America-Israel Cultural Foundation
Founded:
1939
Contact:
Barbara Simon,
Administrative Director
Address:
America-Israel Cultural Foundation
51 East 42nd Street, Suite 400
New York,
NY
10017
Phone:
(212) 557-1600
Fax:
(212) 557-1611
E-mail:
info@aicf.org
URL:
http://aicf.webnet.org/
NPO Spotlight: America-Israel Cultural Foundation
Mission:
To raise funds to foster the arts and culture of Israel, with special emphasis on the development of young Israeli artists.
About the Organization:
Since its inception, the America-Israel Cultural Foundation has supported almost every cultural institution in Israel. In 1939, Chicago philanthropist Edward Norman established the Norman Fund to rescue endangered musicians and their families from Nazi Germany and Eastern Europe, to assist their resettlement in Palestine, and to aid the Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra, which would become the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1948, when the nation of Israel was established, the fund became the American Fund for Israel Institutions and contributed directly to cultural and educational organizations in the fledgling country. It was renamed the America-Israel Cultural Foundation in 1957 to reflect its new mission of providing support for individual creative and performing Israeli artists.
Current Programs:
The Sharett Scholarship Fund, created in the 1950s and named after former prime minister Moshe Sharett, provides tuition assistance to Israeli students who demonstrate significant talent and potential in music, dance, theater, visual arts, film, or television. Today, more than one thousand scholarships are awarded annually, including some for study abroad. Travel grants are awarded for scholarship recipients to attend international workshops, festivals, and competitions. The Fellowships for Artists and Teachers program provides grants for short-term professional study. The Teachers Coaching project enables leading violin teachers in Israeli music academies to mentor music teachers in conservatories throughout the country. The Musical Instrument Bank loans instruments to young students, and the Davis Fund supports the purchase of instruments for students as well as orchestra players and talented new immigrants. The Young Leadership program seeks to nurture a new generation of Americans to support the arts and culture of Israel and encourage American young people to support and meet Israeli artists studying or performing in the United States.
Web Site:
The AICF Web site features an overview of the organization's programs in music, visual arts, dance, theater, and
film and television. It shares Ministry of Culture statistics on the support Israelis give to arts and culture, and links to the latest edition of the AICF newsletter.
Funding:
AICF is supported primarily by gifts from individuals; it also receives donations from foundations and corporations.
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