Be it resolved that:

Whereas:         JAFI funded the Atidim Program in the amount of $2.5 M U.S. dollars per annum up until the end of 2009, as part of a 5 year cooperation between the Jewish Agency and the Friends of Atidim; and

Whereas:         JAFI successfully raised most of the funds it spent on the Atidim Program through earmarked donations; and

Whereas:         the Atidim Program is one of the leading programs in Israel promoting education for excellence and higher education for the periphery, and therefore, the Jewish Agency is realizing its social objective of reducing the socio-economic gaps between the periphery and the center of the country, while at the same time providing Atidim participants with added-value programs in the areas of Zionism, leadership, relationships with Diaspora Jewry, love for the land of Israel and developing community initiatives; and

Whereas:         the Israel Committee recommends that JAFI sign a multi-year commitment until the end of 2012 in order to support future implementation of the successful Atidim Program;

Whereas:         JAFI wishes to sign such a multi-year commitment; and

Whereas:         the Jewish Agency will make an effort to continue to raise the necessary budgets to pay for its multi-year commitment as earmarked donations;

Therefore be it resolved that:

1.   A multi-year budget of $2.5 M U.S. annually for the years 2010-2012 is approved for JAFI's participation in the budget of Atidim Program until the end of 2012.

2.   The Finance Department is authorized to incur, on a multi-year basis, financial obligations for implementation of the undertakings of JAFI in accordance with the partnership agreement to be signed with the Friends of Atidim regarding the implementation of the Atidim Program.