JNF regional leader to appear at local events

The Jewish National Fund’s Southeast Region co-president will make several stops in the Tampa Bay area on Sept. 21.

Lauren Mescon, a resident of Columbus, GA and formerly of Atlanta, will be the guest speaker at a morning breakfast in Tampa for the JNF Lawyers for Israel group, a luncheon in Tampa and an evening event sponsored by the JNF Women’s Campaign for Israel in Palm Harbor.

An attorney, Mescon also is a member of Makor (Hebrew for “source”), a speciallytrained cadre of highly-involved JNF volunteers who assist with fundraising and educating the community about JNF’s work. Among her accomplishments, Mescon helped start a campaign for JNF in the Southeastern Region to raise $2 million for the Be’er Sheva Riverwalk Project.

Tampa Bay Lawyers for Israel chair Mary Ellen Hogan will host the breakfast event from 7:45-8:45 a.m. at the firm of Bryant Miller Olive, One Tampa City Center, Suite 2700, 201 N. Franklin St., Tampa.

The theme of the event is “Water: Israel’s New International Currency.” Mescon will discuss Israel’s current water crisis as it relates to the broader issues such as the peace process and the environmental impact of the situation.

“As we move further into the 21st century, allocation of water resources in the Middle East will be a primary driver of politics in the region. We need to understand the impor- tance of water to Israel and its relations with its neighbors,” said Hogan.

Mescon will speak about JNF’s relevance for Israel’s future at a luncheon hoted by JNF board member Matt Masem, Jr. from noon to 1 p.m. The event will be held at BNY Mellon Offices, 4488 Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa.

At the Women’s Campaign for Israel event, Mescon will speak about JNF’s Caravan for Democracy, which provides students with the skills and strategies to advocate for Israel and counter anti-Israel sentiment. The wine and cheese reception will be from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the home of Tina Gordon in Palm Harbor.

To RSVP or for more information on either event, call Beth Glickman Morris at (727) 536-5263 or (813) 960-5263 or email her at bmorris@jnf.org.