Join us on Wednesday, February 18th, as we kick off JFN's 2026 Impact Investing in Action series.

A Vision toward Vitality: Reimagining the Gaza Envelope with Impact Investing

In the aftermath of October 7th, communities in Israel’s Gaza Envelope are charting a path from trauma to renewal and onward to regional vitality. This webinar brings together Chen Farchi Cohen, Head of Partnerships for Kibbutz Nir Am, with experienced impact investors Adir Waldman and Simone Gross to explore how impact investing can drive economic recovery, resilience, and long-term growth. Grounded in on-the-ground experience and investor insight, the discussion will highlight how community-led priorities—across tourism, culture, and resilience—can be matched with mission-aligned capital to create meaningful, scalable impact for the entire Otef Aza region.

Speakers
Chen Farchi Cohen is a member of Kibbutz Nir Am and the Head of Partnerships for the Kibbutz. Her role was created following the events of October 7, 2023 as part of the community's recovery and rebuilding efforts. Chen leads the development of relationships with partners, donors, and organizations in Israel and around the world. She oversees community projects in tourism, education, resilience and culture. In parallel, she works to connect the community's local needs with external resources in order to create meaningful impact, guided by a belief in growth out of trauma as a foundation for healing and for building a better future. 

Adir Waldman is a founding member of the Nir Am Hotel sponsor group. He is managing director of the Israel practice at a global law firm with 15 years of experience leading investments into Israel. He is active in social impact organizations, including KIEDF, a low-interest loan fund, where he is the board chair. 

Simone Gross is a founding member of the Nir Am Hotel sponsor group. Prior to joining the Nir Am project, Simone was a managing director at Maycomb Capital, an impact investing platform with a focus on mission-aligned private credit. Prior to that, Simone was a structured finance lawyer with a focus on tax-advantaged investing and nonprofit corporate transactions. 

Moderated by JFN Board Member Vanessa Bartram.

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JFN's Impact Investing in Action is a dynamic quarterly webinar series bringing together impact investors and enthusiasts for learning and case studies highlighting JFN Members who are putting their values to work through their investments. Each session will feature a leading impact investment opportunity within the Jewish world, while also providing a forum for connection and collaboration amongst JFN Members active in the space. 

Impact investing is a powerful way for individuals, foundations, Federations, and nonprofits to align their financial resources with their social and environmental goals—expanding their capacity for change while living their values through how they invest and deploy capital. Whether you are just beginning your impact investing journey or are a seasoned practitioner,ImpactInvestinginAction offers tools, connections, and insights to build skills, deepen collaboration and deal access, and add greater purpose and meaning to how you manage and mobilize your money.