‘Conversations with our partners’
"We are out there to build relationships, we are out there to have an ongoing conversation. We are out there to shed light on what's important to everyone."
Keren Hayesod (KH)-UIA in Israel is focused at least as much on relationships as it is on fundraising. That was a point emphatically made by its new CEO, Alon Futterman, when he spoke with The AJN ahead of his visit to Australia as part of UIA Australia’s current campaign.
Before taking up the post of CEO in October last year, Futterman was founding CEO of TALMA, a joint endeavour of the Israeli government and private foundations that brings together teachers internationally to provide English study programs for students of all ages, and of all affiliations, from low-income communities. Futterman is now part of the English-language outreach of KH-UIA to key regions of the Diaspora.
“We’re out there to have conversations with our partners about what’s happening in Israel,” said Futterman, “even when they are complex conversations. We believe that if you have ongoing relationships, there’s the right surroundings, and I guess the groundwork in order to be as transparent and frank as possible about what’s important, and how it can be part of our identities and our lives, regardless of where we live in the world, or regardless of our affiliation.
“We are out there to build relationships, we are out there to have an ongoing conversation. We are out there to shed light on what’s important to everyone. We’ve got our differences.”
Asked whether the recent change of government in Israel has made relations with Diaspora Jews more complex, Futterman reflected, “The short answer is yes. The long answer is that I don’t remember a time when the conversation was not complex. There is always something that is happening. And I think that there are people within Israel and outside of Israel who were happy with the elections, and others who were not happy.
“If we are working hard to make sure that there’s a youth village for children who live under the poverty line … it doesn’t matter to me who’s the minister of education … I’m working hard together with donors from all over the world [for example] to build a hospital,” he said.
Futterman is looking forward to his first-ever Australian visit and meeting Australian Jewish leaders.
“I know that the Australian community is a warm community, a Zionist community. And I’m excited both on a personal and professional level because I know that I’m coming to meet some of the best partners the State of Israel has … And I don’t take that for granted.”
UIA’s General Division and Young Leadership campaign events featuring former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett take place in Sydney on Sunday, February 26 and in Melbourne on Tuesday, February 28.
More info about UIA gala event: uiaaustralia.org.au
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