The forthcoming year will bring some important changes to the United Jewish Federation P2K committee. First, for this year I am pleased to have Randy Shapiro as my co-chair.

Randy has been a strong Zionist and loyal P2K sub-committee chair from the start of our relationship with the Eshkol region, and Mexico. He travels to Israel frequently, and is anxious to take over the general chairmanship of our committee in June 2009, when I will complete my term.

He will work with me and then, as the new chair, will bring a new viewpoint of great enthusiasm to what we do here in the USA.  Second, we are preparing a public relations and marketing campaign for our federation that will put the p2k relationship in the forefront of our fundraising efforts. We believe that the way to motivate and activate our campaign solicitors and our donors, especially younger people, is to show them what their contributions accomplish. There is no better way that to let people know what wonderful things  are happening in  Eshkol, with the dollars that go to the project cards we create together.

Of course, the role of JAFI in the P2K program will be illustrated and explained to new donors, as well as those already committed to the state of Israel and our joint efforts.  The challenge will be for us to express the deep satisfaction we get from having wonderful partners in Eshkol, whom we call of brothers and sister, who do the hard work of making the land productive and safe.

We look forward the our new year with excitement and anticipation and look forward to our visit to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for the Lion of Judah and UJF general assembly and to our visit to Eshkol.  We hope to arrange a visit to our friends in Mexico in 2009, and to have Israeli participation in that visit.

Louis-Jack Pozner