| 
Mortimer Zuckerman, Ronald Lauder and
David Gergen.
| JEWISH NATIONAL FUND
Praise for Mort Zuckerman
Makes Trees Grow in Israel By TIM BOXER  OU learn a lot about a person when he’s the guest of honor. At the Jewish National Fund’s gala for Mortimer Zuckerman, you learn that no matter how busy Zuckerman is in publishing the New York Daily News and U.S. News & World Report, and running his Boston Properties real estate empire, he takes 45 minutes every morning to drive his three-year-old Abigail to school and again every afternoon to pick her up.
In a videotaped message, Elie Wiesel summed up the sentiments of the guests at the Pierre Hotel dinner: “He is a Jew who makes other Jews proud.” 
Mortimer Zuckerman; Rita H. Salfeld,
president Greater New York Zone of JNF;
Ethel J. Steindl. Special events chair; and
|executive director Russell F. Robinson. | JNF president Ronald Lauder said he got involved with JNF, which plants forests and builds roads, when he realized that Israel will run out of water by 2012. “If there is a war in the future,” he said, “it will be over water. What we are doing here is helping to save Israel’s future.” Guest speaker was David Gergen, editor at large at U.S. News, who served as a consultant to presidents. He said that he was once introduced:
“Our next speaker worked in the White House with Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the newest member of the world’s oldest profession.” 
Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder | With a captive audience in thrall, Zuckerman launched into a profound analysis of the Middle East situation. But to keep his listeners amused, he told about the time a man walked out while he was giving a similar lengthy speech. “Where are you going?” Zuckerman asked. “I’m going to get a haircut,” the man said sarcastically. “Why didn’t you get one before?” “Before, I didn’t need one.” | 
