April 18, 2006

(San Francisco, CA) - Avraham Infeld, president of Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life was presented with the Brian Lurie Fund for Israel-Diaspora Relations Award on March 28, 2006. This award, last presented to Yossi Bellin in 2003, recognizes outstanding, creative efforts that enhance the relationship between the Jewish community and Israel. The Brian Lurie Fund is a designated fund of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties, established by friends of Lurie to honor his service as the Federation’s executive director from 1974 to 1991

“Avraham Infeld's whole professional life had been dedicated to advancing diasporia-Israel relations. He does not believe in separate identities or nationalities, because he believes in the oneness of the Jewish people. He has a profound love and commitment to the Jewish people in general and individual Jews in particular.” explains Lurie on why Infeld was chosen.

Infeld has invested a lifetime of work building Jewish identity and strengthening the State of Israel. The founder and director of a succession of innovative educational institutions, Infeld was appointed president of Hillel in February 2004 after serving eight months as interim president. He previously served as Hillel’s consul for Jewish affairs, visiting more than 60 campuses on three continents.

Infeld has sought to promote Jewish values among Israelis as president and chairman of the Israel Forum, a nationwide volunteer movement he helped found in 1990. He has conducted breakthrough work in bringing together secular and religious Israelis as director general of the Shalom Hartman Institute and director general of Gesher Education Affiliates. In the 1970s, Infeld founded Melitz, a non-profit educational service institution that fosters Jewish identity rooted in a pluralistic understanding of Jewish life and the centrality of Israel. He also served as chairman of Arevim; director of the birthright Israel planning process; founding chairman of the Federation’s Amuta in Israel; and chairman of the board of Israel Experience, Ltd., an independent company created by the Jewish Agency.

A native of South Africa, Infeld immigrated to Israel in 1959. He is married to Ellen, and they share four children and 10 grandchildren. He is a graduate of Hebrew University in Bible and Jewish history, and of Tel Aviv University’s Law School. In 2005, he was awarded Hebrew University’s prestigious Samuel Rothberg Prize for Jewish Education, the first specialist in informal Jewish education to be so honored.

The Jewish Community Federation is the central organization for fundraising, planning, outreach and leadership development for Jewish communities in San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. In FY 2004-05, the Federation’s annual campaign allocated $16.9 million to some 60 agencies providing social services, educational and cultural programs in the Bay Area, in the U.S., Israel and elsewhere in the world. In fiscal year 2005, the Federation’s Endowment Fund, with assets exceeding $1.05 billion, provided more than $215 million for a variety of grants, seed projects and emergency needs in fiscal year 2004/2005. For information, call 415.777.0411 or visit www.sfjcf.org.