Robert Shubin (Denver). Each Board member serves a three-year term.

“All of our new Board members bring compassion, experience and energy to the table. We are honored to have them by our side as we move forward to implement our strategic plan, said George W. Blank, National Chair, ImpactIsrael. “I’m also pleased to announce that National Campaign Chair, Robert Arogeti, has been appointed Chair-elect and will succeed me effective, January 1, 2020. Our board members make it possible to fulfill our mission to provide Israel’s next generation of leaders, its youth, with a transformative and quality education. This is vital to help secure a strong Israel for today and generations to come.”

David Amar
David Amar is a Senior Portfolio Manager and Global Institutional Consultant with the Private Banking and Investment Group at Merrill Lynch. He has served in the financial services industry since 1996, and his extensive background as an investment and tax advisor allows him to advise some of the firm’s most sophisticated clients. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of Southern California.

On a trip to Israel, Amar visited Yemin Orde Youth Village and was inspired by its community of loving-kindness, healing and hope that helps transform the lives of its 430 at-risk youth.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve on this Board and help champion our important educational mission in Israel. Yemin Orde’s lifesaving work with Israel’s deserving young immigrant populations is the living fulfillment of our shared values and ideals as Jews and as humanitarians,” said David Amar.

Judith A. Kaye

Judith A. Kaye has served for the past three decades in volunteer leadership positions in the non-profit and Jewish philanthropy sectors, as well as in the education and healthcare fields. Currently, Kaye serves on the Board of Directors of Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) of Boston. She has served as its Annual Campaign Co-Chair and chair of its Commission on Strategic Priorities. She also chaired CJP’s Economic Response Task Force.

“Yemin Orde is a powerful example of some of my highest priorities combined within a single purpose: supporting education and the healthy development of youth at risk, maintaining a strong connection with Israel and living Jewish values, the most important of which is the notion that all of us are responsible for one another,” Judy Kaye said. “Visiting the Village in 2017, meeting with impressive staff and incredible youth, and hearing their inspiring stories was a life-changing experience for me. It is a privilege to join the Board of ImpactIsrael.”

Barry Shrage
Barry Shrage is Professor of the Practice in the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University. He also serves as Director of the Initiative on Jewish Identity at Brandeis, which is part of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies.

Shrage recently retired from Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) of Greater Boston where he served as President for 30 years. He is one of Israel’s most passionate and effective advocates in Boston and is widely known for his energy, creativity and outreach to Jewish and non-Jewish communities in the region.

“Yemin Orde is not there merely to restore health. Its function is to foster lives filled with awe and wonder, purpose, meaning and heroism, love of Israel and a deep commitment to the well- being of others and of humankind,” Barry Shrage said. “The Village Way (Derech Kfar) is a beautiful educational methodology whose origins lie in the philosophy and values of the founders of Youth Villages in pre-State Israel. These educators established educational environments geared towards character building in service of a great vision – the building of a homeland.”

Robert Shubin
Robert Shubin is transitioning to the board after serving two years as a Board Observer which is a vehicle for young leaders to be involved with ImpactIsrael.

In 2013, Shubin founded Red Sky Resources I and later Red Sky Resources II, where he serves as a managing member of both entities. In the broader Denver community, Shubin is an active volunteer in Denver’s public schools.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Yemin Orde family and am excited to help introduce ImpactIsrael to the Denver community,” Robert Shubin said. “As a member of the next generation, I want to help ImpactIsrael fulfill the vision of a bright future for Israel and for its fragile youth.”

There are many ways to get involved with ImpactIsrael and help Israel’s at-risk youth have an excellent education and a bright future as productive citizens. Contact us to let us know how we can help you.

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