We’re just days away from the 2024 JEWISHcolorado Annual Meeting! We can’t wait to come together and celebrate last year’s accomplishments, honor the work of some truly incredible individuals, and applaud our outstanding partnership with The Jewish Agency for Israel.
You’ve met our amazing young adult honorees and learned how their hard work is making a positive impact on the local, national, and international Jewish communities. We are thrilled to host Major General Doron Almog, Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel, as he accepts this Year’s Partner Organization of the Year Award on behalf of The Jewish Agency. As both a highly regarded IDF veteran and well-known social activist, Maj. Gen. Almog is a fascinating individual with a unique story to tell.
Born in Rishon LeZion, Almog attended military boarding school in high school and was drafted into the IDF in 1969. He volunteered as a paratrooper and fought as a soldier and squad leader during the War of Attrition (1967-1970). After the war, he became an infantry officer, participating in multiple military campaigns between 1971 and 1982. In the latter part of his career, Almog commanded the Shaldag Unit in the clandestine airlift of 7,000 Beta Israel Jews from Ethiopia to Israel in what was known as “Operation Moses,” and later commanded the 35th paratroopers brigade in counter-guerilla operations in the South Lebanon Conflict. Between 2000 and 2003, he was head of the IDF Southern Command and secured the border of the Gaza Strip against infiltration by Palestinian militants.
In 1978, Almog married Didi Frida and together they had three children. Sadly, his daughter, Shoham, died a month after her birth in 1991 due to a severe injury to her heart. His son, Eran, was born with brain damage and suffered from severe autism and mental disabilities. Eran passed away at the age of 23 in 2007. Because of these experiences, Almog was driven to found Aleh Negev, a village for the disabled that provides residential, medical, and social services for the disabled of southern Israel. After the passing of his son, Almog changed the village’s name to Nachalat Eran.
Almog has been recognized by some 15 organizations for his contributions to society, including receiving the Israel Prize, the most prestigious award in Israel, given to those who displayed excellence in their field or contributed strongly to Israeli culture, in 2016. He holds an MA in International Relations from Haifa University, and an MBA from Tel Aviv University. He is also a former Research Fellow at Harvard and has published multiple books and studies on security and strategy. We are honored to have him join us at this year’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, August 21, and we look forward to hearing him share more about his experiences and discuss the future of the partnership between our organizations.
Register for JEWISHcolorado‘s Annual Meeting here.