Despite his success as founder and CEO of the leading Los Angeles-based California Home Builders real estate development firm, Shawn (Sharon) Evenhaim has not forgotten his roots in Beersheba. He is currently chairman of the board of the biggest Israeli organization in the United States, the Israeli American Council.
"Since I was young, and also in the army, I have always volunteered and wanted to help others," said Evenhaim, 46, in an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom about the IAC. After completing his service in the Israel Defense Forces, he set off for Los Angeles and began to learn about real estate.
"In the beginning, you are busy trying to succeed on your own, but after my son -- who is now studying in college -- was born, my wife and I thought about our children's future. We decided to enroll our kids in Jewish education to prevent assimilation and to preserve our Jewish and Israeli character," he said.
How was the organization established-
"The consul in Los Angeles, Ehud Danoch, decided to organize a rally in support of Israel within the community. He called the community leaders, including myself, and told us to establish an Israeli-American leadership. We established the organization in 2006 with the goals of strengthening the state of Israel in any possible way, preserving the Israeli and Jewish character in the next generation and building a bridge to the American Jewish community. The organization was up and running, and our first project was to bring 10 children from Sderot to Los Angeles with [Israeli singer] Ninet Tayeb. Along with this, we supported Jewish and Israeli organizations in Los Angeles with their management and financially, and we created programs like Sifriyat Pijama B'America, led by Adam and Gila Milstein. The initiative gives 10,000 families a free book in Hebrew to take home each month to read to their young children."
What are the future goals of the organization-
"The organization existed only in Los Angeles until recently, but thanks to a generous donation from Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson, we decided to expand the organization's operations throughout the United States. We are in the process of establishing branches in Miami and Boston. In the next five years, the organization will establish eight branches across the U.S., all in full partnership with the Jewish Agency."
The IAC's operations have expanded meteorically, and its leaders will participate in the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly, taking place in Jerusalem this week. On Sunday, they will hold a special panel at the conference, entitled "Israeli Diaspora - The Untapped Strategic Asset." The panel will deal with the dialogue between Jewish-American and Israeli-American communities and with the changing image of Israel among Israeli residents living in America. "Instead of using nicknames as in the past, today people understand the importance of Israeli-Americans," Evenhaim explained.
"The organization is supported by donations. The organization's board of directors is the secret to our success, with people who invest their time and money, including Adam Milstein, Naty Saidoff, Danny Alpert, Yossi Rabinovitz, Miriam Shepher, Tamir Cohen and the organization's CEO Sagi Balasha."
Full disclosure: Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson own the company that is the primary shareholder of Israel Hayom.
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