Melanie Einbund
The Stand With Israel Club is proud to announce our first two speakers for 2025. Save the dates!
Jan. 28, 4 p.m.: Deb Rochford, National Campaign Director of Jewish National Fund-USA (JNF), at the Vermillion Room at SaddleBrooke HOA1
Feb. 6, 4 p.m.: Sharon Megdal, PhD, Director of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) presents Arizona’s Wicked Water Problem at the DesertView Performing Arts Theater.
Deb Rochford currently serves as National Campaign Director of Jewish National Fund-USA. Based in Scottsdale. Deb travels throughout the United States advocating for development projects that build up Israel’s northern and southern regions.
With donations exceeding $250 million since Oct. 7, 2023, Deb will discuss the roadmap to repair Israel’s northern and southern communities and strategies to expand support for Israel. Eighty percent of the population from the North remains displaced. They cannot go home because of the continued bombing.
Deb Rochford will address JNF’s purpose, mission, history, work, charity to other organizations, and most importantly the situation in Israel. Many of us in our community have friends and family in Israel. We are concerned, and the evening news doesn’t help very much to quell our fears and concerns.
Deb has been back and forth to Israel several times this past year. She speaks of what life is like for Israelis, their daily activities, and their wishes to rebuild and save their country from the heinous crimes committed on Oct. 7, 2023.
Deb is located in Scottsdale. She manages a team of professionals throughout the United States. Deb also speaks about what she has seen on her recent visits to Israel, as she guides visits for American Jews to Israel.
Sharon B. Megdal, Ph.D., is the Director of The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center (WRRC). Sharon bridges the academic, practitioner, and civil society communities through water policy and management research, education, and engagement programs. The geographic scope of Dr. Megdal’s work ranges from local to international. Applied research projects include analysis of water management, policy, and governance in water-scarce regions, groundwater recharge, and transboundary aquifer assessment.
She is the lead editor of the book, Shared Borders, Shared Waters: Israeli-Palestinian and Colorado River Basin Water Challenges.
Sharon will speak how Israel is the world leader in water technology, conservation, agricultural efficiency, reuse, recharge, and planning and how their technology and experience is helping Arizona. She has been to Israel 18 times in her role.
We will find out what we can learn from the world’s leader in desert water management, Israel.
Note that Pima County is larger than Israel! We have no choice but to be water wise and smart. Learn how Arizona is collaborating with Israel to solve our Wicked Water Problem.
Hope to see you at both events!