ABOUT US





WHO WE ARE
The JGF promotes environmental, social, and economic sustainability in and around Jerusalem through the support of grassroots community initiatives, working with Jerusalem's diverse communities, and reaching out to lovers of Jerusalem around the world.
Read Naomi Tsur's welcome message.
Check out the JGF Board Members, our Team and JGF Founders.
JERUSALEM STAKEHOLDERS
Jerusalem Stakeholders, the core members of the JGF, constitute both the human and the financial capital of the organization. The Jerusalem Stakeholders foster public accountability through their financial commitment and civic engagement, both fundamental to the effort of transforming Jerusalem so that residents and visitors alike can take pride in the beauty and holiness of our city.
OUR GOALS
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Fund-raise for and support projects mainly in the Jerusalem region that advance social, environmental and economic sustainability; and those that promote awareness of the value of sustainable development.
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Advance environmental awareness and responsibility; conservation and integration of natural resources in sustainable development; and generate respect for the environment.
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Encourage and support businesses, organizations and institutions in the integration of policies that demonstrate environmental and social responsibility.
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Initiate and encourage interfaith dialogue and cooperation in the work of the JGF throughout the Jerusalem region and in other communities, cities, and countries.
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Initiate and produce conferences, seminars, workshops and lectures to promote environmental, social and economic responsibility and accountability.
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Compile, publish, and disseminate written and multimedia materials that advance the goals and projects supported by the JGF.
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Pursue educational, civil, and legal avenues in support of the goals of the JGF.
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Establish contact and work with individuals and institutions worldwide in pursuit of the goals of the JGF.
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JGF BOARD MEMBERS
NAOMI TSUR
Chairperson
Naomi Tsur is the initiating founder of the Jerusalem Green Fund. After 12 years as Director of the Society for the Protection of Nature and Coordinator of the Sustainable Jerusalem Coalition, she served for 5 years as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem (2008-2013).
Under Tsur’s leadership, the Gazelle Valley, originally a real-estate project, became Israel’s first Urban Nature Park and the abandoned eight kilometers of the Old Railway track between Malha and the First Station evolved into the much-loved Railway Park. Tsur opened up municipal committees to the public and also created new frameworks for civic engagement in urban planning and policy. Tsur currently chairs the Israel Urban Forum.
RICHARD CORMAN
Board Member
Richard serves as the Vice-Chair for the Jerusalem Green Fund. After retiring as the Development Director for StandWithUs for 7 years, Richard helped launch a new amuta in Israel - The Michael Levin Base. Richard serves as the Chairman of the Board for this dynamic non profit that supports lone soldiers in the IDF and lone b'not sheirut (who are doing national service).
Richard and his wife, Jean, made aliyah from New Jersey in 2011 to join their two sons' families who also live in Jerusalem. Richard had an extensive career in Jewish communal service in the U.S., notably as the President of Rutgers University Hillel and the Director of the JCC of Central N.J. for 21 years.
PROF. EHUD ZIV
Board Member
Prof. Ehud Ziv is Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry, after serving for many years as Director of the Lipid Research Lab and Diabetes Unit, in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel. Ziv served as Chair of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel from 1998-2012 and is active in the Israel Diabetic Society.
CAROL GOLDBERG
Board Member
Carol made aliyah in 2014 with her husband Mark and currently lives in the Arnona section of Jerusalem. Carol was a project manager while living in New Jersey but now has retired.
With all this new free time as a retiree, Carol spends her days and nights with her grandchildren, her passion of singing in theater and choir, cooking meals for the Lone Soldier Center in memory of Michael Levine, and of course being environmentally responsible while serving as a board member of the Jerusalem Green Fund.
REUVEN SCHWARTZ
Board Member
Reuven M. Schwartz, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist for over 40 years in the US, made aliyah with his wife, Amy, in 2015 from Pittsburgh and both remain infatuated with life in Israel. He was inspired by the vice-chair of the JGF, Richard Corman, to get involved in making Jerusalem a cleaner city. In 2016 Reuven piloted a program in Talpiot and Arnona neighborhoods whereby businesses in congested areas would adopt an ad-hoc garbage frame holding a bag. Reuven has written for the Jerusalem Post on issues of cleanliness in the public domain and advocated for the city to install a garbage bin at every bus stop (recently committed to by the Mayor!).
KAREN STAHL-DON
Board Member
Karen Stahl-Don is a licensed attorney in Israel and the US. She received a BA and MA from the University of Michigan in Near Eastern Studies/Arabic and studied Arabic at the American University of Cairo and at the Bourguiba Institute in Tunisia. She received her law degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her LLM from Cardozo School of Law. In New York she worked in commercial litigation and grassroots environmental litigation. She has lectured and published articles on various aspects of international law, specializing in the legality of the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria. She currently lives in Jerusalem and serves on the board of the Jerusalem Green Fund and supports the Sustainable Jerusalem Lobby.
SHOSHANA SHINNAR
Board Member
Shoshana Shinnar made aliyah in 2015 from New York, has been a stakeholder since 2016, and currently serves on the board of the JGF. She met Naomi Tsur at a Sustainable Nutrition Conference at TAU, when looking for someone from Jerusalem, who had a wide view of the environmental movement in Israel. The match was made. Shoshana believes that instead of wasting valuable time looking for volunteer opportunities, people should be able to join a local network of organizations and volunteers; therefore one of her initiatives with the JGF is creating such a dynamic database.
As part of living her values, Shoshana has taught her own children by example and led them to live a sustainable lifestyle without calling it by name. So her real passion for being an environmentalist is “selfish”- that her children and grandchildren should merit to live in a happy and sustainable world.
DAVID ZWEBNER
Board Member
David Zwebner grew up in South Africa, and since making Aliya in 1966, has lived in Jerusalem with his wife, Ronit and family. After conducting in-depth research about ancient and modern-day Ashkelon, he recently published a book celebrating the story of the city.
After being a stakeholder for a couple of years, David joined the board of the JGF in the understanding that Jerusalem's greatest challenge is to become a sustainable and equitable UNITED city.
STUART STANTON
Board Member
Dr. Stuart Stanton is an emeritus Professor of Urogynecology, from the University of London. Over the years he worked as a volunteer consultant, surgeon and teacher in the Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Hadassah Ein Kerem. In 2016 the Knesset awarded Stuart a Certificate of Appreciation, for his services to Urogynecology in Israel.
He made Aliyah two years ago and lives in the German Colony. He is now patiently learning Hebrew. Stuart volunteers teaching conversational English at Boys Town Jerusalem High School and at ESRA. After becoming a stakeholder of the JGF in 2020, he later became the newest addition to the JGF Board.
TSVI GASSNER
In Memoriam Board Member, Chair of Audit Committee
Tsvi Gassner received his degree in Aeronautical Engineering in San Diego at California State University. He went on to spend 45 years in the industry, spending 15 years specializing in Aircraft and Jet engines maintenance and 4 years in Medical equipment development. He ran two private companies. Additionally, Tsvi studied marketing at the Technion Out Studies Division and has extensive experience in Product Development and International Marketing in a number of different companies, and holds patents for ten different products. Tsvi went on to teach Marketing at the Industrial Product Design at Bezalel Academy. Currently retired, Tsvi continues to assist, advise, and provide guidance to numerous companies and organizations, both young and old.
THE TEAM
FOUNDING MEMBERS
BATEL SPIVACK
Community Initiatives Coordinator
Batel completed her MA in Environmental Studies with a focus on urban sustainability at Tel Aviv University's Porter School and has a BA in Political Science from Stern College Yeshiva University.
She came to JGF after coordinating the Sustainability Center of Gilo, Jerusalem, where she worked with residents and elementary schools. Batel currently directs a sustainability center for the Haredi community run jointly by the JGF and the Romema Community Center. Through this center she also initiates out-reach to the wider Haredi community of Jerusalem.
Batel made aliyah in 2004 and lives in Tekoa with her husband and 4 children.
TIMNA RAZ
Projects Manager
Timna has a B.Sc in environmental science and geography and is now working on an M.A in prehistoric archaeology and natural resource management. She worked in the Society for Protection of Nature and in the Environmental Education Department in the Jerusalem Municipality. She worked at the Jerusalem Green Fund since its establishment in various projects related to urban agriculture and community sustainability.
Today she is leading three projects in JGF: the "A planter for every windowsill" in Reshit school in Kiryat Menachem, as part of the neighborhood sustainability forum which she coordinates. She managers the "Regional Partnership for the Promotion of a Biosphere Reserve in the Jerusalem Hills". She heads a civil society team working on behalf of the Sustainable Jerusalem Lobby, working on writing a mitigation and adaptation plan for climate change for Jerusalem with the municipality.
ESTHER TJON A TEN
Projects Manager
Esther made Aliyah in 1997 and has lived in Jerusalem ever since. She has worked as an environmental educator, facilitating community building with people of all ages, and from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds.
Previously she worked with the Society for Protection of Nature and collaborated with the Community Council in the Environmental Education Department in the Jerusalem Municipality. She joined the Jerusalem Green Fund team in 2019, working on various projects related to urban agriculture and community sustainability.
Today she manages the Bustania community garden, creating a platform for environmental education, social events and community gardening. She also co-founded and oversees the neigbourhood food saving pilot in Kiriyat Hayovel.
EILEEN STEINBERG
Local and International Outreach
Eileen has just completed her MA at Hebrew University in Nonprofit Management and Leadership, a field she has worked in Israel for over 25 years. She graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa in 1976, with BA’s in International Finance and Sociology.
In 2015, she established an internship program at Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School through, where she supervised, guided and taught over 110 MA Nonprofit Management students hailing from all corners of the globe.
Eileen represented Israel abroad in different missions, first in Greece, later in Rochester, NY. She worked with the late Mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek organizing international events for the Jerusalem Events Center. She established and serves as either a chairperson, board member and/or organizational consultant for various NPO’s, including the American Friends of AACI, the Australian Friends of Orr Shalom’s Children’s Homes and Hadassah Women.
Eileen, from southern Florida, is married to Professor Doron Steinberg, a 12th generation Jerusalemite. They have 4 children and 4 grandchildren all living in Israel.
YISRAEL SMITH
Admin Support
Yisrael Smith has a B.Ed in Jewish Education and an MA in Linguistics from Bar Ilan University. He has worked as a woodworker, a college lecturer, and most recently in nonprofit management running a community Beit Midrash in Jerusalem and an online women's study program for students worldwide.
In the last few years Yisrael has felt an increasingly strong need to be actively involved in environmental programming and activism. At JGF he helps with administrative tasks and has begun work developing programming in the Gush Etzion area. Yisrael lives in Tekoa, Gush Etzion with his wife.
JACQUELINE ROSE
Website
Jacqueline Rose has a Joint Honours BSc in Economics and Geography and a MA in Environmetal Studies. She has worked at the SPNI (Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel) in Jerusalem and Modi'in, in a range of capacities including Environmental Projects Manager, Green Map Coordinator and Environmental Education Coordinator.
Jacqueline worked together with Naomi Tsur in the early years of the JGF's establishement as the JGF Administrator. Today she manages the JGF website and supports JGF staff and interns.
After 20 years working in the environmental field Jacqueline became a freelance website builder and social media manager. She has also re-trained as a certified Yoga for Pregnancy Teacher, Yoga for Women's Health Teacher and Therapeutic Yoga Specialist.
Jacqueline made aliya in 1998, and now lives in Modi'in together with her husband and five children.
FOUNDERS
Naomi Tsur
Naomi Tsur is the initiating founder of the Jerusalem Green Fund. After 12 years as Director of the Society for the Protection of Nature and Coordinator of the Sustainable Jerusalem Coalition, she served for 5 years as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem (2008-2013). Under Tsur’s leadership, the Gazelle Valley, originally a real-estate project, became Israel’s first Urban Nature Park and the abandoned eight kilometers of the Old Railway track between Malha and the First Station evolved into the much-loved Railway Park. Tsur opened up municipal committees to the public and also created new frameworks for civic engagement in urban planning and policy. Tsur currently chairs the Israel Urban Forum.
Richard Corman
Richard serves as the Vice-Chair for the Jerusalem Green Fund. After retiring as the Development Director for StandWithUs in Israel for 7 years, Richard has become involved as the Vice-Chair for The Eckstein Fund and is a Tutor at Shalem College. He is active in other community endeavors, including the support of lone soldiers.
Richard and his wife, Jean, made aliyah from New Jersey in 2011 to join their two sons' families who also live in Jerusalem. Richard had an extensive career in Jewish communal service in the U.S., notably as the President of Rutgers University Hillel and the Director of the JCC of Central N.J. for 21 years.
Prof. Ehud Ziv
Prof. Ehud Ziv is Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry, after serving for many years as Director of the Lipid Research Lab and Diabetes Unit, in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel. Ziv served as Chair of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel from 1998-2012 and is active in the Israel Diabetic Society.
Dr. Yoel Siegel
Yoel Segal works as a senior consultant to U.N. Habitat. In his capacity as an organizational advisor, Segal works with government ministries, local government and neighborhood councils. Segal is the consultant to the Jerusalem Bioregion Center, an important initiative now working within the Jerusalem Green Fund.
Dr. Chariklia Segal Tziraki MD PhD
Prof. Chariklia Tziraki is an MD, PhD, and expert in Medical Technology Assessment. She is affiliated with the Hebrew University and serves on the medical board of the Association of Community Clubs for Elders and directs its Research Unit. Before she made Aliyah, Chariklia served in senior positions, both public and academic, in the U.S. Her special interests include healthy aging and special needs populations.
Count Phillipe Piccapietra
Count Philippe Piccapietra, Grand Chancellor of the Order of St. Lazarus in Jerusalem, has been instrumental in re-establishing the base of the Order in Jerusalem. He is committed to projects that improve life for all the communities in Jerusalem, and St. Lazare Holy Land has embraced and supported the Green Pilgrim Jerusalem initiative.
Dr. Yaffa Schuster
Dr. Yaffa Schuster is the founder and head of the African Israeli Stage, an organization that aims to bring African theatre to Israel and African actors to perform in Israel. Her work has resulted in cross-cultural cooperation and important collaboration with Nigeria. Her company recently participated in the Akko Theatre Festival.
Naor Yerushalmi
Mr. Naor Yerushalmi, until recently, served as Director of Life and Environment, the umbrella organization of the environmental movement in Israel. During his work there, Yerushalmi emphasized the need for greater democratization of local government and for better opportunities for civic engagement. Today he directs Green Jobs Israel, helping people find employment in the environmental sector throughout the country. Since December 2018, Naor is serving as Deputy Mayor or Nes Ziona.