From the Blue Box to Blueprint Negev: JNF USA’s Russell Robinson on Building Israel’s Future

In this episode of Tel Aviv Diary, Marc speaks with Russell Robinson, CEO of Jewish National Fund USA, about how descendent of a century-old institution—best known to many for the iconic blue donation box—became a driver of some of Israel’s most ambitious nation-building projects.Robinson recounts his own unlikely path from El Paso, Texas, into Jewish communal leadership, and the pivotal moment Ronald Lauder recruited him to help tackle what he calls Israel’s looming water catastrophe. He walks through the thinking behind the Lauder Water Plan, the hard choices between desalination and large-scale water reuse, and why long-term infrastructure planning—quietly and persistently—can change a country’s trajectory.The conversation then moves from water to geography and demography: the push to develop the Negev through “Blueprint Negev,” the effort to strengthen Israel’s north, and on-the-ground work in places like Kiryat Shmona—from a new regional medical center to housing and education initiatives. Robinson argues that Israel’s future depends not only on projects, but on people—especially teenagers—and makes the case for long-term Israel programs as the most consequential investment American Jewry can make in the next generation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marcschulman.substack.com/subscribe