Israel Investment Advisors (IIA) on the Ground in Israel

Visiting Ashot Industries, El-Mor Group and Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett

In March of this year, Amy Kaufman, Director of Client Relations and Partner at IIA, traveled to Israel for three weeks. Her journey was filled with meaningful engagements and interactions with Israelis from diverse backgrounds, including philanthropists and business leaders.

Amy began her trip by attending the Jewish Funders Network (JFN) annual conference in a year like no other, offering her insights into the future of Israel and its significance in the Jewish community at large.

Iris Haim, mother of Yotam Haim Z”L, IDF reserve soldier Elisha Medan

During her visit, Amy witnessed the resilience of Israeli communities and visited the Gaza envelope to show solidarity with survivors of the October 7th attacks. She engaged in enlightening discussions with notable figures such as former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former MK and IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan. Amy also garnered valuable perspectives from presentations like "Hope & Resilience: Visioning for the Future," where IDF reserve soldier Elisha Medan shared his inspiring story of overcoming adversity with unwavering optimism and “Prosperity reborn: Revitalizing the Israeli Economy” a panel discussion led by Avi Weiss, President / Professor of Economics at Bar Ilan University, Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel, and participants Chaviva Eisler, Director, Haredi Employment Coalition and Elah Alkalay, Chairperson, IBI Mutual Funds among others.

Amy's schedule included productive meetings with companies held within the Israel Investment Fund, LP (IIF) portfolio as well as others we do not own. She also participated in substantive discussions about Israel’s economic trajectory with thought leaders like Uri Gabai, CEO of the think tank Rise Israel, and Manuel Trajtenberg, former executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), who is a distinguished economist with expertise in national security and economics.

Returning with a deeper understanding of Israel's current landscape, Amy better understands our portfolio investments reflect many of Israel’s near-term challenges but also its long-term opportunities.