Annual Fundraising Event

Athena Fund's Annual Fundraising Event Draws over 600,

Raises Funds for Athena’s Digital Toolbox for Every Special Education Teacher Program

More than 600 people attended the annual fundraising event of the Athena Fund, held at Tel Aviv University’s Smolarz Auditorium on November 14, 2019. The event marked the “bat mitzvah” of the Fund, which in 2007 launched the Laptop for Every Teacher program (today called Digital Toolbox for Every Teacher).

Proceeds from the event will be used for purchasing iPads for special education teachers and kindergarten teachers in Israel, under the Digital Toolbox for Every Special Education Teacher program, which Athena launched in 2015. In addition to this program, and the "Digital Toolbox for Every Teacher" program, the Athena Fund’s three other programs include "Digital Toolbox for Every Kindergarten Teacher" (Launched in 2012), "Digital Toolbox for Every Science Teacher" (Launched in 2014), and "Digital Toolbox for Every English Teacher" (Launched in 2018).

These programs are made possible thanks to donations of the Fund's partners, including Bank Massad, the Professional Advancement Fund of Israel Teachers Union, the Ministry of Education, the Ted Arison Family Foundation, the Sylvan Adams Family Foundation, the United Israel Appeal of Canada, the local authorities where the computers are distributed, and other donors. In addition, Mafil and Tzora Vineyards helped sponsor the fundraising event.

The event was attended by, among others, Uri Ben-Ari – Founder and President of the Athena Fund, Daphna Tamir – Athena Fund’s Programs Director, Gabriel Teitel – CEO of Bank Massad, Yaffa Ben David – Secretary-General of the Israel Teachers Union, Udi Rubinstein - Chairman of the subsidiaries of the Migdal Group and Chairman of Athena Fund’s Executive Committee, Maj. Gen. (res.) Eliezer Shkedi – former commander of the Israel Air Force, former CEO of El Al and a member of the Athena Fund’s Advisory Board, Eran Zmora – CEO of Kinneret Zmora-Bitan Dvir publishing house, and other senior public figures.

The event featured a performance by stand-up artist Israel Katorza. In addition to Katorza, the event included a festive reception, an overview of Athena Fund and its activities, and an exciting film that tells the story of special education students who began communicating with their families after learning to use the iPad. The film enables viewers to understand how using the iPad, with the guidance of teachers, can affect the future of many special families and their children's lives.

"We have come a long way since the launch of Athena’s first program in 2007, and we are currently running five programs that already have provided more than 24,000 teachers and kindergarten teachers with advanced systems that improve teaching and learning, and in special education also help communication with students," Ben-Ari said. “Many additional local authorities are joining Athena Fund's programs and we are working to raise additional resources to provide more teachers and kindergarten teachers with a digital toolbox."

During the evening, the Athena Fund presented registration certificates for the Jewish National Fund’s Golden Book to its strategic partners, including Bank Massad, the Israel Teachers Union, the Ministry of Education, Mafil, the Ted Arison Family Foundation and the Sylvan Adams Family Foundation.

The ceremony of presenting registration certificates for the Jewish National Fund’s Golden Book. From right to left: Uri Ben-Ari - President and Founder of Athena Fund, Udi Rubinstein - Chairman of the subsidiaries of the Migdal Group and Chairman of Athena Fund’s Executive Committee , Daphna Tamir - Athena Fund’s Programs Director, Maj. Gen. (res.) Eliezer Shkedi – former commander of the Israel Air Force, former CEO of El Al and a member of the Athena Fund’s Advisory Board, Shelly Shahar - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mafil, Rachel Cohen Deputy CEO & CFO of the Ted Arison Family Foundation, Yifat Shmuelevitz - Social Investment Manager of the Ted Arison Family Foundation, Gabi Teitel - CEO of Bank Massad, Yaffa Ben-David - Secretary General of Israel Teachers' Union, Kobi Rafaeli - Director of the Information Technology Implementation Unit at the Ministry of Education, Roni Dayan - former technology division director of the Ministry of Education (Photo: Niv Kantor)