J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
February 25 – 28, 2017 J STREET BOARD OF DIRECTORS
J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans who want Israel to be secure, democratic and the national home of the Jewish people.
Working in American politics and the Jewish community, we advocate for policies that advance shared US and Israeli interests as well as Jewish and democratic values, leading to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
TIKVA SOCIETY MEMBERS
Education Fund
The J Street Education Fund is the charitable arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement. Through community engagement, education and programming, we advance a vision of Israel that is secure, democratic and the national home of the Jewish people. We support policies grounded in shared US and Israeli interests as well as Jewish and democratic values, leading to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we promote vibrant and respectful discourse about Israel in the Jewish community, on campuses and beyond.
#JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE J STREET BOARD OF DIRECTORS Morton H. Halperin, Chair Joanna Goodwin Friedman Alexandra C. Stanton, Vice-Chair & Secretary Virginia Gordon (Co-Chair, JStreetPAC) Howard Gottlieb Carol Winograd, Vice-Chair Sylvia Kaplan Kenneth Bob, Treasurer Daniel Kohl Victor A. Kovner (Co-Chair, JStreetPAC) Charles Kremer Jeremy Ben-Ami Diana Shaw Clark Nancy Bernstein William S. Singer Nancy Buck Phyllis Snyder Debra DeLee Ambassador Alan D. Solomont Howard Dickstein Robert S. Stein Peter Frey Judith Zee Steinberg Davidi Gilo Ambassador Louis B. Susman Richard Goldwasser Sidney Topol
TIKVA SOCIETY MEMBERS Nancy Bernstein Jessica Pers and Robert Stein John F. Cogan, Jr. Gale Picker David Cohn Jeff Pozmantier Howard Dickstein Elaine Reuben Linda and Sanford Gallanter Pilar Crespi Robert and Stephen Robert Eric Geller Marci Rosenberg and Ben Samuels Anne Germanacos Rosenthal Family Foundation Middle East Peace Dialogue Network / Lisbeth Schorr Joanna Goodwin Friedman and Richard C. Goodwin Caroline Shapiro and Peter Frey Jill and Bradford Gordon Ellen Shavelson and Larry Title Sally Gottesman Abby Sher Jonathan G. Greenwald William S. Singer Morton H. Halperin Janet Walkow and Irl Barg Sarah and Victor A. Kovner Nancy Goroff Whitney Charles C. Kremer Carol and Terry Winograd George Krupp Judy Wise and Sheldon Baskin Linda and Judson Miner Irene and Alan C. Wurtzel Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation
As of February 10, 2017. Members of the Tikva Society invest in J Street’s growth through multi-year increasing contributions.
#JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE 1 CONFERENCE PRESENTERS Irene Meister-Armington Trust/Farri Cress, Trustee Anita and Allen Kohl* Alexandra C. Stanton and Sam Natapoff*
CONFERENCE CHAIRS Am Kolel Jewish Renewal Center Foundation for Middle East Peace Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation CONFERENCE HOSTS Anonymous (2) Arthur Rock S. Daniel Abraham Domna Stanton* Vivian and William F. Benter James D. Stanton* Daniel and Stacey Kohl* Judith Zee Steinberg Sarah and Victor A. Kovner
CONFERENCE PARTNERS Anonymous (3) Dolores Kohl* Judy and Robert Aptekar Robert Kohl and Clark Pellett* Nancy Buck and Jim Sebenius Barbara Kohl-Spiro* John F. Cogan, Jr. Marian Lever and Arthur Berliner Phyllis K. Friedman Adam Levin and Heather McDowell* Katrina vanden Heuvel* Marjan and Andy Shallal Rita and Ian Isaacs William S. Singer Ambassador Samuel and Sylvia Kaplan Alejandra and David Thorpe Kim Kauffman*
CONFERENCE FRIENDS Diana Shaw Clark and Simon Clark* Larry Title and Ellen Shavelson Robert Glovsky Olga Votis* Sally Gottesman Kevin Wyman* Lee Greenhouse and Flora Lazar Alan and Betsy Zimmerman Nancy Reichman
*Members of the 2017 Honoree Committee in celebration of our Tzedek v’Shalom award recipients: Daniel A. Kohl and Alexandra C. Stanton. As of February 15, 2017
2 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE CONFERENCE PATRONS Anonymous Hannah Kranzberg American Federation of Teachers* Brian Landsberg Nancy and Kenneth Bob Sylvia Lezak Berdon LLP* Dorothy Lichtenstein* Jessica Rosenberg Brown, MD Rosalind Paaswell Martin Cobern Dan and Lauren Resnick Hannah Cohen and Elliot Edelstein Beth-Ann Roth Miriam Daniel and Larry Wolff Gregory Rothman Nancy and Morris Deutsch Rabbi John L. Rosove, National Chair Jana Edelbaum and Michael Abbott of the Association of Reform Zionists Eichenbaum Strategies of American (ARZA) Meg and Sam Flax* Len Rubenstein and Margaret Lorber Kathryn Frank and Jim Blume Elizabeth Hochman Schwartz and Eric Schwartz Eric Geller Sanford Shapiro Sheryl Gold Michael Shea and Edward McClellan* Phyllis Teicher Goldman Janice B. Stanton* David Goodfriend* Nina and Michael Stanton* Jon and Gaby Greenwald David P. Stone GBA Strategies Rabbi Shira Stutman and Russell Shaw Ellen and Frank Hagelberg Beth G. Sugarman Haggadahs-R-Us Abby and Gabriel Tolchinsky Jill Horowitz and Jon Kaufman Barbara van Voorst J Street Seattle West End Strategy Team Melissa Zales Koller Margie and Mark Zivin HONOREE COMMITTEE Anonymous (2) Rabbi Yocheved Mintz Richard Adrian and Erica Abeel* Nazee and Joseph Moinian* Baker Hostetler* Lynn Nadeau Hillary and Matthew Brill* Sandy and Stephen Perlbinder* Bruce Brown and Amy Rifkind* Phyllis and Sheldon Schiff* Antonio Elmaleh* Paula Wolk and PAM Spierings Bethany and Niko Elmaleh* Henry Steiner Richard Emery* Kathy Sutherland and Carl Bengtsson* Alex and Patricia Farman-Farmaian* Rabbi Burt Visotzky Gerald Grinstein Tamar and Philip Warburg* Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow* Howard Wolfson* Angela and Bob Kissane* Irene and Alan C. Wurtzel* Ian Lanoff
*Members of the 2017 Honoree Committee in celebration of our Tzedek v’Shalom award recipients: Daniel A. Kohl and Alexandra C. Stanton. As of February 15, 2017
J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE 3 Share your conference experience online! Use hashtag #JSt2017
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4 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE THANK YOU TO OUR MEDIA PARTNERS
J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE 5 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM Registration Opens
Marriott Metro Center, 775 12th Street, NW, Junior Ballroom 2, Second Floor
11:00 AM–10:30 PM 5:30 PM (Doors Open) Opening Night
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6:30–8:30 PM Stories of Our Past, Dreams for Our Future
Daughters of the J Street’s 2017 National Conference comes at a moment of significant political challenge for both American Revolution Americans and Israelis whose politics are driven by their democratic and Jewish values. The Constitution Hall Conference’s opening plenary, presented in conjunction with the New Israel Fund, presents some of the challenges facing Israel today through stories told by the popular “Israel Story” podcast. 1776 D Street, NW Shimon Peres’ granddaughter will draw the connections between the dreams our grandparents had for the country in 1948, the realities of today and our hopes for the Israel we will leave to our children and grandchildren. And J Street’s President will provide the opening call to defend our values and fight for our future that will be a unifying theme throughout the conference’s program.
WELCOMING REMARKS Rabbi Andrea London | Co-Chair, J Street Rabbinic and Cantorial Cabinet
SPEAKERS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 FEBRUARY SATURDAY, The Israel Story Podcast J Street U Student Board Jeremy Ben-Ami | President and Founder, J Street Mika Almog | Israeli Writer, Columnist and Satirist
9:00 – 10:30 PM J Street Regional Meet-Ups
Join other J Street supporters local from your area for food, drinks and discussion. All regional meet-ups take place after opening night at 9:00 pm.
J Street Capital Region Meet-Up: Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th Street, NW J Street South Region Meet-Up: City Tap House, 901 9th Street, NW J Street Tri State Region Meet-Up: L’Hommage Bistro Français, 450 K Street, NW J Street New England Region Meet-Up: Fado Irish Pub, 808 7th Street, NW J Street Midwest Region Meet-Up: La Tasca, 722 7th Street, NW J Street Northwest Region Meet-Up: Sixth Engine, 438 Massachusetts Avenue, NW J Street Southwest Region Meet-Up: Vapiano, 623 H Street, NW J Street Mountain West Region Meet-Up: Carmine’s, 425 7th Street, NW
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7:30–11:30 AM Registration
Marriott Metro Center, 775 12th Street, NW, Junior Ballroom 2, Second Floor
9:00–10:15 AM Concurrent Sessions
143AB Tribal Nation: Identity Politics in Israel |
Israeli society is frequently described these days, most notably by its president, Reuven Rivlin, as “tribal” 7:30–10:15 AM — comprised of secularists, the ultra-orthodox, Arabs and national Zionists. Each tribe has its own education system, identity and voting record. Effecting political change in Israel will require engaging a broad spectrum of communities, crossing ethnic and religious divides. This panel — bringing together representatives of several of the “tribes” — will discuss how identity politics affects Israel in general and the political left in particular. As the left looks to rebuild, what should its parties and leaders do to better understand and address the needs of Israel’s diverse society?
MODERATOR Mika Almog | Israeli Writer, Columnist and Satirist
PANELISTS Amal Elsana Alh’jooj | Founder, Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation Emilie Moatti | Columnist, Haaretz Michal Zernowitski | Chairperson, Ultra-Orthodox Caucus of the Israeli Labor Party
145AB Between the Lines: Deciphering a New US Approach to the Broader Middle East
For several years now, US policy in the Middle East has been caught between a crying need for American leadership and an American desire to disengage. The new president faces tough policy choices — on Syria, Iraq, Iran and more — all made more difficult by some of his rhetoric and his desire to reset relations with other global powers. How this administration decides to wield US power in the region will have significant impact on both American and Israeli security. Join us for an exploration of the opportunities and pitfalls as the United States navigates a path forward through the intertwined and often contradictory geopolitics of the Middle East.
MODERATOR Nahal Toosi | Foreign Affairs Correspondent, POLITICO
PANELISTS Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen | Director, Arab-Israeli Conflict Program, United States Institute of Peace Member of Knesset Akram Hasson | Kulanu Party Barbara Slavin | Acting Director, Future of Iran Initiative, Atlantic Council
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9:00–10:15 AM Concurrent Sessions (continued)
9:00–10:45 AM 9:00–10:45 146AB US Politics and Israel: Adding Allies, Building Bridges, Pursuing Peace
| Pro-Israel, pro-peace advocates can count on significant support from Jews and from Democrats. But the Jewish vote is just a small piece of the American body politic and Democrats are out of power. Changing politics on issues related to Israel and the Middle East will require a broader coalition — developing real partnerships with Republicans, finding common cause with Arab-American two-staters and engaging with Christian evangelicals and Mainline churches. Join allies from different political, religious and ethnic backgrounds — who share the goal of peacefully resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — to talk about building a winning pro-peace, pro-two-states coalition.
MODERATOR Ben Shnider | National Political Director, J Street
PANELISTS Rev. Dr. Mae Cannon | Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace Todd Deatherage | Co-Founder, Telos
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 FEBRUARY SUNDAY, George R. Salem | Former Solicitor of Labor, Reagan Administration; Co-Founder, Arab American Institute
143C Fighting for Our Future: Harnessing Our Power in the Age of Trump Training
In just eight years, J Street has built a well-respected and powerful lobby and PAC and created an important presence in the Jewish community. How do we use that power to fight for policies that reflect our values in the new administration? How does J Street view the dynamics involved in politics, money and the Jewish community, and how do we wield influence in those areas? Using the nomination of David Friedman as US Ambassador to Israel and the Iran deal as examples, this training session will provide hands-on skills related to harnessing power to create political change.
PRESENTERS Benjy Cannon | Communication and Content Associate, J Street Jodie Rubenstein | Mountain West Regional Director, J Street
10:15–10:45 AM Breakfast
First Level North Building Concourse
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10:45 AM–12:00 PM Concurrent Sessions
146C Building an Effective Alternative to the Israeli Right
Session will be Energetic, optimistic and virtually unknown to American audiences, a new, young and progressive livestreamed. leadership is emerging in Israel. They are focused on changing Israel’s broken politics and getting ready to help govern and to advance progressive policies. If you’re one of the many who wonder where the leaders
of tomorrow are, come meet and be inspired by a sample of this exciting new cadre of leadership. | MODERATOR 10:45 AM–12:00 PM AM–12:00 10:45 John Halpin | Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
PANELISTS Avi Buskila | Director, Peace Now Mikhael Manekin | Israeli Director, Alliance for Israel’s Future Liat Schlesinger | Executive Director, Molad Michal Zernowitzki | Chairperson, Ultra-Orthodox Caucus of the Israeli Labor Party
143AB Human Rights: Views from the Field
The struggle for human and civil rights gets only more challenging as we close in on 50 years since the 1967 War and the beginning of the occupation. None of the governmental actors — the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza — are free from responsibility for policies and practices that deepen human suffering, restrict civil liberties and deepen the conflict. With no end- of-conflict in sight, what are the most pressing human and civil rights issues facing Israeli and Palestinian societies today? What are the greatest threats to rights on the ground, and what are the most effective tactics Palestinians, Israelis and Americans can use to address those threats going forward?
MODERATOR Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin | Policy Fellow, Mitvim: Israel Institute for Regional Foreign Policies & Permanent Writer, +972 Magazine
PANELISTS Dr. Galia Golan | Combatants for Peace; Darwin Professor Emerita, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Tania Hary | Executive Director, Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement Yuli Novak | Executive Director, Breaking the Silence
CHAIR Joanna Goodwin Friedman | J Street Board of Directors
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10:45 AM–12:00 PM Concurrent Sessions (continued)
145AB Ripping Up the Iran Deal?
President Trump’s rhetoric on the Iran deal has been inconsistent. He’s threatened both to tear it up and 10:45 AM–12:00 PM to strictly enforce it — sometimes in the same speech. More than one month into the new administration,
| what are the threats — both explicit and more subtle — to the agreement? What is the interplay between
the agreement and domestic politics, both here and in Iran? More than a year into its implementation, how has the agreement affected regional geopolitical dynamics? This panel features top experts on sanctions, nuclear non-proliferation and US-Iranian relations, looking at the future of the Iran nuclear agreement and its broader impacts.
MODERATOR Barbara Slavin | Acting Director, Future of Iran Initiative, Atlantic Council
PANELISTS Colin Kahl | Former Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President Jasmin Ramsey | Journalist Elizabeth Rosenberg | Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 FEBRUARY SUNDAY, 1 4 7A B Daylight to No Daylight: Switching Gears on US-Israel Relations
American policy toward Israel appears set to undergo one of its biggest shifts in recent memory. President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry focused on resolving Middle East conflicts diplomatically — whether with Iran or between Israel and the Palestinians. Their view was that the US-Israel relationship did not require full and constant alignment on views and policy. The new administration — symbolized by the President’s choice of David Friedman as Ambassador to Israel — has signaled a clear intent to reverse course. It has de-emphasized pursuit of the two-state solution and re-surfaced the principle that there should be “no daylight” between the US and Israel. It may well take action that — intentionally or not — undercuts the Iran nuclear agreement. Join our panel of experts in exploring what this rapid shift means for Israel, for the region and for American interests.
MODERATOR Noa Landau | Editor, Haaretz English Edition
PANELISTS Ilan Goldenberg | Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security Ambassador Alon Pinkas | Former Israeli Consul General to New York Khaled Elgindy | Fellow, Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution
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10:45 AM–12:00 PM Concurrent Sessions (continued)
146AB Combating Islamophobia
President Trump’s xenophobic and Islamophobic campaign surfaced some of the uglier currents in American society. Since the election, hate crimes targeting Muslim Americans have continued to rise and mosques have been vandalized. Muslims have been harassed and attacked and prominent Islamophobes have
received senior roles in the administration. This panel will explore what the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement
can do to defend Jewish and democratic values by adding our voices to the fight against Islamophobia. |
MODERATOR PM 10:45 AM–5:00 Amna Farooqi | Former President, J Street U National Board
PANELISTS Rebecca Kirzner | Campaigns Director, HIAS Salam Al-Marayati | President, Muslim Public Affairs Council Meira Neggaz | Executive Director, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
150B Advocacy Day Training: State Captains and Team Leaders This session is closed to the press.
All Advocacy Day State Captains and Team Leaders must attend this training. This session is also offered on Sunday, February 26 from 12:15-1:30pm. State Captains and Team Leaders are asked to attend one of these two sessions.
11:30 AM Registration Opens at Convention Center
Salon GHI Coat check available
12:00–5:00 PM Action Center Open
Salon GHI Join fellow Conference participants for a Congressional call-in action! Call your Members of Congress to support J Street’s advocacy priorities in support of diplomacy in the Middle East and in defense of our values at home. The call-in center will provide directions for calling your lawmakers.
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12:15–1:30 PM Supplementary Sessions Lunch carts available outside room 151AB, in Salon GHI, and kosher options will be available outside 12:15–1:30 PM room 143.
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145AB Bereaved Israelis and Palestinians Bridge Divides Presented by Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF)
At a time when Israelis and Americans are so politically polarized, efforts at personal reconciliation can bridge divides, provide hope and keep us on the path toward a two-state solution. Bereaved Israelis and Palestinians who have paid the highest price in the conflict share their stories of loss. These bereaved families, united by the uncommon path they have chosen, have opened a crack in the psyche of a hardened and skeptical populace on both sides. They work to create an awareness of the humanity of the conflict that transcends history and politics. Hear from Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF) activists Robi Damelin, Elik Elhanan and Mazen Faraj, as well as other experts, about the work that this group does to heal the wounds of this conflict.
MODERATOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 FEBRUARY SUNDAY, Craig Zelizer | Founder and CEO, Peace and Collaborative Development Network
PANELISTS Robi Damelin | Spokesperson, Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) Elik Elhanan | Member of Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF), Assistant Professor, The City College of New York Mazen Faraj | Co-Executive Director, Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF)
146C Jerusalem 2017: Crisis and Opportunity Presented by Ir Amim
Session will be Jerusalem is constantly in the news, usually with headlines about violence and tension between Israelis livestreamed. and Palestinians. Talk of unilaterally moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem has sparked concern of adding fuel to the flames. The future of Jerusalem is one of the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and determining its future will be one of the most daunting tasks in achieving a negotiated peace. Join two Jerusalem-based NGOs, Ir Amim and the Palestine-Israel Journal, to discuss the possibilities and learn about their work together to empower Jerusalem’s youth.
PRESENTERS Yudith Oppenheimer | Executive Director, Ir Amim Hillel Schenker | Co-Editor, Palestine-Israel Journal Ziad Abu Zayyad | Co-Editor, Palestine-Israel Journal
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12:15–1:30 PM Supplementary Sessions (continued)
143AB The Settlers: A New Film
Since Israel’s victory in the Six Day War, hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens have established residence in the West Bank. A new film called The Settlers offers a comprehensive exploration of the controversial communities that exert inordinate influence on the fates of Israel and Palestine. Written and directed by
Shimon Dotan, The Settlers will have its US theatrical premiere in March 2017. Dotan will screen parts of the
film and discuss how it addresses Zionism, settlements and religion in Israel. |
PRESENTER PM 12:15–1:30 Shimon Dotan | Director, The Settlers
143C Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 101
Not yet an expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but want to learn more? This session is a must for anyone looking to be exposed to, or brush up on, history and current events. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with its decades of history and many players, is undeniably complicated. This crash course, led by a former journalist turned leading pro-Israel, pro-peace activist will provide an overview of the major events that laid the groundwork for the conflict and Israel’s founding and that have shaped the conflict since. It will also address the final status issues that must be solved in order to achieve a two-state solution.
PRESENTER Ori Nir | Director of Communications and Public Engagement, Americans for Peace Now
150A “Proclaim Release”: Using Jubilee Texts to Speak Across Political Divides Presented by T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Fifty years since the Six Day War. Fifty years of Jewish access to the Old City of Jerusalem. Fifty years of Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory. In the bible, the counting of 50 years culminates in a Jubilee year or “yovel” in Hebrew. The laws of yovel teach us that such anniversaries are an opportunity to reflect on what has changed as a basis for figuring out how best to move forward. Join T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights for a study session using our new book Yovel: a Sourcebook for Fifty Years.
PRESENTER Rabbi Toba Spitzer | Treasurer, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
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12:15–1:30 PM Supplementary Sessions (continued) 12:15–1:30 PM 146AB High School Meet-Up
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Are you a high school student interested in learning about J Street U, the fastest growing, pro-Israel, college student movement? Join us for a meet-up of high school students already thinking about their contribution to pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian, pro-peace work. You’ll get to strategize about the ways you can be a part of organizing toward a two-state solution, and build relationships with other students invested in bringing about change in Israel and in their communities! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how you can make an impact in your youth movements, at your high schools and in your communities.
146AB JSpaceCanada Meet-Up
All participants from Canada are invited to join Karen Mock, President of JSpaceCanada, and Barbara Landau, Chair of JSpaceCanada’s Shared Society Initiative, to learn more about JSpaceCanada! Grab your lunch and join us to discuss how we can work together from coast to coast to raise the progressive Zionist voice more effectively in Canada. And enjoy a taste of maple syrup! For more information see www.jspacecanada.ca. Please RSVP to [email protected]. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 FEBRUARY SUNDAY, 1 4 7A B Defending Our Values: Organizing in the Jewish Community Training
J Street is committed to being the political home for the pro-Israel, pro-peace majority of American Jews. How can we effectively bring that message into established Jewish communal organizations across the country and urge those in leadership positions to speak truth to power? What role or responsibility do Jewish leaders have in speaking out in support of our values? This training will explore how to bring J Street’s action and agenda into Jewish spaces. This training will also focus on the question of how to best integrate J Street U students and recent graduates into our Jewish communal engagement strategy. This session is geared toward rabbis, Jewish educators and other Jewish lay leaders and professionals.
PRESENTERS Alan Elsner | Special Advisor to the President, J Street Professor Steven M. Cohen | Research Professor of Jewish Social Policy, HUC-JIR Rabbi Marion Lev-Cohen | Director of Community Support and Israel Engagement Initiatives, Central Synagogue, NY Maureen Flaherman | Student, Washington University in St. Louis, J Street U Aitan Groener | Midwest Regional Co-Chair, J Street U
150B Advocacy Day Training – State Captains This session is closed to the press.
All Advocacy Day State Captains and Team Leaders must attend this training. This session is also offered on Sunday, February 26 from 10:45am-12:00pm. State Captains and Team Leaders are asked to attend one of these two sessions.
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1:45–3:00 PM Concurrent Sessions
143AB Fighting for Israeli Democracy and Human Rights in the Age of Trump Presented by New Israel Fund
For decades — and particularly during the past eight years — progressive Israeli civil society organizations have been bolstered by the American government’s commitment to democratic principles and opposition to settlements. President Trump’s election throws that support into serious question. |
Faced with rapidly changing international politics and an American administration with close ties to the settlement movement, many Israeli civil society and human rights organizations will have to revisit 1:45–3:00 PM 1:45–3:00 their strategies. What does it mean to organize for Israeli democracy, peace and human rights in the face of unsympathetic Israeli and American governments? How has the international strategy of these organizations changed? What, if any, opportunities does this new, tumultuous territory open up?
MODERATOR Libby Lenkinski | Vice President for Public Engagement, New Israel Fund
PANELISTS Amal Elsana Alh’jooj | Founder, Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation Hagai El-Ad | Executive Director, B’Tselem Boaz Rakocz | Executive Director, The Whistle
146AB Trump, Putin, Brexit and Bibi: A New World Order?
We have witnessed two major political shocks in the past year and many other disquieting signs. First, the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. Then, President Trump had a surprise victory in the US elections. Meanwhile, we’ve seen the ascendance of right-wing, nationalist ideologies across the globe — in Russia, France, Turkey and Israel, to name only a few. Are these phenomena representative of a broader trend of democracy eroding? Are we entering a new era dominated by some of the most extreme voices of the political right? What are the most pressing issues surrounding US foreign policy, including but not limited to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in such a world?
MODERATOR Alan Elsner | Special Advisor to the President, J Street
PANELISTS Lora Berg | Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund of the United States David Chemla | General Secretary, JCall Europe Dr. Danny Gutwein | Professor, University of Haifa, Israel
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1:45–3:00 PM Concurrent Sessions (continued)
1:45–3:00 PM 146C Bridging Divides, Rebuilding Alliances: How Can the Jewish and Black
| Communities Work Together?
Session will be For decades, liberal American Jews have felt proud of the Jewish community’s contributions to the Civil Rights livestreamed. Movement and secure in the belief that it is a strong ally to the black community. But major tension over the stance on Israel in the Movement for Black Lives platform helped to surfaced significant divides. This moment should prompt tough questions: How can American Jews be better allies to black communities? How can the Jewish and black communities begin to speak more openly and productively about the questions that divide us and the values they share? Can they find common ground on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? How should Jews acknowledge and elevate the needs and voices of Jewish people of color? What can be done to strengthen the relationship between the two communities, in an era when the threats many communities face are growing?
MODERATOR Rabbi Jill Jacobs | Executive Director, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights PANELISTS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 FEBRUARY SUNDAY, April N. Baskin | Vice President of Audacious Hospitality, Union for Reform Judaism Wil Jones | Student Activist Maharat Rori Picker Niess | Executive Director, Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis Rev. David Wright | Executive Director, Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston
145AB A Security-Driven, Two-State Process Presented by Israel Policy Forum
Engage with top Israeli and American security experts as they address Israel’s security needs, including the preservation of a two-state solution. Come hear about two complementary plans designed to ensure Israel’s security needs are met through a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS), a non-partisan movement comprised of former senior Israeli security officials, will discuss “Security First,” a plan to improve Israel’s security and international standing that preserves conditions for a two-state agreement. The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) will then present “Security System for the Two-State Solution.” Join us to hear and discuss responses to the plans from veteran senior Israeli security and policy officials.
CHAIR Dr. Michael Koplow | Policy Director, Israel Policy Forum MODERATOR Ilan Goldenberg | Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security PANELISTS Member of Knesset Omer Bar Lev | Zionist Union Rolly Gueron | Ret. Mossad Division Chief Brigadier General (ret.) Israela Oron | Former Deputy National Security Advisor, Israel’s National Security Council
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1:45–3:00 PM Concurrent Sessions (continued)
1 4 7A B Peace in Search of a Process: Who Steps In if the US Steps Back?
For decades, US-led bilateral negotiations have been a primary approach to seeking an end to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. Now — whether because prior US-led initiatives have all failed or because the new administration does not seem as interested — this 40-year-old approach is called into question. Our panel will look at what happens if the United States really does step back from its traditional leadership role and
specifically who steps in? What paths exist independent of American leadership? Can efforts to resolve
the conflict be internationalized? Are there regional players who can step up to the plate? And are there |
economic opportunities that the parties themselves can advance to move the ball forward? 1:45–3:00 PM 1:45–3:00 MODERATOR Nadia Bilbassy-Charters | Washington Bureau Chief, Al Arabiya Television PANELISTS Bernard Avishai | Author and Journalist, The New Yorker Ghaith al-Omari | Senior Fellow, The Washington Institute Nadav Tamir | Director of International and Government Affairs, Peres and Associates Global Consulting 150B An Encounter Preview Session is capped at 25 participants.
Join us for a facilitated conversation with Palestinian civil society leaders to hear how they are confronting the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We will hear firsthand points of view about the political realities and how next-generation grassroots activists are working for change. The program will include small group discussions with Encounter’s facilitators. At this moment of intense polarization, join us to see for yourself how encountering new perspectives can help us lead the critical conversations our communities need to be having. PRESENTERS Yona Shem Tov | Executive Director, Encounter Ziad AbuZayyad | Co-Editor, Palestine-Israel Journal Rebecca Polivy | Former Regional Director, Encounter Sulaiman Khatib | Co-Founder and Co-Director, Combatants for Peace 143C Advocacy Basics Training This session is closed to the press. Note: This is an optional training that is different from the mandatory Advocacy Day training.
This is a new training for leaders to learn the nuts-and-bolts of organizing and holding an effective meeting with a Member of Congress or their staff. This session will cover how to prepare for a congressional meeting, how to best deliver information, how to stay on message and make effective asks and how to continuously build your relationship with these offices. This training is strongly recommended for all district advocacy coordinators (DACs), JNETs and other advocacy leaders. PRESENTER Dylan Williams | Vice President of Government Affairs, J Street
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3:15–4:30 PM Concurrent Sessions 3:15–4:30 PM
145AB The State of the Palestinian Economy |
What is the state of the Palestinian economy today? Palestinian entrepreneurs and foreign governments have poured resources into developing the foundations for an independent Palestinian state. Where have they succeeded, and where are they falling short? How much progress is possible while the occupation continues? What frustrations and impediments deter developers? Could major economic progress help to create the political conditions for peace?
MODERATOR Howard J. Sumka | Former Senior Development Advisor, USAID Mission to West Bank and Gaza
PANELISTS Bashar Azzeh | Palestinian Entrepreneur and Youth Activist Karim Nashashibi | Former IMF Country Director to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip Omar Shaban | Director, PalThink for Strategic Studies Manal Zraiq | Partner, General Director of Massar International SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 FEBRUARY SUNDAY, CHAIR Elaine Rueben | Member, J Street Tikva Society and President’s Council
146C Shared Values: Fault Lines in the American and Israeli Jewish Communities
Session will be The strength of the US-Israeli relationship has long been ascribed to our countries’ “shared values.” Yet we livestreamed. are witnessing growing gulfs within and between both the American Jewish and Israeli Jewish communities. This pertains to attitudes on human rights, pluralism within Judaism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In an age of global hyper-partisanship, in which cultural and political chasms are widening, can we still say we have “shared values?” What are the implications for our relationship moving forward?
MODERATOR Dr. Dov Waxman | Professor of Political Science, International Affairs and Israel Studies, Northeastern University
PANELISTS Yair Rosenberg | Senior Writer, Tablet Magazine Rabbi Noa Sattath | Director, Israel Religious Action Center Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin | Policy Fellow, Mitvim: Israel Institute for Regional Foreign Policies & Permanent Writer, +972 Magazine Rabbi Shira Stutman | Senior Rabbi, Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
CHAIR Ken Bob | National President, Ameinu
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3:15–4:30 PM Concurrent Sessions (continued)
150B Israeli Changemakers on the Cutting Edge Presented by J Street Women’s Leadership Forum
Political leaders in Israel will only take steps to change the status quo when effective groups of citizens come together to demand that they do. As we face the challenge of right-wing politics in Israel, the US and around the world, learn from experts who are fighting back by mobilizing the communities too often left |
out of the political process. This panel will shine a light on the changemakers who are working to empower diverse groups, to develop new pro-peace messages that work and to prove that the path to peace can 3:15–4:30 PM 3:15–4:30 and must mobilize the people, not just the politicians, in support. Go beyond the headlines and meet three progressive leaders whose powerful grassroots work is gaining traction in Israel.
MODERATOR Maya Haber | Director of Programming and Strategy, Partners for Progressive Israel
PANELISTS Hamutal Gouri | Representative, Member of Women Wage Peace Dr. Danny Gutwein | Professor, University of Haifa, Israel Avi Meyerstein | Founder and President, Alliance for Middle East Peace
CHAIR Molly Freeman | Steering Committee Member, J Street Women’s Leadership Forum
1 4 7A B What’s a Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace Advocate to Do in 2017?
Arguing over the prognosis for the two-state solution may make for a vibrant academic debate, but advocates need an action agenda. For those who care that Israel can’t be both Jewish in nature and democratic in character while continuing the occupation indefinitely, what policies should we be seeking to advance in coming years? J Street remains committed to striving for a comprehensive two-state agreement, while others argue for unilateralism, incrementalism and even entirely new frameworks. Join a lively discussion within the pro-Israel, pro-peace family about the path forward with a two-state solution on life support.
MODERATOR Mitchell Plitnick | Peace and Human Rights Advocate
PANELISTS Bernard Avishai | Author and Journalist, The New Yorker Dr. Michael Koplow | Policy Director, Israel Policy Forum Joel Rubin | President, Washington Strategy Group Jenn Pollan | Movement Member, IfNotNow
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3:15–4:30 PM Concurrent Sessions (continued) 3:15–7:00 PM
143AB From Enemy to Asset: Israel’s Moment of Regional Opportunity |
For decades, the Arab world cited the very existence of the state of Israel as the region’s number one problem. Yet over the past decade, the regional dynamics have shifted dramatically. The Arab world’s list of strategic challenges today is topped by Iran, extremism and the economic challenge posed by a massive generation of young people lacking economic opportunity and hope. Rather than being seen as a central threat, Israel today is perceived by regional players as a potentially key asset in addressing these challenges. Join us in exploring the opportunities and challenges Israel faces at this historic inflection point and whether, for Israel to take advantage of these strategic opportunities, it must first resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
MODERATOR Attila Somfalvi | Political Analyst
PANELISTS Member of Knesset Akram Hasson | Kulanu Party Brigadier General (Ret.) Israela Oron | Former Deputy National Security Advisor, Israel’s National SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 FEBRUARY SUNDAY, Security Council Nadav Tamir | Director of International and Government Affairs, Peres and Associates Global Consulting
4:45–5:00 PM Mincha Services
150A
5:00–7:00 PM J Street U Session
146AB Organizing in the Opposition This session is closed to the press. The Student Session is required programming for all students attending the conference.
For the first time in its existence, J Street is operating in a world where the US president does not explicitly support a two-state solution. Join us as we explore how J Street U will organize in this new and challenging environment. This student-only session will kick off with a discussion with MK Ayman Odeh about his experience working from the Israeli political opposition. From there, students leaders will facilitate an open conversation about what power students have and how can we use it to lead pro-Israel, anti-occupation activism on college campuses.
SPEAKER Member of Knesset Ayman Odeh | Head, Joint List
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5:30–7:00 PM Reform Movement Reception
Fado Irish Pub Join us for a reception to celebrate the work of the Reform movement for peace, pluralism and 808 7th Street, NW democracy in Israel. 5:45-7:15 PM T’ruah and J Street Rabbinic and Cantorial Cabinet Happy Hour for Rabbis, Cantors and Seminary Students
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Sixth and I T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights and J Street’s Rabbinic and Cantorial Cabinet invite you to join
Synagogue us for a happy hour. Meet your clergy colleagues, seminary students and leaders from both organizations. PM 5:30–9:00 Complimentary drinks and light food will be served. Questions? Stop by T’ruah’s information booth in the 600 I Street, NW exhibit hall, find J Street’s Director of Rabbinic and Synagogue Engagement Josh Friedes or visit truah.org.
7:30–9:00 PM Plenary Session
Ballroom AB Aftershocks: What the Trump Era Means for Israel and the United States
President Trump and, in particular, his advisers present themselves as close allies of Prime Minister Netanyahu, his government and the settlement movement. But their mutual embrace alienates many Americans — particularly Jews and Democrats — who reject Trump’s policies and ideology. For decades, the US-Israel relationship has been grounded in shared interests that transcend party lines in both countries. Yet this consensus is threatened by a new alignment between right-of-center governments with anti- democratic agendas. Does moving from bipartisan alignment to partisan division damage Israel’s interests in the long run? How deep is Israeli support for Trump and his ideals? How will Israel’s centrist and progressive friends in Congress and across the US respond to an Israeli government that aligns with an American administration they distrust? And what openings does this create for critics of both leaders to work together?
MODERATOR Aluf Benn | Editor-in-Chief, Haaretz
PANELISTS Member of Knesset Omer Bar Lev | Zionist Union Professor Steven M. Cohen | Research Professor of Jewish Social Policy, HUC-JIR Dr. Philip Gordon | Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations Member of Knesset Akram Hasson | Kulanu Party Alan P. Solow | Former Chairman, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Member of Knesset Tamar Zandberg | Meretz Party
KEYNOTE ADDRESS Member of Knesset Ayman Odeh | Head, Joint List
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9:00–11:00 PM Young Professionals Meet-Up
Sixth Engine J StreetLEAD partners with the New Israel Fund to host a young professional bar night. Meet new friends and enjoy your first drink on us, while they last. 448 Massachusetts 9:00 PM–9:45 AM Avenue, NW
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9:00–11:00 PM LGBTQ Meet-Up Co-sponsored by A Wider Bridge
Ping Pong Are you a member of the LGBTQ community? Join us for some social time and watch the Oscars with us. Meet your peers from across the country who share our pro-Israel, pro-peace values. Dim Sum Enjoy your first drink on us, while they last. 900 7th Street, NW
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27
7:30–9:00 AM Breakfast
First Level North Building Concourse
8:15 AM–5:00 PM Action Center Open
Salon GHI Join fellow Conference participants for a Congressional call-in action! Call your Members of Congress to support J Street’s advocacy priorities in support of diplomacy in the Middle East and in defense of our values at home. The call-in center will provide directions for calling your lawmakers.
8:15–9:45 AM Advocacy Day Training SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26–MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 FEBRUARY 26–MONDAY, FEBRUARY SUNDAY, These sessions are closed to the press.
Everything you need to know for Advocacy Day. Attendance is mandatory for all Advocacy Day participants. Please attend only the training for your region, below: 145AB New England, South and Northwest, except California 146AB Tristate, Midwest and Connecticut 147AB Mountain West, Capital Region and Southwest, including California
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10:00 AM–12:00 PM Plenary Session
Ballroom AB POLICYMAKERS ROUNDTABLE: Conflicts, Chaos and Opportunity in the Middle East
There is no shortage of challenges facing the United States in the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict marks 50 years of occupation in 2017 with no end in sight. Iran’s sponsorship of terror and
ongoing efforts to increase its regional influence threaten its neighbors. And, of course, non-state |
extremists from al-Qaeda to the Islamic State are tearing nations apart and spreading terror globally.
American policymakers must wrestle in coming years with defining American interests in this troubled AM–12:0010:00 PM region, assessing the risks to those interests and defining the best roads forward to advance them.
This plenary will open with keynote remarks from a leading voice on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and a panel of the nation’s leading diplomats will delve into the challenges, while looking for opportunities. The session will also feature greetings from the Leader of the Israeli Opposition Zionist Union MK Isaac Herzog and remarks from Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat.
WELCOMING REMARKS BY VIDEO Member of Knesset Issac Herzog | Leader of the Opposition, Chairman of the Labor Party and the Zionist Union
KEYNOTE ADDRESS The Honorable Chris Murphy | Senator from Connecticut
MODERATOR Tom Friedman | Foreign Affairs Columnist and Author, New York Times
PANELISTS Michèle Flournoy | Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Center for a New American Security Ambassador Martin Indyk | Executive Vice President, The Brookings Institution Rob Malley | Former Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Region
KEYNOTE ADDRESS Dr. Saeb Erekat | Palestinian Chief Negotiator
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12:20–1:30 PM Supplementary Sessions Lunch carts available outside room 151AB, in Salon GHI, and kosher options will be available outside
12:20–1:30 PM room 143.
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143AB Welcome Disturbers of the Peace: A “How To” Session
Director Stephen Apkon and representatives from Combatants for Peace will share and narrate clips from the award-winning film, Disturbing the Peace, a film about people born into conflict and sworn to be enemies, who challenged their fate. Panelists will discuss the film’s impact on creating open and empathetic conversations in both Israeli and Palestinian societies. They will also discuss the challenges and opportunities of bringing the film to campuses and communities as a model for creating “brave spaces” and developing deeper and more authentic relationships with Israel.
PRESENTERS Stephen Apkon | Director, Disturbing the Peace Maya Katz | Combatants for Peace Sulaiman Khatib | Co-Founder and Co-Director, Combatants for Peace MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 FEBRUARY MONDAY, 145AB The Israel-Diaspora Partnership to Save Israel and Stop the Occupation Presented by Save Israel, Stop the Occupation (SISO)
There is currently a battle to control the narrative around the 50th anniversary of the 1967 War. The Israeli government and its ultra-nationalist allies are highlighting “unified” Jerusalem and strengthening Israeli control in what they refer to as the biblical lands of Judea and Samaria. For its part, the peace camp is using the moment as a wake-up call for those troubled by Israel’s military rule over millions of Palestinians and its disastrous implications for Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state. Join us at lunch to learn more about the Israeli organizations and Jewish communities on five continents working with Save Israel, Stop the Occupation (SISO) to build effective public messaging and a concrete program of action toward ending the occupation.
PRESENTERS Daniel Bar-Tal | Chair of the Board, Save Israel, Stop the Occupation (SISO) Tony Klug | Special Advisor on the Middle East, Oxford Research Group Jessica Montell | Executive Director, Save Israel, Stop the Occupation (SISO)
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12:20–1:30 PM Supplementary Sessions (continued)
146C What’s Gaza Got to Do With It?
Session will be Since the 2007 Hamas takeover, the Gaza Strip’s impact on the peace process has been fraught, and the livestreamed. fate of its two million residents uncertain. A recent UN report claimed that the Strip will be uninhabitable by the year 2020, just three years from now. Recent polling shows that Israelis are well aware of the risks of leaving Gaza to languish but don’t really know what to do about it. Come hear options for improving the
situation in Gaza and turning it from part of the problem into part of the solution. |
MODERATOR PM 12:20–1:30 Tania Hary | Executive Director, Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement
PANELISTS Yousef Bashir | Foreign Affairs Intern, Representative Gerry Connolly (VA-11) Dr. Dahlia Scheindlin | Policy Fellow, Mitvim: Israel Institute for Regional Foreign Policies & Permanent Writer, +972 Magazine
1 4 7A B J StreetLEAD Strategy Session This session is closed to the press.
J StreetLEAD is J Street’s new national, young professional program, geared toward engaging J Street U alumni and other young professionals. This will be an opportunity to discuss what role our demographic is best positioned to play in growing our movement and changing the politics in America and in the Jewish and progressive communities.
PRESENTER Kalyani Grad-Kaimal | Mikva Fellow, J Street
143C Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 101
Not yet an expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but want to learn more? This session provides an opportunity for anyone looking to be exposed to, or brush up on, history and current events. The Israeli- Palestinian conflict, with its decades of history and many players, is undeniably complicated. This crash course, led by a former journalist-turned-leading pro-Israel, pro-peace activist will provide an overview of the major events that laid the groundwork for the conflict and Israel’s founding and that have shaped the situation since. It will also address the final status issues that must be solved in order to achieve a two-state solution.
PRESENTER Ori Nir | Director of Communications and Public Engagement, Americans for Peace Now
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12:20–1:30 PM Supplementary Sessions (continued)
12:20–3:20 PM 146AB Habonim Dror/Hashomer Hatzair Meet-Up
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Have you proudly worn a blue shirt with either a red or a white string in your lifetime? Did you come of age doing peulot in your tzrifim and volunteering on Kibbutz? If the answer is yes and you were once or are currently involved in Hashomer Hatzair or Habonim Dror, come have lunch together. And who knows? Maybe we’ll even play an I agree/I disagree game.
1:50–3:20 PM Plenary Session
Ballroom AB Rising to the Challenge: American Jewish Leadership in the Trump Era
How should American Jews, many of whom are marching in the streets for Jewish values, expect their communal institutions to participate in the public debate moving forward? President Trump received only 25 percent of the Jewish vote in 2016, and the majority of American Jews disapprove of his bigotry, xenophobia and misogyny. In a community that is deeply committed to the concept of democracy MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 FEBRUARY MONDAY, and inclusion, what is the role of the organized American Jewish community in this fraught political environment? And what is the role of its leadership in continuing to advocate for a two-state solution when both American and Israeli governments seem to be moving in the opposite direction?
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS Eva Borgwardt | J Street U, Regional Co-Chair, Northwest
MODERATOR J.J. Goldberg | Editor-at-Large, Jewish Daily Forward PANELISTS Brooke Davies | President, J Street U National Board Nancy K. Kaufman | Chief Executive Officer, National Council of Jewish Women Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner | Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism Barry Shrage | President, Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Daniel J. Sokatch | CEO, New Israel Fund
Featured Address The Honorable Bernie Sanders | Senator from Vermont
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27 | X:00–X:00 AM MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27
3:35–4:45 PM Concurrent Sessions
146C What’s Next for Palestinian Leadership?
Session will be Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is doing much to strengthen his control over the Fatah party, the PLO livestreamed. and the Palestinian Authority — yet polls show increasingly deep public discontent with the present state of Palestinian political leadership and disapproval of the president. There is recognition that succession for the 81-year-old president is a real and near-term issue, but there is no clarity on who will follow Abbas or
even what the process will be for determining succession. Join us for a discussion of the political and social | dynamics in Palestinian society and for an exploration of who might succeed Abbas and what that would
mean for Palestinian politics and policy. PM 3:35–4:45
MODERATOR Ziad AbuZayyad | Co-Editor, Palestine-Israel Journal
PANELISTS Ali Abu Awwad | Founder, Taghyeer (Change) Palestinian National Nonviolence Movement Bashar Azzeh | Palestinian Entrepreneur and Youth Activist Omar Shaban | Director, PalThink for Strategic Studies
146AB Ready for Battle: Putting J Street’s Political Capital to Work in Opposition
In its first eight years, J Street set out to change the political calculus for elected officials when it comes to Israel and, to a large extent, we succeeded. President Obama and Secretary Kerry had sufficient political space to pursue a two-state solution and to successfully shepherd an Iran deal through Congress. In the new American political environment, J Street needs to shift gears — from defending policies we support to fighting those we oppose. What does it look like for J Street to put our hard-earned political capital and institutional strength to work, blocking an anti-diplomacy, anti-democracy agenda? And what else do we need in order to prevail on Capitol Hill?
MODERATOR Matt Nosanchuk | Former White House Liaison to the American Jewish Community under President Obama
PANELISTS Jim Gerstein | Principal, GBA Strategies The Honorable Jan Schakowsky | Representative from Illinois Randi Weingarten | President, American Federation of Teachers Ben Wikler | Washington Director, MoveOn.org
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3:35–4:45 PM Concurrent Sessions (continued) 3:35–4:45 PM 147AB The Settlement Movement’s New Frontier: Outposts, Annexation and
| Preventing Two States
Presented by Americans for Peace Now
The Israeli political conversation was dominated last year by the fate of the illegal West Bank outpost of Amona. Settlement movement leaders have pushed initiatives to retroactively legalize wildcat outposts and to annex major settlement blocs. In the wake of Donald Trump’s inauguration, many settler leaders think they have carte blanche to expand settlements at will — and destroy the two-state solution. What are the different tactics being used to try to legalize and expand settlement outposts? Can Prime Minister Netanyahu still exert control over the settlement movement, or are they the ones controlling him? How can the opposition effectively fight this legalization and annexation craze?
MODERATOR Amir Tibon | Washington Correspondent, Haaretz
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 FEBRUARY MONDAY, PANELISTS Lior Amihai | Deputy Director, Settlement Watch Lara Friedman | Director of Policy and Government Relations, Americans for Peace Now Member of Knesset Tamar Zandberg | Meretz
145AB When Facts Go Out the Door: American and Israeli Media Coverage in 2017
At a time when leaders like Trump and Netanyahu frequently bully the press or use social media to bypass them, and when politicians regularly speak of #AlternateFacts and #FakeNews, how are journalists adjusting their tactics and techniques to provide accurate coverage and analysis? What lessons might American journalists learn from the experience of their Israeli colleagues and vice versa? Join American and Israeli journalists for a fascinating discussion on the state of journalism.
MODERATOR Matthew Sienkiewicz | Assistant Professor of Communication and International Studies, Boston College
PANELISTS Noa Landau | Editor, Haaretz English Edition Dan Raviv | Senior Washington Correspondent, i24 Tal Shalev | Chief Political Correspondent, Walla! News Jessica Schulberg | Foreign Affairs Reporter, Huffington Post
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3:35–4:45 PM Concurrent Sessions (continued)
143AB The State of Jewish Peoplehood: 1917, 2017 and the Transformations of Jewish Nationalism Presented by Shalom Hartman Institute
The prevailing narrative in certain Jewish leadership circles is that there has been a precipitous decline in “Jewish peoplehood” in the last two generations of American Judaism, which is ascribed to as a |
cause — or perhaps a consequence — of Jewish distancing from Israel. In this session we will describe a more complicated and historically situated story about the twin poles of peoplehood — the vertical and 3:35–5:00 PM 3:35–5:00 the horizontal — and try to articulate ways in which our community can respond to the real challenges inherent in the political transformations underway in American Jewish life.
PRESENTER Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer | President, The Shalom Hartman Institute of North America
143C Grabbing the Mic – Social Media Training
The dominance of far-right and alt-right activists on social media was a major story of the 2016 election. They rallied around prominent messengers to amplify their posts. They swarmed against ideological opponents to intimidate and silence them. These tactics aren’t new — they have been used for years by right-wing activists working on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to gain an outsized voice on social media. This training will discuss methods for taking back social media and getting out our message. We’ll discuss how to push back (and ignore) the social media trolls, and ensure it is our message that is carried to those who matter.
PRESENTER Avi Zollman | Digital Campaigns Director, Everytown for Gun Safety
4:45–5:00 PM Mincha Services
150A
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5:00–6:15 PM Supplementary Sessions 5:00–6:15 PM 146AB The Next Generation of Pro-Peace Leaders
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Since the failure of the Oslo Accords, new leaders have emerged in the Israeli pro-peace movement to pursue a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These leaders have spawned new organizations and political parties. They have also helped shape the strategy of existing NGOs and political factions. This panel will be a window into the thinking of some of the young leaders involved in Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information, Seeds of Peace and Young Meretz and an opportunity to discuss how they can expand the reach of their creative work. MODERATOR Liel Maghen | Co-Director, Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information PANELISTS Bar Gissin | Co-Chairperson, Young Meretz May Pundak | Director of New Generations, New Israel Fund Clarke Reeves | Programs and Development Manager, Seeds of Peace
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 FEBRUARY MONDAY, 1 4 7A B Building Progressive Movements in Polarized Societies Presented by OneVoice
This session will delve into the complexities of building progressive grassroots movements amidst fractured societies, pulling from the experience of the OneVoice Movement and its regional partners, Darkenu in Israel and Zimam in Palestine. Each organization employs grassroots techniques in their respective societies – from training American university students, to awakening and enabling the moderate majority, to empowering non-violent youth leaders. We will discuss the strategies and tools of each initiative, focusing on the best practices of grassroots organizing. We’ll explore the question of how to break out of traditional political paradigms through the power of local activism. MODERATOR Howard J. Sumka | Former Mission Director to West Bank and Gaza, USAID PANELISTS Polly Bronstein | CEO, Darkenu Mara Lee | Executive Director, The OneVoice Movement and The PeaceWorks Foundation Samer Makhlouf | CEO, Zimam
145AB Facing Anti-Semitism in the Current Period
When is criticism of Israel anti-Semitic? When is it not? When does shutting down dialogue around Israel on campuses fuel anti-Semitism? Looking at a series of recent events, including the LGBTQ Creating Change conference in Chicago, BDS resolutions on campuses, the Movement on Black Lives platform and the Trump campaign, this session will offer a fresh perspective on anti-Semitism and strategies for responding to it. PRESENTER Cherie Brown | Executive Director, National Coalition Building Institute
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5:00–6:15 PM Supplementary Sessions (continued)
150A Opening Up the Israel Conversation in Your Synagogue
This session will explore recent case studies within our movement as a means of teasing out best practices for opening up the Israel conversation in congregations and Jewish communities. No two synagogues are the same, so this session provides participants the chance to determine what approach is best-suited for their community. Clergy, synagogue leaders and program facilitators will discuss a
range of efforts to engage congregants in pro-Israel advocacy. |
FACILITATORS 5:00–10:00 PM Josh Friedes | Director of Rabbinic and Synagogue Engagement, J Street Rabbi John Friedman | Co-Chair, J Street Rabbinic and Cantorial Cabinet Rabbi Andrea London | Co-Chair, J Street Rabbinic and Cantorial Cabinet
6:30–7:30 PM Gala Dinner Reception
South This is a ticketed event. Prefunction
7:30–10:00 PM Gala Dinner
Ballroom AB This is a ticketed event. The 2017 Tzedek v’Shalom Award Honorees Daniel A. Kohl | J Street Board of Directors Alexandra C. Stanton | Vice-Chair, J Street Board of Directors; Co-Chair, JStreetPAC
SPECIAL ADDRESS House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
KEYNOTE ADDRESS The Honorable Tim Kaine | Senator from Virginia
REMARKS Jeremy Ben-Ami | President, J Street
KEYNOTE CONVERSATION Dr. Madeleine Albright | Former Secretary of State of the United States Roger Cohen | New York Times Columnist
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8:30 AM Advocacy Day Kick-Off
1334 Longworth Advocacy Day participants who are free at this time are invited to enjoy a cup of coffee while House Office hearing from Members of Congress and fellow J Street leaders. 8:30 AM–4:00 PM Building Please allow for an additional 20-30 minutes in your commute due to Capitol Hill security screening.
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9:00 AM–4:00 PM Appointments With Member Offices Congressional meetings are closed to the press.
Capitol Hill Advocacy Day participants should consult their individual schedules for meeting times and locations.
11:00–11:30 AM Delivery of Petition Opposing Friedman Nomination
Capitol Hill If you are not scheduled to be in a meeting at this time, join us as we gather in front of the steps at the North East corner of the Capitol Building (the Senate side) to publicly deliver the nation-wide
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 FEBRUARY TUESDAY, petition opposing the nomination of David Friedman as US Ambassador to Israel.
1:00–2:00 PM From the Hill Tops to the Hill: What Settlements Mean for Israel’s Future
2237 Rayburn Settlements are a crucial issue in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, and their fate will House Office have a tremendous bearing on the prospects for peace between the two peoples. Join the director Building of the new filmThe Settlers, Shimon Dotan, as he screens parts of his film and discusses the ideological and historical forces that led to the creation of these settlements and their impact on Israel’s future.
PRESENTER Shimon Dotan | Director, The Settlers
32 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE NOTES
NOTES
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#JSt2017 # JSt2017
DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE FUTURE OUR FOR FIGHTING VALUES, OUR DEFENDING PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
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A WIDER BRIDGE seeks to advance global LGBTQ equality to expose the Israeli public to the reality of everyday life in the and foster deeper understanding of Israel by building bridges Occupied Territories. They endeavor to stimulate public debate between LGBTQ people in North America and Israel. We are about the price paid for a reality in which young soldiers face building a movement of LGBTQ people and allies, Jews and a civilian population on a daily basis and are engaged in the non-Jews, with strong interest in and commitment to Israel and control of that population’s everyday life. Their work aims to its LGBTQ community. Through learning and collaboration, our bring an end to the occupation. work strengthens the LGBTQ communities of North America and Israel. We lead LGBTQ leadership missions to Israel and CREATIVITY FOR PEACE trains young Israeli and Palestinian we bring Israeli LGBTQ leaders to speak in cities across North women to partner as leaders by transforming anger and America. Our online magazine at awiderbridge.org explores the prejudice into mutual respect, facilitating an understanding intersection of LGBTQ, Jewish and Israeli life. of the other and inspiring action to promote peace. Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico since 2003 and operating in the USA, ABRAHAM FUND INITIATIVES (The Abraham Fund) envisions a Palestine and Israel, we use dialogue and art to introduce the future in which Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel share equally in story of the other side and begin the process of reconciliation. the opportunities and benefits of a just and prosperous society. Programs for 255 participants include a three-week summer Our mission is to advance that vision through large-scale social intensive, year-round gatherings, advanced leadership training, change initiatives, strategic community-based projects and projects facilitated by young peacemakers and training of public education and advocacy activities. women in the early stages of their political careers.
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE PARENTS CIRCLE shares the ENCOUNTER is a nonpartisan educational organization that human side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the American brings together Jewish leaders from across the political and public in order to foster a peace and reconciliation process. religious spectra to examine the complex challenges and on-the- Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF) is a joint Israeli- ground realities at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We Palestinian organization made up of more than 600 bereaved do this by creating immersive educational experiences in the West families. Their common bond is that they have lost a close Bank and East Jerusalem in which a cross-section of American family member to the conflict. But instead of choosing revenge, Jewish leaders come together to encounter a perspective different they have chosen a path of reconciliation. from their own and then provide the tools and support they need to bring what they experienced on Encounter back to their home AMERICANS FOR PEACE NOW is the sister organization communities and into their leadership.
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATING of Peace Now (Shalom Achshav), Israel’s preeminent peace movement. APN’s mission is to educate and persuade the FOUNDATION FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE promotes a just American public and its leadership to support and adopt policies resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through education that will lead to comprehensive, durable, Israeli-Palestinian and and advocacy, publications about the conflict, a speakers’ Israeli-Arab peace, based on a two-state solution, guaranteeing program to introduce Israeli, Palestinian and other experts to both peoples’ security and consistent with US national interests. US audiences, public speaking by officers of the Foundation APN also works to ensure Israel’s future and the viability of and a small grant program to support groups that advance the Israel’s democracy and Jewish character through education, cause of peace in Israel and Palestine. activism and advocacy in the United States and by mobilizing American support for Peace Now. HABONIM DROR NORTH AMERICA, the Progressive Socialist Labor Zionist Youth Movement, aims to educate North American BREAKING THE SILENCE is an organization of veteran Jewish youth to take responsibility over their Jewish community. combatants who have served in the Israeli military since the We run six overnight summer camps throughout North America start of the Second Intifada and have taken it upon themselves and two programs in Israel and have 25 local activity centers
36 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE during the year, where education around the values of tikkun SISO (Save Israel, Stop the Occupation) is a new partnership olam, equality and collective responsibility give youth the tools to of Israelis and Diaspora Jews raising a global, collective create the world they wish to live in. Our alumni are often found voice to end the occupation. Inside Israel, SISO initiated the either in Israel building urban kibbutzim or in America leading 50-Out network of 30 peace, co-existence and human rights progressive Jewish organizations and movements that work organizations. Globally, SISO is building a network of Jewish towards creating peace, social justice and equality. communities and organizations who will organize a series of events in Europe, South Africa, Australia, Latin America and NEW ISRAEL FUND is the leading organization advancing North America in coordination with Israeli initiatives. Together, equality and democracy for all Israelis. We are a partnership of these efforts will ensure that the 50th anniversary of the Israelis and supporters of Israel worldwide, dedicated to a vision occupation galvanizes a constituency to take action, shape the of Israel as both the Jewish homeland and a shared society at public conversation and promote real change. peace with itself and its neighbors. NIF supports leaders and PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS activists working for civil and human rights for all, including Palestinian citizens and residents under Israeli control.
PREMIER PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
AMEINU is a national, multi-generational community and successors’ courageous pursuit of peace. It facilitates of progressive Jews in North America. Recognizing the intergenerational dialogue and inquiry and provides a record for unbreakable bond between the Jewish people and Israel, educators and scholars to mine for generations to come. as well as a commitment to make society more just, Ameinu mobilizes Jews to foster social and economic justice in ARZA (The Association of Reform Zionists of America) is the Israel, North America and around the world. As Zionists, Zionist arm and Israel leadership organization of the Reform they understand that a secure peace between Israel and movement in the United States. ARZA works to support an its neighbors is essential to the survival of a democratic Israel that is pluralistic, democratic and Jewish through the Jewish state. Ameinu seeks to achieve these goals through growth and support of the Reform movement in Israel. ARZA community education, advocacy and direct partnership with represents the US Reform movement to Israel’s national Israeli activists working on the ground for peace, justice, institutions — the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish relief and reconciliation. Agency for Israel and the Keren Kaymet L’Yisrael (JNF). ARZA aims to bring the Reform movement and its values to AMERICAN JEWISH PEACE ARCHIVE (AJPA) is the Israel and Ahavat Yisrael, love of Israel, Jewish peoplehood first systematic effort to document the history of American and Zionism to our Movement in the United States. Jewish initiatives for Israeli-Palestinian peace from 1967-2017. Using oral history to record the stories of key players in this CHURCHES FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE works to remarkable chapter of American Jewish history, AJPA offers encourage US policies that actively promote a just, lasting insight into the complex dynamics of social movement building and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian and American Jewish identity in relationship to Israel. The conflict, ensuring security, human rights and religious interviews provide a bridge for multiple generation of Jews to freedom for all the people of the region. We are a coalition understand what inspired the hopes of their predecessors’ of 27 national Church denominations and organizations in
J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE 37 Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions. Each of these MOLAD is an independent, non-partisan Israeli think tank denominations and organizations is represented on the CMEP that works to reinvigorate Israeli society by injecting new ideas Board of Directors, which sets CMEP’s mission, positions and into all spheres of public discourse. Our vision combines policy. Decisions are made by consensus of this group. progressive values with a realistic approach to the political and geopolitical challenges of Israeli reality. We inform public ECOPEACE MIDDLE EAST (formerly Friends of the Earth debate with responsible content that meets the highest Middle East), a joint Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian possible standards of research and analysis — the dearth environmental organization, promotes peacebuilding of which has played a crucial role in Israel’s ongoing state of through shared environmental resources and cultural crisis. Molad’s rigorous multi-disciplinary research offers fresh heritage. EcoPeace seeks to create the necessary alternatives to stagnant political discourse in and about Israel. conditions for lasting peace, improve quality of life for all and work towards sustainable regional development. MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY is committed to making EcoPeace is project-oriented, using strategy of “top-down” transformational, socially-relevant art, producing plays advocacy coupled with “bottom-up” grassroots/community by authors on the front lines of conflict zones, building a by engaging community in development/cooperation fusion community to address some of the most pressing efforts. EcoPeace has advanced numerous transboundry issues of our times. We complement our productions with environmental and water projects to further sustainable comprehensive engagement through free pre- and post- development, environmental security for nature and people show programming, an annual intercultural festival, like our and, most importantly, advancing peace in the region. “Voices From a Changing Middle East” series and educational initiatives, including our touring “Mosaic on the Move.” HEALING ACROSS THE DIVIDES is an American 501(c)3 We strive to foster a culture of listening and welcoming, non-profit that improves health among disadvantaged embracing complexity and a multi-focal perspective. Our populations in Israel and the West Bank by providing plays speak truth to power and to the private parts of our soul. technical assistance and funding for health initiatives run In short, we make art with a purpose and strive for impact. by community-based organizations. These organizations improve health and facilitate empowerment on both NEVE SHALOM/WAHAT AL-SALAM, THE OASIS OF individual and community levels, using sustainable models PEACE is the only deliberate community in Israel where Jews that can function independently after the period of our and Palestinians choose to live, work and raise their children
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATING support. By facilitating inter-agency cooperation among the in equality and mutual respect. The village is not insular or participating community groups, Healing Across the Divides just a model of co-existence, the Oasis of Peace reaches also facilitates the exchange of expertise and promotes beyond its borders with three major institutions: the first mutual understanding between communities. ever bilingual primary school in Israel, the School for Peace and an active Pluralistic Spiritual Center. An incubator for Founded in Jerusalem in 2002, KIDS4PEACE is a global peace entrepreneurs for over forty years, the Oasis of Peace movement of youth and families, dedicated to ending conflict continues to be an inspiration for countless individuals and and inspiring hope in divided societies around the world. organizations that have become “peace multipliers.” Kids4Peace operates international summer camps, leadership programs and a six-year, year-round program for more than ONEVOICE MOVEMENT is a global initiative that supports 500 Palestinian, Israeli and North American youth. We are grassroots activists in Israel, Palestine and internationally trying to change the conversation — to bring new questions who are working to build the human infrastructure needed and new answers to the struggle for peace, ones that are to create the necessary conditions for a just and negotiated based in real relationships of trust and understanding. resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
38 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE PARTNERS FOR PROGRESSIVE ISRAEL is the American WATER RESOURCES ACTION PROJECT, INC. (WRAP) voice of the Israeli left. It stands for social justice, human addresses conflict mitigation through cross-border rights, and ending the occupation. The organization partners environmental peacebuilding programs and activities for with Israeli human rights, civil rights and social justice youth, with a focus on water resources. Since 2009, WRAP organizations, translating their voice to the American public has built rainwater harvesting systems in a network of and promoting collaborations on the basis of a shared nine middle and high schools in Israel, East Jerusalem, vision. We believe that educating the American community West Bank and Jordan. WRAP uses digital technology enhances the impact of pro-Israel, pro-peace advocacy. to connect these schools to American schools. WRAP We welcome you to attend Partners workshops and parlor believes if diverse students in the Middle East participate in meetings, listen to our podcast and join the annual Israel joint environmental education activities, which are carried
study tour. Learn more at www.progressiveisrael.org. out in a safe, neutral environment, they will gain a greater PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS understanding of one another and develop more trusting THE RECONSTRUCTIONIST RABBINICAL COLLEGE and positive relationships. offers progressive rabbinical education. Along with the Reconstructionist movement, we are committed to our The WORKMEN’S CIRCLE has been at the center of Jewish roots in tradition, to egalitarianism and inclusion and to culture and social action for more than 100 years. Today, we helping Jewish communities flourish. RRC students engage continue that journey in bold and effective ways. Through intensively with Jewish texts, thought and practice and gain social justice campaigns, holiday celebrations, cultural expertise and practical training. Each graduate enhances the initiatives, educational programs and more, we connect greater Jewish community with a unique vision that integrates Jewish adults, kids and families of all affiliations with their Jewish knowledge, dedication to the Jewish people, spiritual heritage. Since our founding, we have been fighting for maturity, interpersonal skills and integrity. Together, RRC and workers’ rights and mobilizing people into action to achieve the Reconstructionist movement build Jewish communities social and economic justice. Together, as we always have, that are spiritually and intellectually vibrant and committed to we are working to build a shenere un besere velt far ale — Jewish learning, ethics and social justice. “a better and more beautiful world for all.”
T’RUAH: THE RABBINIC CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS brings together rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism, together with all members of the Jewish community, to act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
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ALLIANCE FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE is a coalition of over In 2006, COMBATANTS FOR PEACE was established 100 organizations building people-to-people cooperation, by Israeli and Palestinian former combatants, people who equality, shared society and mutual understanding between had taken an active role in the conflict, who laid down their Arabs and Jews, Israelis and Palestinians. We work to bring weapons. The egalitarian, bi-national, grassroots organization scale, resources and attention to our member organizations was founded on the belief that the cycle of violence can only be and the peacebuilding community. ALLMEP works in the broken when Israelis and Palestinians join forces. Committed US and globally to educate elected representatives, foreign to joint nonviolence since its foundation, CFP works to both governments, American and international funders and the transform and resolve the conflict by ending Israeli occupation international community about the critical opportunities and and all forms of violence between the two sides and building needs of people-to-people efforts. In the region, we are a peaceful future for both peoples. Combatants for Peace building a community among our members, enhancing their is a strong, significant, influential binational community — a communication and coordination in the field, building their community that exemplifies viable cooperation: through co- capacities, developing best practices and serving as a platform resistance to the occupation and violence, which forms the for partnership and cooperation. basis for future co-existence. Through joint nonviolence in the present, we lay the foundations for a nonviolent future. Founded in 1953, the AMERICAN CONFERENCE OF CANTORS, through its support for and cultivation of excellence DISTURBING THE PEACE is the story of the human potential among cantors, strengthens Reform Jewish life in North unleashed when we stop participating in a story that no longer America. ACC cantors are equipped to be attentive to the joys serves us and, with the power of our convictions, take action and challenges that members within a congregation face over to create new possibilities. While based in the Middle East, the course of their lives, using both their unique calling to music Disturbing the Peace evokes universal themes of peace and and prayer and their shared responsibilities for offering spiritual nonviolence and inspires us to become active participants in leadership to congregations. ACC members also can help the creation of our world. Disturbing the Peace is about people lead their congregations and by extension, the Reform Jewish born into conflict, sworn to be enemies, who challenged their movement in North America, to a bright future. fate. The film follows everyday people who took extraordinary actions by standing for what they believe in. The movie ARTSBRIDGE, INC. brings transformational change to young challenges all of us to create a more humane world. And it adults from communities in conflict. Their flagship Summer starts with our willingness to disturb the peace. Leadership Development program has impacted the lives of hundreds of Israeli, Palestinian, and American teens, teaching THE EUPHRATES INSTITUTE is a nonprofit, educational PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATING them how to work creatively across their differences to organization dedicated to bridging divides between the Middle develop innovative approaches to complex human problems. East and West. Our purpose is to inspire humanity with the Empowered by their Artsbridge experience, students are able power of peace and the difference each of us can make in the to appreciate the narrative of the “other” rather than maintaining world and our communities, beginning with ourselves. As the the fear, hatred and mistrust that most have lived with their Euphrates river brings life-giving waters to the Middle Eastern entire lives. Currently, Artsbridge is developing university and desert and tranquility and beauty to war zones, we envision college campus based programming aimed specifically at a world of people motivated by peace rather than conflict, college students who are interested in bridging gaps between terrorism and fear. We offer programs — trips, local chapters, traditionally antagonistic student groups, ethnic and political events — that inform people about Middle East issues, inspire groups, and more. Combining art, and a carefully developed them with examples of solutions and progress and invite them reflective listening methodology, Artsbridge’s workshops and to transform into engaged and effective global citizens. trainings have been used with high school students, college students, adults, and professionals.
40 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE GENEVA INITIATIVE provides realistic and achievable and Jordan); exchanges between internationals and Middle solutions to all issues of the conflict, based on previous official Easterners, as well as between different groups within the negotiations, international resolutions and peace initiatives. In region; language study programs; the opportunity to perform an addition to presenting a detailed blueprint for Israeli-Palestinian internship or service learning in the country and field of choice; peace, the Geneva Initiative educates and campaigns, both and conflict resolution and leadership workshops and training. locally and internationally and reaches out to select target groups, including those groups that are traditionally left out of IR AMIM‘s mission is to render Jerusalem a more equitable the discussion. Geneva Initiative believes that it is in the best and sustainable city for the Israelis and Palestinians who share interest of Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate directly in order it and to help secure a negotiated resolution on the city through to reach a realistic, dignified and sustainable two-state solution sustained monitoring, reporting, public and legal advocacy, in which both peoples can build a brighter future. public education and outreach to re-orient the public discourse on Jerusalem. Ir Amim envisions a city that ensures the dignity PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS GIVAT HAVIVA has been a leader in the field of Jewish-Arab and welfare of all its residents and safeguards their holy places, reconciliation and equality efforts since its inception in 1949. historical and cultural heritages — today, as well as in the future. The Center has since been established as a well-recognized Ir Amim aspires to a sustainable political future for Jerusalem and celebrated leader in the field of Shared Society, officially as the shared capital of two sovereign states — achievable only recognized with the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education. The through a negotiated Israeli-Palestinian peace process. mission and focus at the Center for Shared Society at Givat Haviva is to build an inclusive, socially cohesive society in Israel JCALL, the European Jewish network for Israel and for peace, by engaging divided communities in collective action towards the is an initiative of European Jewish citizens, launched at the advancement of a sustainable, thriving Israeli democracy based on European Parliament in 2010 and signed by 8000 people, mutual responsibility, civic equality and a shared vision of the future. including well-known figures like Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Alain Finkielkraut and Bernard Henri Levy. Deeply committed to the HASHOMER HATZAIR is a progressive Zionist youth existence and security of Israel, JCall thinks that the continuing movement, established 100 years ago and specializing in occupation of the West Bank and of East Jerusalem Arab youth-led experiential Jewish education. Based on the values neighborhoods threaten the identity of Israel. JCall strives for of equity, community and social responsibility, our camps a rational solution to the conflict based on “Two States for Two and year-round activities encourage youth to shape their Peoples” which preserves Israel as a Jewish and democratic communities and find personal relevance in Judaism, social State. Active in Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, JCall aims justice and Israel. In addition to our year-round programming, to promote a debate among Jewish communities and to foster Camp Shomria engages all of our year-round participants at European countries to get involved in resolving the conflict. our summer campsite in Upstate New York. At Camp Shomria, youth experience our roots from the Kibbutz movement and THE JEWISH ALLIANCE FOR CHANGE (JAFC), a pro-Israel develop skills for leadership and find friends for life. nonprofit organization, works to foster the American Jewish contribution to an America and a Jewish democratic Israel ILLI INITIATIVES is comprised of a team of academics and that respects the dignity of every individual. The Campaign practitioners with expertise in the Middle East and North Africa for Bedouin-Jewish Justice, a JAFC project, has taken a (MENA) and in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. They believe leading role in informing and mobilizing American Jews to that a peaceful and prosperous future in the MENA region is end home demolitions and destruction of Bedouin villages contingent upon having innovative leadership in all realms of life in Israel and promote a just, negotiated solution to the plight and fostering meaningful and sustainable relationships across of Israel’s Negev Bedouin citizens, the country’s single most ethnic, religious and national boundaries. ILLI Initiatives offers disadvantaged population. JAFC also sponsors a project to a variety of programs, including immersion travel throughout develop curricula for teaching the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the MENA region (primarily Morocco, Israel, Palestine, Tunisia and peacemaking to Jewish high school students.
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THE JEWISH LABOR COMMITTEE is the voice of the Jewish MITVIM – THE ISRAELI INSTITUTE FOR REGIONAL community in the labor movement and the voice of the labor FOREIGN POLICY is a think tank that aims to reshape Israel’s movement in the Jewish community. Whether through our relations in the Middle East, Europe and the Mediterranean, headquarters in New York or local offices and lay-led groups by promoting new paradigms for Israel’s foreign policies, across the USA, we enable the Jewish community and the enhancing Israel’s regional belonging and advancing Israeli- trade union movement to work together in pursuit of our shared Arab peace. Mitvim, established in 2011, works at the political, commitment to economic and social justice. diplomatic and public levels. It engages in the various phases of the policymaking-cycle and promotes the actual crafting JEWISH PEACE LOBBY started in 1989 as an alternative of the regional realities that it aspires for. Mitvim developed Jewish voice in Washington; over the years we came to focus and promotes a pro-peace, multi-regional, outward-looking, on innovative policy development focused on the final status modern and inclusive paradigm for Israel’s foreign policy and is issues of the conflict and new approaches to the peace ranked among the top think tanks in the Middle East and North process. We engage with US, Israeli, Palestinian and European Africa by the University of Pennsylvania. policy makers in Washington, at the UN and in Israel/Palestine. Visit our website www.Jewishpeacelobby.org to find an array of THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN (NCJW) is material that outlines our ideas and proposals. a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates turning progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, JSPACECANADA is an all-volunteer, non-partisan Canadian NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life Jewish organization created to provide a safe space to discuss of women, children and families and by safeguarding individual progressive ideas for peace and security for Israel. We support rights and freedoms. In Israel, NCJW has a long history of a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that promoting a strong civil society with a priority on advancing results in two states for two peoples living in peace. We oppose gender equality, women’s leadership and religious pluralism all attempts to delegitimize Israel; and we oppose expansion and supporting Israel as both a vibrant democratic state and of settlements in the West Bank as an obstacle to peace and the Jewish homeland. a threat to Israel’s security. Our objectives are to promote democratic and civil rights for all of Israel’s citizens, residents PALESTINE-ISRAEL JOURNAL (PIJ) is a nonprofit and neighbours in accordance with Jewish values and Israel’s organization founded in 1994 by Ziad AbuZayyad and Victor Declaration of Independence; to serve as a voice of fairness Cygielman, two prominent Palestinian and Israeli journalists, and balance and as an alternative to extremist voices on the inspired by the Oslo Accords, which aims to promote dialogue
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATING far ‘right’ and the far ‘left;’ and to educate Canadians on the and creative thinking about taboos and thorny issues related historical and geographical facts behind the conflicts in the to the negotiations. Under today’s co-editors Ziad AbuZayyad Middle East and the historical, juridical and spiritual context of and Hillel Schenker, Palestine-Israel Journal is a resource Canadian Jews’ relationship to Israel. helping to shed light on the complex issues dividing Israelis and Palestinians. These goals are carried by the quarterly journal, MEPEACE was designed to exemplify and realize peace policy papers, roundtables and public events and website online and on the ground; empower people and organizations www.pij.org with a constantly updated PIJ blog. with interaction, information and inspiration; and enable a movement for peace via web and networking technologies. PEACE NOW (Shalom Achshav) is the largest and longest- Online, MEPEACE’s web platform enables individuals and standing Israeli movement advocating for peace between organizations from more than 200 countries to overcome Israel and its neighbors. Peace Now urges Israelis to embrace physical barriers to share and learn about one another. On the the only viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the ground, MEPEACE promotes community-building encounters, two-state solution. Peace Now educates and mobilizes the provides activist leadership training and offers technology mainstream Israeli public and works to keep Israeli-Palestinian consulting to other peace orgs. Join us on www.mepeace.org. peace on top of the political agenda and public discourse.
42 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE Peace Now’s activities include demonstrations, lectures, learning about the underlying issues facing those populations debates, tours, public campaigns and more. Settlement Watch, from a broad range of perspectives. Our long-term programs, Peace Now’s flagship program, analyzes developments in the lasting five or ten months, begin each September and settlements and works to prevent settlement expansion, one of February. Tikkun Olam is a joint project of the BINA Center for the largest obstacles to the two-state solution. Jewish Identity and Hebrew Culture, and the Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism. More information is available at THE PROJECT ON MIDDLE EAST DEMOCRACY is a www.tikkunolamisrael.org. nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to examining PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS / EXHIBITORS how genuine democracies can develop in the Middle East YACHAD was founded in 2011 to build support within the and how the US can best support that process. Through British Jewish community for a political resolution to the dialogue, research and advocacy, we work to strengthen the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through education, debate and constituency for US policies that peacefully support reform in advocacy. Yachad aims to galvanise a pro-Israel voice at the the Middle East. heart of Anglo-Jewry that proactively supports steps to create an enduring peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We TIKKUN OLAM IN TEL AVIV-JAFFA provides service- provide a platform for our supporters in the media, within learning opportunities for Jewish young adults that explore British Jewish communal organisations and to the British and the challenge and complexity of the Jewish-democratic Israeli governments. Our education work includes educational state of Israel. Our participants volunteer with disadvantaged field trips to the region and events based in the UK featuring communities across diverse swaths of Israeli society, while high-profile Israeli experts in security and human rights.
EXHIBITORS
J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE 43 Building support for Israel and its LGBTQ community. Learn more about our work at awiderbridge.org
Get to know one of the leading organizations improving Jewish-Arab relations in Israel
The Abraham Fund is a recognized voice for inclusion in a largely separated society — advocating for and demonstrating progressive policies that can build a shared future for both Jews and Arabs in Israel. If you are interested in having a speaker from The Abraham Fund on any and all issues pertaining to Jewish-Arab relations in North America, please contact our North America Director, Branwen Cale at: [email protected] | www.abrahamfund.org
[email protected] | www.abrahamfund.org
44 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE 45 Habonim Dror North America הבונים דרור צפון אמריקה growing ZIONISTS AGAINST OCCUPATION Since 1935 educating Jews towards peace, social justice and equality
Register your child today! www.habonimdror.org (718) 789-1796
46 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE Signed by 500 Public Figures, including: A Call from Israelis to the Jews of the World: Shaul Arieli Colette Avital Daniel Bar-Tal Michael Ben-Yair IF YOU CARE ABOUT ISRAEL, David Broza Avrum Burg Orly Castel-Bloom Naomi Chazan SILENCE IS NO LONGER AN OPTION! Yael Dayan Akiva Eldar As we approach fifty years of Israeli military control This spring SISO will mobilize Jewish communities in Amos Gitai over the Palestinians, Israel stands at a crossroad. partnership with over twenty Israeli organizations. David Grossman Will it continue to rule over another people, From Auckland to Tel Aviv to Zurich, we will work to Eva Illouz Daniel Kahneman condemning its citizens to perpetual conflict and ensure that Israel chooses a path toward a safe and Avishai Margalit risking the Jewish and democratic character of the prosperous Israel, flourishing alongside a free and Ronit Matalon state? We chose a different path. prosperous Palestine. Sami Michael Amram Mitzna Ohad Naharin JOIN US. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Achinoam Nini Amos Oz WWW.SISO.ORG.IL [email protected] Alice Shalvi
CONGRATULATES J STREET For its extraordinary contributions to promoting a two-state peace for Israelis and Palestinians that will fulfill the national aspirations of both peoples. As we move into a more uncertain future than ever, J Street’s leadership is needed now more than ever.
J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE 47 The Parents Circle - Families Forum is proud to participate in J Street’s 2017 Annual Conference in the pursuit of reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians alongside a two-state solution.
VALUES MATTER
This is the time for dissent. Stand against the Israeli occupation, now marking its 50th year, and against its backers in the United States. B’Tselem promotes human rights, democracy, and justice. We share your values, let’s defend them together.
www.btselem.org
Follow B’Tselem for information and analysis about human rights in the Occupied Territories.
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DR. SAEB EREKAT is the Palestinian Chief Negotiator. MEMBER OF KNESSET AYMAN ODEH is the head of the In 1991, Erekat was the deputy head of the Palestinian Joint List, the third-largest party in the current Knesset. delegation to the Madrid Conference and the follow-up Born in 1975, Odeh studied law at Mihai Eminescu talks in Washington between 1992 and 1993. In 1994, University and passed the Israeli Bar Association’s he became the Minister for Local Government for the qualifying exams in 2001. Between the years 1998-2003 Palestinian Authority and the chairman of the Palestinian Odeh represented the Democratic Front for Peace and negotiation delegation. In 1995, Erekat served as the Chief Equality (Hadash) in the Haifa City Council and between Negotiator for the Palestinians during the Oslo period 2003-2006 worked as a project director for Sikkuy — the and attended the Camp David meetings in 2000 and the Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality. Odeh negotiations at Taba in 2001. After leaving the post of has been serving as the Secretary-General of Hadash Chief Negotiator in 2003, Erekat was reappointed in 2007 since 2006 and is currently a member of the Knesset and took over the negotiations for the Palestinians at the House Committee, the Knesset Committee on Labor, Annapolis Conference during an impasse and helped Welfare and Health, the Mahmoud Darwish Foundation’s hammer out a joint declaration. Erekat received a BA and board of directors, as well as the chairman of the Cultural MA in Political Science at San Francisco State University Affairs parliamentary group. He is married to Nardine Aslih, and completed his PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies at a physician and has three children. In 2015, Odeh was Bradford University, England. listed among Foreign Policy magazine’s list of the Top 100 Leading Global Thinkers.
SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut. He serves on the Foreign SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS is serving his second term Relations Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and in the US Senate after winning re-election in 2012 with 71 Pensions Committee, and the prestigious Appropriations percent of the vote. His previous 16 years in the House of
Committee, the first Connecticut Senator to serve on that Representatives make him the longest serving independent KEYNOTE BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER committee in over thirty years. Prior to the Senate, Murphy member of Congress in American history. Born in 1941 in served for three terms in the U.S. House representing the Brooklyn, Sanders attended James Madison High School, state’s fifth congressional district. In Congress, Murphy Brooklyn College and the University of Chicago. After is acknowledged as a leading voice for stronger anti-gun graduating in 1964, he moved to Vermont. In 1981, he was violence measures, a smarter foreign policy, and reform of elected (by 10 votes) to the first of four terms as mayor our nation’s broken mental health system. of Burlington. Sanders lectured at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and at Hamilton College in upstate New York before his 1990 election as Vermont’s at-large member in Congress. He currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on the Budget. The Almanac of American Politics calls Sanders a “practical and successful legislator.” Throughout his career he has focused on the shrinking American middle class and the growing income and wealth gaps in the United States.
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ALI ABU AWWAD, Palestinian peace Israeli-Palestinian “Cairo Agreement”. MIKA ALMOG is a writer, columnist activist, founded Palestine’s Taghyeer AbuZayyad is a co-author of The West and political satirist. She writes one of (Change) National Nonviolence Bank Political Lexicon and co-editor Israel’s most popular personal columns Movement to foster Palestinian of Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism for Yediot Aharonot, Israel’s best-read nonviolent identity. In 2016, 3000 together with Hillel Schenker. He was newspaper. Prior to that, she wrote Palestinians from all over the West Bank imprisoned several times by Israeli for two and half years for Haaretz came together in Jericho to launch authorities. He was born in April 1940 Magazine, where she published over Taghyeer’s on-the-ground activities that and is a resident of Eizariya (Bethany), a 120 short stories, as well as a weekly address community social development Palestinian suburb of East Jerusalem. political satire column, which prided needs and, at the same time, build itself on having an all-female team the national nonviolent resistance to SALAM AL-MARAYATI is President of six of Israel’s top comedy writers. occupation movement. From 2002-2009, and Co-Founder of the Muslim Public Prior to that, Mika was a screenwriter Awwad (imprisoned in the first intifada Affairs Council. He is nationally and executive producer for a long list and having lost a brother to IDF violence recognized for his commitment to of Israel’s top TV shows, including in 2000) toured the world on behalf of improving the public understanding of Eretz Nehederet, the Israeli equivalent Bereaved Families Forum with Israeli Islam and policies impacting American to SNL. She headed development Robi Damelin (who lost her son to the Muslims. He oversees MPAC’s of scripted entertainment for Israel’s conflict) — speaking together about the groundbreaking civic engagement, Channel 2 and developed Israeli TV path to reconciliation. Awwad’s life and public policy and advocacy work. formats sold internationally. Her first work has been featured in two award- al-Marayati is an expert on Islam in collection of short stories, Anticipate, winning films, Encounter Point and the West, Muslim reform movements, will be published this summer. Mika is a Forbidden Childhood. Awwad initiated human rights, democracy, national graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the the Karama (Dignity) Nonviolence Center security and Middle East politics. He Arts, where she studied theater, and on family-owned land in Gush Etzion/ has spoken at the White House and UCLA’s School of Film and Television. Area C in 2013. In 2014, he co-founded on Capitol Hill and has represented the “Roots” local Palestinian-Israeli the US at international human rights LIOR AMIHAI has led the Settlement initiative for understanding, nonviolence and religious freedom conferences. Watch team for the Israeli Peace Now and transformation. Because he believes that community Movement (Shalom Achshav) since development is essential to fully October 2016, and has been part ZIAD ABUZAYYAD is the Co-Editor integrating Muslims within America’s of the team since 2011. Settlement and Publisher of the quarterly Palestine- pluralism, al-Marayati has facilitated Watch is internationally acclaimed Israel Journal of Politics, Economics hundreds of civic engagement for its credibility and reliability in its and Culture, which he co-founded workshops around the country. work to comprehensively monitor the in 1994. He is a regular columnist expansion of Israeli settlements and for Al-Quds Arabic newspaper. A GHAITH AL-OMARI, a senior fellow at related developments in the West Bank member of the Higher Islamic Council The Washington Institute, is the former and East Jerusalem, and is regularly in Jerusalem, he served as a minister Executive Director of the American cited by Israeli and international in the Palestinian Authority; headed the Task Force on Palestine. Previously, he media, governments and NGOs. Palestinian delegation to the Middle served in various positions within the Amihai recently completed an MA in East multilateral peace talks, the Arms Palestinian Authority, including Advisor Human Rights at University College Control and Regional Security Working to the Negotiating Team during the London, after being awarded the British Group and was a member of the 1999-2001 permanent-status talks. Government’s Chevening Scholarship. negotiating team that concluded the He completed his B.Sc. at City SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 50 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE University London, as a participant in economy and civil society through DANIEL BAR-TAL is Emeritus Professor the Olive Tree Scholarship Programme. entrepreneurship, multiple NGOs at the School of Education at Tel Aviv and youth initiatives. He has worked University and internationally-acclaimed STEPHEN APKON is a filmmaker and as planning director for the past two scholar of the social psychology of social entrepreneur. He is the founder Palestine Investment Conferences, as prolonged conflict and peace-building. and former Executive Director of the an economic and political advisor for Professor Bar-Tal has published over Jacob Burns Film Center, a non-profit various Palestinian ministers and as twenty books and hundreds of articles film and education center located in a business development manager for on these topics. He served as a Pleasantville, NY. Opened in 2001, international economic development Director of the Walter Lebach Research the JBFC has become one of the projects. Azzeh assisted in the founding Institute for Jewish-Arab Coexistence premier film institutions in the United of Al Quds Holding Company in through Education and was Co-Editor States, with a Board of Directors Jerusalem and is also the founder and in Chief of the Palestine-Israel Journal. that includes Steven Spielberg, Ron chairman of Al Maqdese Association for He also served as the President of Howard and Jonathan Demme among Economic and Social Development in the International Society of Political others. Disturbing the Peace is his Jerusalem. He is currently the chairman Psychology. Prof. Bar-Tal is the founder directorial debut. He is a co-producer of Jerusalem Business Development and Chair of the Board of SISO: Save of Presenting Princess Shaw, directed Center, which serves Jerusalem’s young Israel, Stop the Occupation. by Ido Haar, producer of I’m Carolyn entrepreneurs, and is co-chair of the Parker, directed by Jonathan Demme Doha Forum’s youth forum. Azzeh is YOUSEF BASHIR, born in Gaza, and Enlistment Days, also directed currently the Chairman of the Board holds a BA in International Affairs from by Haar, and executive producer of of the Jerusalem Student Union and Northeastern University and an MA in Planetary. Apkon is the author of The Board Secretary of the Palestine-Britain Coexistence and Conflict from Brandeis Age of the Image: Redefining Literacy in Business Council. University. Mr. Bashir is currently a a World of Screens. fellow in the office of Representative MEMBER OF KNESSET OMER BAR Gerry Connolly (D-VA). Prior to this, he BERNARD AVISHAI is the author of LEV was first elected to the 19th Knesset was a Scoville Fellow at the Partnership The Hebrew Republic, The Tragedy in February 2013 as a member of the for a Secure America working on of Zionism and A New Israel. Since Israel’s Labor Party. MK Bar Lev sits on PSA’s congressional briefing series 1974, he’s written about Israel and the Committee of Foreign and Military on international conflict resolution and Zionism for The New York Review of Affairs. Prior to that, he enjoyed a long prevention, bipartisan climate security Books, Harper’s, The New York Times career in the Israeli hi-tech industry. In efforts, Capitol Hill negotiation training SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER Magazine, Harvard Business Review, 1984, while serving in the IDF, MK Bar and a variety of other initiatives. He is Foreign Affairs and other journals; he Lev was appointed the commander of the an advocate for peace and tolerance now contributes regularly to The New IDF’s Special Forces. After completing his and has been featured in many Yorker. He is a Visiting Professor of master’s degree in international relations, media outlets such as NPR and the Government at Dartmouth College and MK Bar Lev served as a member of the Washington Post. an adjunct professor of business at the IDF’s delegation for the negotiations Hebrew University. between Israel and the PLO. His MA APRIL N. BASKIN is the Union for work, which dealt with possible security Reform Judaism’s Vice President of BASHAR AZZEH is a leading Palestinian arrangements between Israel and Syria in Audacious Hospitality. Previously, entrepreneur and youth activist. In the Golan Heights, was published later as she served as the National Director 2008, Azzeh began to worked closely a book entitled Security Arrangements in of Resources and Training at on the development of the Palestinian the Golan at the Future Battle Field. InterfaithFamily. April has spent 10
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years advocating for Jewish diversity Supreme Court case that expanded NADIA BILBASSY-CHARTERS is inclusion locally and nationally press freedom in 1989. He exposed the a veteran journalist and Washington by facilitating LGBT educational worst corruption case in IDF history Bureau Chief for Al Arabiya Television. trainings and writing a thesis about and in 2015 uncovered the details of a Ms. Bilbassy-Charters reports daily the experiences of Jewish young hushed-up Israeli-Iranian legal battle on major US events and breaking adults of color. A graduate of Tufts over billions of dollars. His articles news from Washington and has University, she is a member of the Selah appeared in The New York Times, The interviewed a number of world leaders, Leadership Network and an alumna Washington Post, Foreign Affairs and including Presidents Barack Obama of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman The Guardian. He holds a joint MBA and George W. Bush, Prime Minister Foundation’s Insight Fellowship and degree from the Kellogg School of Tony Blair, Presidents Yasser Arafat, JUFJ’s Jeremiah Fellowship. Baskin is Management at Northwestern University Nelson Mandela and Mahmoud Abbas past President of the Jewish Multiracial and the Recanati School of Business at and Secretaries of State John Kerry, Network. She conducted research on Tel Aviv University. Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell, the Earned Income Tax Credit at the among others. She appears frequently Kennedy School of Government and LORA BERG founded and runs the on US media outlets as a guest expert was an Americorps fellow for the Black Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion on US foreign policy and defense issues Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston. Initiative for the German Marshall Fund’s related to the Arab world, including She was recently acknowledged as Transatlantic Leadership Initiatives National Public Radio, BBC America, one of the New York Jewish Week’s team. In this capacity, she develops and CNN International. Ms. Bilbassy- 36 Under 36 and received Combined partnerships on the international stage Charters served as the President of Jewish Philanthropy’s Chai in the Hub to inform and strengthen positive the Foreign Group of the White House award in 2015. discourse around diversity and inclusion Correspondents Association. and directs the Transatlantic Inclusion JEREMY BEN-AMI is the founder and Leaders Network (TILN), which builds EVA BORGWARDT is a sophomore President of J Street. In the mid-1990s the capacity of rising diverse young at Stanford University and a J Street he served as the Deputy Domestic Policy leaders from both sides of the Atlantic U regional co-chair for the Northwest. Advisor in the White House to President who hold or plan to run for public office. She has been a co-chair of the Stanford Bill Clinton and he has worked on seven Her efforts led to the first “Mission chapter of J Street U since her first presidential campaigns. His family moved Critical: Diversity and Inclusion Best year of college, and recently helped to Israel in the first aliyah and were Practices for Militaries,” and “Diversity, found Stanford’s Jewish Social Justice founders of Petah Tikva, Tel Aviv and other Inclusion and US Foreign Policy,” Collective. Eva grew up in the Jewish modern Israeli cities. Ben-Ami received that brought together leaders across communities of Palo Alto and Saint Louis a law degree from New York University sectors, borders and generations at the and is actively involved in Hillel at Stanford. and is a graduate of the Woodrow US Congress and State Department. Wilson School of Public and International Berg is a member of the Senior Foreign POLLY BRONSTEIN is the CEO of Relations at Princeton University. Service (ret.) where she specialized Darkenu. Prior to being the Executive in Public Diplomacy, serving at US Director of OneVoice Israel, Polly ALUF BENN has served as Editor-In- embassies around the world. She was the Head of the Jewish Agency’s Chief of Haaretz since 2011. A veteran holds masters degrees in International Delegation to the United Kingdom writer and editor, he has covered Relations and in Poetry from Johns and the Executive Director of the peace, war and politics and has fought Hopkins University. Israeli Scouts in Western Europe. government secrecy and censorship She previously served as the Director for 30 years. Benn won a landmark of the Israeli Scouts’ International SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 52 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE Department and as the Director of on narrowing socio-economic gaps that actively promote a just, lasting and Atid, an international partnership of in Israel. Over the past decade, Avi comprehensive resolution of the Israeli- pluralist youth movements from Israel, worked as the CEO of two advertising Palestinian conflict. Rev. Cannon has the United States, and the United firms, David & Jonathan and Migzarim, several master’s degrees and earned States. Bronstein was also a writer and both of which focused on tailoring her doctorate in American History with editor at Yedioth Aharonot, a leading campaigns to specific sectors of the a minor in Middle Eastern studies at the Israeli newspaper. She received a BA Israeli public. Each campaign ran by University of California — Davis, focusing in political science and communication these two companies had a corporate her dissertation on the history of the from Tel Aviv University and an MA social responsibility element. Prior to American Protestant church in Israel in both education management and his work in advertising, Avi served as and Palestine. Her several publications Middle East studies. a Major in the Israel Defense Force for about the conflict include the upcoming 15 years. Buskila is known for stopping volume A Land Full of God: Christian CHERIE BROWN is the founder and a Jewish settler from committing a Perspectives toward the Holy Land. She Executive Director of the National massacre in Heborn in 1997. is the author of the award winning Social Coalition Building Institute, an Justice Handbook and other books on international diversity leadership BENJY CANNON is the Content and spirituality and justice. organization. Ms Brown is an adjunct Communications Associate at J Street. faculty at the Reconstructionist Cannon joins J Street after graduating DAVID CHEMLA is one of the founders Rabbinical College teaching courses from the University of Maryland in and the General Secretary of JCall, the on conflict resolution, diversity and the 2011. He holds a BA in Government Jewish European Network for Israel, for Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. In January and Philosophy. Cannon was the Peace and for the Two-State Solution. 2017, Brown taught an intensive week- President of the 2014-2015 J Street He was born in Tunisia and left the long course for rabbinical students at U National Board. In college, he did country with his family shortly after RRC on a Progressive Understanding digital communications as a project its independence, moving to France. of Anti-Semitism. Brown has conducted assistant for Maryland’s Environmental A member of Hashomer Hatzair, he hundreds of workshops on college Finance Center. He has also worked emigrated to Israel in 1967. Chemla was campuses on diversity issues, including and interned for the Computer & one of the founders and the Chairman racism, anti-Semitism and gay Communications Industry Association. of La Paix Maintenant, a French oppression. Most recently, she has led His writing has appeared in Haaretz, the association created in support of the weekend workshops for young adult Forward and Open Global Rights, where Israeli movement Shalom Achshav. Jewish leaders on the intersection of it has been translated into Hebrew and He is the author of a book entitled racism and anti-Semitism. Arabic. Cannon comes to Washington, Bâtisseurs de paix (Peace Builders). BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER DC by way of the United Kingdom and AVI BUSKILA is the General Director of Hong Kong. PROFESSOR STEVEN M. COHEN Peace Now, Israel’s largest and longest is a Research Professor of Jewish standing peace movement. Prior to REV. DR. MAE ELISE CANNON is Social Policy at HUC-JIR and Director joining Peace Now, Avi led a variety the Executive Director of Churches of the Berman Jewish Policy Archive of social and political campaigns, for Middle East Peace (CMEP), at Stanford University. In 1992 he including elements of the struggle for a coalition of 27 national church made aliyah and taught at The Hebrew LGBT rights and the struggle for rights denominations and organizations University, having previously taught at of self-employed workers. As a social including Catholic, Orthodox and Queens College and Jewish Theological entrepreneur, Avi also co-founded the Protestant traditions. CMEP works to Seminary. Among his books are The Public Defense Front, an NGO focusing encourage US government policies Jew Within (with Arnold Eisen) and
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Two Worlds of Judaism: The Israeli and BROOKE DAVIES is the current writers at New York Public Library. American Experience (with Charles President of the J Street U national Dotan’s films have been the recipients Liebman). He was the lead researcher student board and a senior at the of the Special Jury Prize at Sundance on the Jewish Community Study of University of North Carolina at (Hot House) Silver Bear at the Berlin New York: 2011 and consultant to the Chapel Hill. In her work with J Street FF (The Smile of the Lamb), numerous Pew studies of American Jews and U, Davies founded the current Duke Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Israeli society. Prof. Cohen received an University chapter, served as National Film and Best Director (Repeat Dive; The honorary doctorate from the Spertus Communications Chair, National Smile of the Lamb) and Best Film at the Institute of Jewish Studies, the Marshall Education Co-Chair and the UNC Newport Beach FF (You Can Thank Me Sklare Award and a National Jewish Chapter Chair. Davies grew up in Later). Dotan was born in Romania and Book Award. He served for two terms Charlotte’s Jewish community, is grew up in Israel. After serving 5 years as President of the Association for the actively involved in her Hillel at UNC in the IDF as a Navy Seal, Dotan studied Social Scientific Study of Jewry. Chapel Hill and is a proud alum of the film and philosophy at Tel Aviv University. Ramah Darom summer camp. He is currently teaching Political ROBI DAMELIN is the Israeli Cinema at New York University and Film Spokesperson and member of the TODD DEATHERAGE is co-founder Directing at the New School University. Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF), of Telos, a Washington, DC-based a group of 600 Israeli and Palestinian nonprofit organization dedicated HAGAI EL-AD, an Israeli human rights families who have lost close family to educating American leaders activist, is the Executive Director of members to the conflict and who work and communities about the Israeli- B’Tselem. In 2014, he ended a six-year together for reconciliation and a just Palestinian conflict and the importance term as director of the Association for Civil resolution to the conflict. Damelin’s son, of supporting efforts to resolve it along Rights in Israel (ACRI). Prior to that, El-Ad David, was killed by a Palestinian sniper the lines of a two-state solution. Telos served (2000–2006) as the first Executive in March of 2002 while he was guarding works at the nexus of culture, faith Director of the Jerusalem Open House a checkpoint near a settlement during and enterprise, equipping Americans for Pride and Tolerance. Born in Haifa, his army reserve service. Since to build a transformative pro-Israeli, El-Ad completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc. becoming active in the Parents Circle pro-Palestinian, pro-peace movement (Astrophysics) at the Hebrew University; he – Families Forum (PCFF), Damelin has that supports security, dignity and was a pre-doctoral fellow at the Harvard- spoken to hundreds and thousands of freedom for all the residents of the Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Israelis and Palestinians and people modern Holy Land. Before the launch in Cambridge (1997–2000). In 2014, all over the world to demand that of Telos in 2009, Deatherage spent El-Ad was named among Foreign Policy reconciliation be a part of any peace 16 years in public policy positions, magazine’s “100 Leading Global Thinkers.” agreement. She was named as a 2015 including service as the Chief of Staff Woman of Impact by Women in the to a Republican US Senator and in the KHALED ELGINDY is a fellow in World. In 2014, Damelin was selected Administration of President George W. the Center for Middle East Policy by the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace Bush at the US State Department. He at Brookings and a founding board and Justice as one of four Women and his family live in Fairfax County, VA. member of the Egyptian American Peacemakers. She is the protagonist Rule of Law Association. He previously featured in the documentary, One Day SHIMON DOTAN, an award-winning served as an advisor to the Palestinian after Peace. filmmaker is a Fellow at the New York leadership in Ramallah on permanent Institute of the Humanities, recipient status negotiations with Israel from of a Guggenheim and of the Cullman 2004 to 2009, and was a key participant Fellowship-award for scholars and in the Annapolis negotiations held SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 54 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE throughout 2008. Prior to that, Elgindy ALAN ELSNER is Special Advisor minor in Israel Studies and worked spent nine years in various political and to the President at J Street. Elsner for the Gildenhorn Institute for Israel policy-related positions in Washington, had a long career at the top ranks of Studies. Farooqi studied abroad at The DC, both inside and outside the federal journalism. After a 30-year career with Hebrew University of Jerusalem and government, including as a professional Reuters, he joined J Street in 2012. returned the following summer to help staff member on the House International As State Department and National organize J Street U trips in Israel and Relations Committee in 2002 and as a Correspondent for Reuters, Elsner the West Bank for American students. policy analyst for the US Commission traveled with Secretary of State James She also participated on the Center on International Religious Freedom. He Baker and on Air Force One with for Jewish Nonviolence’s “Occupation previously served as the Political Action President Clinton. He covered the end Is Not Our Judaism” delegation to Coordinator for the Arab American of the Cold War, the first Gulf War and the West Bank. While President of J Institute, and as Middle East program the 9/11 attacks. His questioning during Street U, she worked on increasing officer for the National Democratic the Rwanda genocide forced the United philanthropic transparency in Jewish Institute for International Affairs. States to change its policy and was later Federations and called for public highlighted in the movie Hotel Rwanda. condemnation of settlement expansion ELIK ELHANAN lost his 14-year-old Elsner is the author of two novels and from Jewish communal institutions. She sister, Smadar in 1997, when she was two works of non-fiction. Winner of interned in the Obama White House in killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber the Knight International Journalism the fall of 2016 and is currently interning in Jerusalem. He is an IDF military fellowship, Elsner he spent a year in at West Wing Writers, a speechwriting refuser, who served as a soldier in an IDF Romania in 2007 teaching journalism firm founded by Obama and Clinton combat unit from 1995-1998. Elhanan and strengthening free media. speech writers. was one of the founding members of Combatants for Peace and served as the MAZEN FARAJ lives in Daheshah MAUREEN FLAHERMAN is a junior organization’s Israeli Coordinator from refugee Camp, Bethlehem, Palestine. at Washington University in St. Louis, 2006-2007. He is a long time member He spent several years of his youth in where she studies political science and of The Parents Circle - Families Forum Israeli prison. There, he informally learned history. Originally from San Francisco, (PCFF). In 2012, he was among the Israeli politics, Hebrew and history of the Middle she joined J Street U her sophomore activists on board the boat to Gaza, East. In 2002, Faraj’s father, age 62, was year and served as Co-Chair of J Street the S/V Estelle. Elhanan is currently killed by an Israeli soldier, mistaking U at WashU in the fall of 2016. Assistant Professor in the Department his bags for something else. He chose of Classical and Modern Languages and the way of reconciliation and believes MICHÈLE FLOURNOY is Co-Founder SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER Literature in the Jewish Studies Program that it will lead to justice and peace. and Chief Executive Officer of the at the City College of New York. He is the Co-General Director of the Center for a New American Security PParents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF), (CNAS), a non-partisan think tank AMAL ELSANA ALH’JOOJ is a a group of more than 600 bereaved dedicated to developing strong, renowned activist in the Bedouin Israelis and Palestinians working towards pragmatic and principled national community in Israel, the founder of the reconciliation, since 2011. security policies. She served as the first Bedouin women’s organization Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at age 17, a former candidate for the AMNA FAROOQI is a recent graduate from 2009-2012. She was the principal Nobel Peace Prize and a New Israel from the University of Maryland, College adviser to the Secretary of Defense in Fund board member. She is currently Park and the first Muslim President of the formulation of national security and completing her PhD in the philosophy of the J Street U National Student Board. defense policy, oversight of military social work at McGill University. She studied political science with a plans and operations, and in National
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Security Council deliberations. She LARA FRIEDMAN is Director of cultural institutions and Fortune 500 led the development of DoD’s 2012 Policy and Government Relations for companies. Previously, Gerstein was Strategic Guidance and represented Americans for Peace Now (APN). A the Executive Director of Democracy the Department in dozens of foreign former US Foreign Service officer, Corps. Throughout his career, Gerstein engagements, in the media and before Friedman served in Jerusalem, has served numerous Democratic Congress. Previously, she was Senior Washington, Tunis and Beirut. Widely campaigns with his reliable public Adviser at the Center for Strategic recognized as an authority on US policy opinion research and was a member and International Studies and a in the Middle East, Israeli settlements of the US-based consulting team for distinguished research professor at the and Jerusalem, she frequently meets Ehud Barak’s 1999 Prime Ministerial Institute for National Strategic Studies with Members of Congress and their campaign in Israel. at the National Defense University staff, administration officials, foreign (NDU). She has received several awards diplomats and other members of the BAR GISSIN was recently elected Co- from the Secretary of Defense and the foreign policy community. Friedman Chairperson of Young Meretz, the youth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. also works closely with Jerusalem section of Israel’s Meretz Party. He was expert Danny Seidemann and has an an active member of the 2011 social RABBI JOHN FRIEDMAN is the Co- participated in Track II peace efforts, justice demonstrations in Israel, helped Chair of the J Street Rabbinic and including the Jerusalem Old City to organize workers in Haifa Chemicals Cantorial Cabinet. He served for 35 Initiative. Friedman has a BA from the factory and contract workers in Haifa years as a pulpit rabbi at Judea Reform University of Arizona and a master’s University and led the Coalition for in Durham, NC. John has served as degree from Georgetown’s School of Democracy in Education, which fights president of Durham Congregations in Foreign Service. against the undemocratic processes Action and the Mid-Atlantic Association happening in the Israeli education of Reform Rabbis. He has also served THOMAS FRIEDMAN, an system. Gissin directed the Meretz 2015 as chair of the Interreligious Affairs internationally known author and general election campaign in Haifa and Committee of the Central Conference journalist, has won the Pulitzer Prize is currently a content manager at The of American Rabbis. Rabbi Friedman three times for his work at The New Task Force on Human Trafficking and has written articles that have been York Times. His foreign affairs column Prostitution, promoting progressive published in The Journal of Reform in The New York Times reports on US legislation in the Knesset. Judaism, Brotherhood Magazine, domestic politics and foreign policy, Judaism, Compass and others. In 2009, Middle East conflicts, international GALIA GOLAN is Darwin Professor Rabbi Friedman was honored to receive economics, environment, biodiversity emerita of the Hebrew University of the Daniel Jeremy Silver Fellowship at and energy. Friedman is the author of Jerusalem where she was head of the Harvard University. In May 2015, he was six bestselling books, the most recent Political Science Department. More honored as a Rabbinic Human Rights of which is Thank you For Being Late: recently, she was Head of the Program Hero by T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in in Diplomacy and Conflict Studies at Human Rights. During the 2014-2015 the Age of Accelerations, which was the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. academic year, Rabbi Friedman served released on November 22, 2016. She has published 10 books – the as Marcus Center Director’s Fellow most recent Israeli Peacemaking Since at the American Jewish Archives of JIM GERSTEIN is a founding 1967: Factors for the Breakthroughs the Hebrew Union College — Jewish partner at GBA Strategies, a leading and Failures, and one co-edited Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. research-based strategic counsel volume with Walid Salem (Non-state for candidates running for office, Actors in the Middle East for Peace nonprofit organizations, arts and and Democracy). A long-time feminist SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 56 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE and peace activist, she has been the with extensive government experience for publications such as the New York founder of a number of peace and also covering Iran’s nuclear program, the Times, Washington Post, Financial women’s organizations. She is presently Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Times, Foreign Affairs and Politico. in the leadership group of Combatants broader challenges facing the Middle for Peace, a joint movement of Israeli East. Goldenberg served as the Chief HAMUTAL GOURI is the Executive and Palestinian former combatants, of Staff to the Special Envoy for Israeli- Director of The Dafna Fund, Israel’s promoting non-violent action against Palestinian Negotiations at the US only women’s foundation, and founder the occupation and for peace. Dr. Department of State. In that position, of consult4good, a consulting practice Golan is the winner of a number of he played a key role with the small team specializing in program and leadership international awards for peace activism supporting Secretary Kerry’s initiative to development for social change. As and women in leadership as well as conduct permanent status negotiations Executive Director of The Dafna Fund, academic achievements. between Israelis and Palestinians. Gouri initiates proactive programs Goldenberg has also served as a Senior that promote women as effective J.J. GOLDBERG is Editor-At-Large Professional Staff Member on the agents of change, empowering them and Senior Commentator at the Jewish Senate Foreign Relations Committee. to transform Israeli society as a Daily Forward. He was the Forward’s From 2009 to 2012, Goldenberg served whole. Gouri’s passion for storytelling editor-in-chief from 2000 to 2007. In the first as a Special Advisor on the Middle is woven into many of the training past he has served as US Bureau Chief East and then as the Iran Team Chief modules and materials she develops, of The Jerusalem Report and Managing in the Office of the Under-Secretary of focusing on the idea that unleashing Editor of the New York Jewish Week. Defense for Policy. the power of storytelling will inspire His books include Jewish Power: Inside and empower individuals and create the American Jewish Establishment, PHIL GORDON is a senior fellow effective social change. Gouri holds a which was listed by the Philadelphia at the Council on Foreign Relations bachelor’s degree in English literature Inquirer among the “100 Most Important (CFR) and a senior advisor at Albright and Interdisciplinary Studies from the Books” of 1996; as well as Builders Stonebridge Group in Washington, DC. Hebrew University, where she is now and Dreamers, A History of Labor Prior to joining CFR, Gordon served pursuing an master’s degree in Cultural Zionism in America. Before entering on the National Security Council as Studies. Her research focuses on a journalism, Goldberg worked as an Special Assistant to the President gendered perspective on the Israeli- education specialist with the World Zionist and White House Coordinator for the Palestinian conflict. Organization in Jerusalem, a founding Middle East, North Africa, and the member and Secretary-General of Kibbutz Gulf Region from 2013 to 2015. At the AITAN GROENER is a third year SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER Gezer, near Tel Aviv, and a New York City White House, he worked closely with undergraduate student at Washington cabdriver. He has been a sharpshooter the president, secretary of state, and University in St. Louis studying with the Israeli Border Police Civil Guard, national security advisor on US policy Environmental Policy and Economics. a member of the central committee of toward the entire region. From 2009 They have previously served as Campus the United Kibbutz Movement and a to 2013, Gordon served as Assistant Co-Chair at WUSTL and as a regional member of the Pulitzer Prize jury. Secretary of State for European and co-chair for Midwestern campuses. Eurasian Affairs and was responsible Groener cares deeply about their ILAN GOLDENBERG is Senior for 50 countries in Europe and Eurasia Jewish communities’ commitments to Fellow and Director of the Middle as well as for NATO and the European justice and their responsibility to uphold East Security Program at the Center Union. He has written numerous books values of liberation and equality. They for a New American Security. He is and articles about US foreign policy and are also passionate about improving the a foreign policy and defense expert Middle East affairs and writes regularly politics of the city of St. Louis.
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ROLLY GUERON sits on the in History and Philosophy from Tel the rights of refugees. She received her Executive and Steering Committees Aviv University and a PhD in History BA in modern literature at the University of Commanders for Israel’s Security from UCLA. She has taught at Santa of California, Santa Cruz and an MA in (CIS). Mr. Gueron is a former division Monica College, UCLA and Duquesne international affairs from the New School head of the Mossad with over 25 years University. Dr. Haber’s analysis of Israel in New York. Hary is relied upon as a of government service in intelligence, has appeared in Haaretz, the Forward, source of information and analysis by and both homeland and international the Jewish Chronicle and the Pittsburgh journalists, diplomats and international security. Following his career with Post Gazette. organizations and lectures regularly on the Mossad, he served as a senior issues affecting access in Gaza. She has executive with several Israeli, and JOHN HALPIN is a Senior Fellow at been published in Haaretz, the Forward Israeli-based multinational corporations. American Progress focusing on political and +972 Magazine. Currently, he works as a consultant, theory, communications and public where he works to introduce Israeli opinion analysis. He is the co-director MEMBER OF KNESSET AKRAM security-related technologies to and creator of the Progressive Studies HASSON is a member of the Kulanu emerging markets in central Europe, the Program at CAP, an interdisciplinary party, and a member of the Druze Israeli Middle East and elsewhere. project researching the intellectual community. He previously served as an history, foundational principles and MK for the Kadima party between 2012 DR. DANNY GUTWEIN is an associate public understanding of progressivism. and 2013, becoming leader of the party professor in the Department of Jewish Halpin has been at American Progress in 2015, the first time a Druze Israeli History at the University of Haifa. His since 2003, previously serving as had led a predominantly Jewish Israeli research focuses on the economic Director of Research and Executive political party. After doing his national development of the modern Jewish Speechwriter. Prior to joining American service between 1978 and 1981, Hasson people and their influence on politics, Progress, he was a senior associate at worked as Director of Youth and Sports society and culture. He is one of the Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, at a local council. In 1986, he became most prominent and influential thinkers providing strategic guidance and public the Director of the Community Centre in the field of society and economics opinion research for political parties and in Daliyat al-Karmel, the largest Druze in Israel, and is known for his original candidates including Al Gore’s 2000 town in the country. In 1989, he became views, which challenge the conventional presidential campaign, the British Labor Deputy Mayor of the town, a position he thinking of the Israeli left. Gutwein Party, the Austrian Social Democrats held until 1998. points to the negative influence of and a range of congressional, state privatization in Israel and suggests legislative and initiative campaigns. AMBASSADOR MARTIN S. INDYK alternative socio-economic policies. Halpin received his undergraduate is the Executive Vice President of the The popular Silver Platter Series, which degree from Georgetown University Brookings Institution and the founding aired on Israeli TV earlier this year, was and his MA in political science from the director of the Center for Middle East based on his research, which focuses University of Colorado, Boulder. Policy at Brookings. From July 2013 to on the interrelationship between July 2014, he served as the US Special growing social inequality in Israel and TANIA HARY is the Executive Director Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations the perpetuation of the occupation. of Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom at the US Department of State. He also of Movement. Prior to joining Gisha served as US Ambassador to Israel MAYA HABER is the Director of in September 2007, Hary worked on from 1995 to 1997 and 2000 to 2001. Programming and Strategy for Partners advocacy initiatives for not-for-profit Prior to entering the US government, for Progressive Israel. She grew up organizations promoting human rights Indyk was founding Executive Director in Israel and graduated with a BA in Iran, children’s rights in Argentina and of the Washington Institute for Near East SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 58 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE Policy. He currently serves as Chairman underprivileged communities. He serves In this capacity, he served as the of the International Council and as a as the Undergraduate Representative Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary board member of the New Israel Fund, to the Board of Trustees. As an intern of Defense for Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel as well as on the boards of the Lowy at the Mayor’s Office of Resiliency and the Palestinian territories, Saudi Institute for International Policy in and Racial Equity (MORRE) for the Arabia, Syria, Yemen. In June 2011, he Australia and the Institute for National City of Boston, Jones works to form was awarded the Secretary of Defense Security Studies in Israel. Indyk is the resiliency initiatives which affect urban Medal for Outstanding Public Service author of Innocent Abroad: An Intimate development, wage gaps, racial equity by Secretary Robert Gates. Account of American Peace Diplomacy and social cohesion, individual and in the Middle East and co-authored collective trauma, critical infrastructure MAYA KATZ joined Combatants for Bending History: Barack Obama’s and community governance within Peace in 2011 and is a member of the Foreign Policy with Michael O’Hanlon the City of Boston. He also explores Tel-Aviv-Nablus group which works and Kenneth Lieberthal. ways to use technology in conjunction in the rural area south of Nablus. She with urban development, education was the former Israeli coordinator of RABBI JILL JACOBS is the Executive and public policy to make field more the group and is also a member of Director of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call accessible to underserved and the Combatants for Peace steering for Human Rights, which mobilizes underprivileged communities. Raised in committee. In 2015, Katz was Producer 1,800 rabbis and cantors and tens of Queens, NY, Jones credits his passion of the Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day thousands of American Jews to protect for social justice and coalition building Ceremony, which has been held on human rights in North America and between American-Jewish and Black the eve of Memorial Day for the last Israel. She is the author of Where Justice communities to his upbringing by his ten consecutive years. Katz was born Dwells: A Hands-On Guide to Doing mother Tina Smith and his caretaker in kibbutz Gesher, at the border of the Social Justice in Your Jewish Community Sharon “Safta” Engle. Hashemite kingdom and now lives in and There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Tel-Aviv. Her grandparents came to Social Justice through Jewish Law COLIN H. KAHL is an associate Israel from Germany and Poland before and Tradition. Rabbi Jacobs has been professor in the Security Studies World War II, and were among the named three times to the Forward’s Program at Georgetown University’s founders of the kibbutz. She was raised list of 50 influential American Jews, to Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign in a socialist and Zionist community Newsweek’s list of the 50 Most Influential Service. From October 2014 to January and served in the IDF. She is a clinical Rabbis in America every year since 2009 2017, he was Deputy Assistant to psychologist in private practice and and to the Jerusalem Post’s 2013 list of the President and National Security also works at Headspace Clinic for “Women to Watch.” She holds rabbinic Advisor to the Vice President. In Adolescents. In past years she has BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER ordination and an MA in Talmud from the that position, he served as a senior treated Holocaust survivors and their Jewish Theological Seminary, an MS in advisor to President Obama and Vice family members. Urban Affairs from Hunter College and a President Biden on all matters related BA from Columbia University. to US foreign policy and national NANCY K. KAUFMAN is the Chief security affairs, and represented Executive Officer of the National WIL JONES is a junior at Brandeis the Office of the Vice President as Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), a University, studying Politics and African a standing member of the National grassroots organization of volunteers & Afro-American Studies, with a Security Council Deputies’ Committee. and advocates who turn progressive focus intersection of socioeconomics Previously, Professor Kahl was the ideals into action, inspired by Jewish and race and how they contribute Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense values. Prior to joining NCJW, Kaufman to the forming and maintenance of for the Middle East at the Pentagon. served as the Executive Director of
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the Jewish Community Relations REBECCA KIRZNER is the Director founding Program Director of the Israel Council (JCRC) of Boston for 20 years. of Campaigns at HIAS, where she Institute from 2012 to 2015. He holds a She has also worked for Governor mobilizes the Jewish community to PhD in Government from Georgetown Dukakis’ administration as Deputy advocate for the safety and dignity of University, where he specialized in Director of the Governor’s Office of refugees. Once an organization that political development and ideology, Social Policy, Assistant Secretary primarily helped Jewish immigrants and and the politics of Middle Eastern of Health and Human Services and refugees, HIAS now brings our Jewish states. In 2012-13 he served as a Young Deputy Commissioner of the Welfare values and 136 years of experience to Turkey Young America fellow through Department for the Commonwealth of the protection of all refugee populations. the Atlantic Council’s Young Atlanticist Massachusetts. Kaufman is a graduate Prior to joining HIAS, Rebecca was program. He writes IPF’s weekly of Brandeis University and received an the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Koplow Column and edits IPF’s Matzav MSW in community organization and at J Street, where she led J Street’s blog, which is a leading source for social planning from the Boston College advocacy and outreach strategy across commentary and analysis on Israel and School of Social Work, as well as a mid- six states. She holds a masters degree American Jewry. He is also the author of career Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. the Ottomans and Zionists blog and his from the John F. Kennedy School of work has appeared in Security Studies, Government at Harvard University. TONY KLUG has written extensively Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, In 2004, 2008 and 2012, Kaufman about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict The National Interest, Foreign Policy, was listed on the Forward’s “Forward for over 40 years and has maintained a The American Interest and The Atlantic, 50” annual list of the country’s most close affinity with both peoples. He is among other publications. In addition to influential American Jewish leaders. currently a special advisor on the Middle his PhD, he holds a BA from Brandeis East to the Oxford Research Group and University, a JD from New York SULAIMAN KHATIB is co-founder serves as a consultant to the Palestine University and an AM in Middle Eastern and Co-Director of Combatants for Strategy Group and the Israel Strategic Studies from Harvard University. Peace. He comes from a Palestinian Forum, both non-governmental bodies. nationalistic family from the village of His doctoral thesis was on the Israeli DR. YEHUDA KURTZER is the Hizma, near Jerusalem. Sulaiman is a occupation of the West Bank between President of the Shalom Hartman committed advocate for peace in the the wars of 1967 and 1973, when Institute of North America and a leading Middle East and an active member of he first advocated two states as the thinker and author on the meaning of various programs and projects that indispensable framework for a solution. Israel to American Jews, the value of the promote a peaceful solution to the For many years he was a senior official at Jewish past to the Jewish present and Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Sulaiman’s Amnesty International, where he headed questions of leadership and change in work allows him to draw upon his own the International Development program. American Jewish life. Kurtzer leads the personal story and background to His recent publications include the efforts of the Institute across the North connect with youth on peace building acclaimed pamphlets “How peace broke American Jewish communal landscape, projects. He is an elected member out in the Middle East: a short history of and teaches widely in the Institute’s of the Peace NGO’s Committee, an the future” and “Visions of the Endgame: many platforms for rabbis, lay leaders, umbrella organization for Israeli and a strategy to bring the Israeli-Palestinian Jewish professionals and leaders Palestinian NGOs working for peace. conflict swiftly to an end.” of other faith communities. Kurtzer Sulaiman is a co-founder of al-Quds for received his doctorate in Jewish Studies Democracy and Dialogue Organization DR. MICHAEL KOPLOW is the Policy from Harvard University and an MA in and the People’s Peace Fund. Director of the Israel Policy Forum. Religion from Brown University, and is Before coming to IPF, he was the an alumnus of both the Bronfman Youth SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 60 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE and Wexner Graduate Fellowships. worked as a reporter and editor at a documentary films and for progressive Previously Kurtzer served as a member variety of media outlets in Israel since campaigns. Lenkinski is a founding of the faculty and as the inaugural Chair 2001, including Galei-Tzahal, Channel 10 member of ZAZIM-Community Action of Jewish Communal Innovation at and Maariv. She is also a recent alumni and The Whistle. Currently, she serves Brandeis University. He is the author of of the Reuters Institute for the Study of on the board of Comet-ME, Hashomer Shuva: The Future of the Jewish Past. Journalism at the University of Oxford. Hatzair North America and is a NY co- chair for the Reboot Network. She is an LUCY KURTZER-ELLENBOGEN is MARA LEE is the Executive Director advisor to +972 Magazine and IfNotNow. the Director of Arab-Israeli Conflict of the OneVoice Movement, having Programs at the US Institute of Peace, previously acted as its International RABBI MARION LEV-COHEN where she focuses on the role of Organizing Director in the Middle East. serves as the Rabbi for Community Israeli and Palestinian civil society in Lee has served as the Deputy Director Engagement at Central Synagogue. peacebuilding efforts and the interplay of Public Affairs at the US Department Her work focuses on congregational of grassroots and Track II efforts with of Commerce’s International Trade community building through pastoral, official diplomacy. She is the co-author Administration, Deputy Chief of educational, and affinity groups. She and author, respectively, of chapters Staff & Communications Director to has been teaching the Shalom Hartman on Israeli and Palestinian religious Congresswoman Doris Matsui, in iEngage Israel curriculum for the past peacebuilding efforts for two different addition to an extensive career running two years to over 200 congregants. USIP publications: Facilitating Dialogue, field programs for state and presidential She has developed programs for USIP’s Work in Conflict Zones and campaigns. Lee received her BA in congregants in their older years. Women, Religion and Peacebuilding: politics and history from the University She piloted, and currently teaches a Illuminating the Unseen. Kurtzer- of California, San Diego and earned course called Wise Aging. There are Ellenbogen joined USIP in 2010 as a her master’s degree in political science now six Wise Aging groups at Central doctoral candidate in Arabic linguistics, from the University of London’s School Synagogue. She currently serves on having worked with the US Department of Advanced Study. the boards of the Israel Policy Forum, of State as an Arabic language Encounter and the International Council specialist. Previously, as a program LIBBY LENKINSKI is the Vice of the New Israel Fund. Rabbi Lev- officer at the Kennedy School of President for Public Engagement Cohen was ordained at Hebrew Union Government’s Middle East Initiative, she at the New Israel Fund, where she College–Jewish Institute of Religion in managed work on the Israeli, Palestinian leads all aspects of NIF’s public 2010. She is the mother of two adult and Saudi Arabian portfolios. Kurtzer- efforts in the United States – including children, and a grandmother, and SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER Ellenbogen holds a bachelor’s degree communications, digital, programs, resides with her husband Professor in Arabic and French from Georgetown events, leadership, community Steven M. Cohen of HUC-JIR in New University and a master’s degree from partnerships and engagement, New York City and in Jerusalem. Georgetown’s Arabic department with Generations and fellowships. Prior a dual concentration in linguistics and to joining NIF, Lenkinski lived and RABBI ANDREA LONDON is the Arab area studies. worked in the Israeli nonprofit field for Senior Rabbi of Beth Emet The Free almost a decade. There she worked as Synagogue in Evanston, IL. She has NOA LANDAU is the Editor of Haaretz Director of International Relations at actively worked on promoting the English Editions. In her last position as the Association for Civil Rights in Israel two-state solution for close to 30 Haaretz’s head of the news department, (ACRI) and as a strategy consultant for years. Currently, she is the Co-Chair she led the organization’s news human rights organizations like Yesh Din of J Street’s Rabbinic and Cantorial coverage. Prior to Haaretz, Landau and Physicians for Human Rights, for Cabinet. She also works to build
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bridges between Chicago-area Jews, Development Department. As a member party and manages Israel Tomorrow, Christians and Muslims as chair of of the Palestinian Council for Young a strategic communications company. the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs’ Political Leaders, he has established He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and Jewish-Muslim Community-Building a wide network of connection with three children. Initiative. She is a past board member Palestinian politicians, organizations of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human and institutes. He is also the President AVI MEYERSTEIN, a Washington, Rights, and the Interfaith Youth Core. In of the Jifna Youth Club and the Leader/ DC-based lawyer, is the founder and 2014 she was named by The Forward Organizer of the Jifna Apricot Festival, President of the Alliance for Middle newspaper as an inspirational rabbi one of the largest, most popular and East Peace (ALLMEP). While Israeli- for her work on race and equity in the well-known festivals in Palestine. Palestinian hostilities raged in 2003, Chicago-area. She is a graduate of Makhlouf is from the West Bank town Meyerstein understood that a lack of Brown University and was ordained of Jifna and holds a bachelor’s degree interaction and trust between the two by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish in business administration from Birzeit peoples were the biggest obstacles Institute of Religion. University and is the first Palestinian to long-term peace. He recognized Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. that people-to-people programs were LIEL MAGHEN is the Co-Director of successfully changing people’s lives Israel/Palestine Center for Research ROB MALLEY is the former Special and attitudes on a small scale but had to and Information. He holds a MA degree Assistant to President Barack Obama turn away many interested participants in International Development and a and White House Coordinator for for lack of resources. Over the years, bachelor’s degree in political science Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf he and his colleagues developed a and Middle Eastern Studies, both from Region after serving as Senior Director series of advocacy initiatives aimed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. at the National Security Council. Prior dramatically increasing the resources His experience includes managing to holding that title, he was Program and reach of these people-to-people grassroots programs in the areas of Director for Middle East and North projects. Since ALLMEP’s efforts began, sustainability, advocacy and conflict Africa at the International Crisis the US has invested over $90 million resolution both in the country and in Group, Assistant to National Security into Israeli-Palestinian cooperation and Jordan. Over the last years, Maghen Advisor Sandy Berger, and the Director a total of $230 million to reconciliation also developed his experience in for Democracy, Human Rights and programs worldwide. Today, ALLMEP curriculum development and group Humanitarian Affairs at the National advocates for the creation of an facilitation, having worked with leading Security Council. International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian organizations in the field such as Seeds Peace, which now has bipartisan of Peace, MEJDI Tours and AIES. MIKHAEL MANEKIN is the Israeli support in the US Congress. Director of The Alliance for Israel’s SAMER MAKHLOUF is the CEO Future, a consortium of donors and EMILIE MOATTI is the founder and of Zimam. In addition to more than organizations focused on building CEO of “The Kitchen Cabinet,” an eight years as the Executive Director new progressive, political leadership Israeli PR firm specializing in political of OneVoice Palestine, Makhlouf in Israel. Manekin is co-founder and campaigns and other issues of public has extensive experience in a broad former CEO of Molad, a nonpartisan interest. She is a frequent commentator range of nonprofit and business progressive think tank based in in the media and a vocal advocate organizations in Palestine. Prior to his Jerusalem. Prior to Molad, Manekin on political, social, feminist and post with OneVoice, Makhlouf served directed Breaking the Silence. Mikhael identity related issues. Moatti, has run as the Head of Ramallah’s Al Kasaba co-founded Mahapach, a progressive campaigns for candidates in national, Theater & Cinematheque Programs & caucus operating within the Labor municipal and primary elections and SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 62 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE advised Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin during his Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and to ORI NIR joined Americans for Peace successful run for President in 2014. two successive Ministers of Finance. Now in 2006 following a 24-year She was born in Netanya, the eldest His focus was on economic policies career in journalism, which was mainly among six siblings, to parents who which would promote growth and fiscal focused on the Arab-Israeli conflict. immigrated from Tunisia. sustainability and strengthen Prime Nir covered Palestinian affairs for Minister Fayyad’s institution building. His Haaretz during the first years of the JESSICA MONTELL has been a latest publications include: a paper on Palestinian uprising and through the leading figure in the Israeli human rights Gaza in Improving the Gaza Economy troubled implementation of the first community for two decades. For 13 and Utilizing the Economic Potential phases of the Oslo Accords. Later, he years she headed B’Tselem, the pre- of the Jordan Valley, Palestinian- covered Israel’s Arab minority. As the eminent Israeli organization addressing Israeli Economic and Trade Relations Washington correspondent of Haaretz human rights in the Occupied and Palestinian Public Finance under in the early 90’s and of the Forward in Territories. She left B’Tselem in 2014 Crisis Management: Restoring Fiscal the mid 2000s, he focused on America’s and is now Executive Director of SISO: Sustainability, published by UNDP in Mideast policy. Between 1982 and 1986 Save Israel, Stop the Occupation. SISO September 2015. Nir worked at the Arab Affairs desk is a new Israel-Diaspora partnership of Israel Television’s (Channel One) to build a coordinated strategy to end MEIRA NEGGAZ is the Executive news department, following a four year the Israeli occupation. Prior to joining Director of the Institute for Social service in the IDF. Nir earned a master’s B’Tselem, Montell worked at various Policy and Understanding (ISPU), a degree in journalism from the University Israeli social justice organizations, Washington, DC and Dearborn, MI of California, Berkeley, where he also including the Israel Women’s Network, based research organization that tackles taught journalism. His bachelor’s Shatil and HaMoked: Center for the some of the most pressing challenges degree in Middle Eastern history and Defense of the Individual. She has also facing American Muslims today. Prior Arabic literature is from Jerusalem’s served as a consultant to the US-based to joining ISPU, Neggaz was the Senior Hebrew University. Lawyers Committee for Human (now Program Officer for Marie Stopes Human Rights First). In 2011, Montell International (MSI-US), a leading, UK- MATT NOSANCHUK, an attorney was selected by Haaretz as one of based reproductive health organization with domestic and international the year’s “10 most influential Anglo working in 42 countries. There, she led policy experience, served as a immigrants.” She has a master’s degree and managed programs in multiple senior appointee in the Obama from Columbia University’s School of countries, presented technical work at administration from 2009-2017. International and Public Affairs. key conferences and venues, developed Highlights of Nosanchuk’s tenure partnerships with stakeholders and include his service at the White House BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER KARIM NASHASHIBI earned his partner institutions, and managed as President Obama’s Liaison to the PhD in Economics at the University of key grants and donor relationships. American Jewish Community during California, Berkeley. He served in various Formerly, Neggaz was the first Executive the successful effort to win approval for positions at the International Monetary Director of WINGS, a reproductive health the Iran nuclear agreement; his work Fund (IMF), including Director for the organization in Guatemala. She holds a at the State Department as a Senior IMF in the West Bank and Gaza. His BA from Huron University in London and Advisor in the Secretary Kerry’s Office focus in that position was on Palestinian a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy of Religion and Global Affairs; his economic growth and relations with from the Fletcher School of Law and leadership of a division of the General the Israeli economy. Between June Diplomacy at Tufts University and an Counsel’s Office at the Department of 2007 and 2015, he served as economic International Health Certification from Homeland Security; and his role at the policy advisor to Palestinian Authority Boston University. Justice Department, where he served
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as the point person on LGBT issues served at the Association of Civil Rights he was appointed to in 2011. Named during President Obama’s first term in Israel. Oppenheimer holds an MA one of the most influential rabbis in when unprecedented gains to expand in Development Administration from America by Newsweek magazine, LGBT civil rights and equality occurred. the University of South Africa and is a he is an inspirational leader, creative Nosanchuk’s additional government Doctoral candidate in the Department entrepreneur and tireless advocate for service includes experience working of Hermeneutics and Cultural Studies at social justice. Rabbi Pesner has led at the Justice Department during the Bar-Ilan University. numerous successful efforts to reach Clinton administration and in Congress across lines of race, class and faith in for Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and BRIGADIER GENERAL (RET.) campaigns for social justice. In 2006, Representative John Conyers (D-MI) on ISRAELA ORON is presently an analyst he founded Just Congregations (now the House Judiciary Committee. and commentator on security and incorporated into the Religious Action strategic affairs, with special expertise Center), which engages countless YULI NOVAK was born and raised on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Oron clergy, professional and volunteer in Israel and has served as Executive served as Deputy National Security leaders in interfaith efforts for the Director of Breaking the Silence since Advisor at Israel’s National Security common good. Ordained at Hebrew January 2013. Novak has worked Council (NSC). General Oron had a Union College-Jewish Institute of and volunteered in a wide variety of lengthy and distinguished military Religion in 1997, Rabbi Pesner was educational settings, including extensive career. She served in various key a congregational rabbi at Temple work with youth. She has been active positions, breaking through the gender Israel in Boston and at Temple Israel in professional and lay positions in barrier. Oron’s last military posting in Westport, CT. He is a graduate of the LGBT community recently serving was as the commander of the IDF’s Wesleyan University and the Bronx High as a board member of Hoshen — the Women’s Corp, where she initiated School of Science. leading LGBT education organization in significant reforms regarding the role of Israel. A lawyer by training, Novak has women in the IDF and Israeli society at MAHARAT RORI PICKER NEISS completed a BA and MA in Law from the large. Today, she serves on the boards serves as the Executive Director of University of Tel Aviv. She served in the of leading security, peace and social the Jewish Community Relations IDF in the Air Force first as an operations justice organizations, including The Council of St. Louis. She is one of the officer and later as a commander in the Geneva Accord, the Acharai Movement, first graduates of Yeshivat Maharat, Officer’s School. the New Israel Fund international a pioneering institution training council, Commanders for Israel’s Orthodox Jewish women to be spiritual YUDITH OPPENHEIMER is a long security and the executive committee of leaders and halakhic (Jewish legal) time human rights activist, feminist and Ben Gurion University. Oron holds a BA authorities. She previously served as educator. Before assuming leadership in psychology from Haifa University and Director of Programming, Education of Ir Amim in 2008, Oppenheimer an M.sc. in business management from and Community Engagement at Bais was a fellow at the Mandel School for Tel Aviv University. Abraham Congregation, Assistant Educational Leadership in Jerusalem. Director of Interreligious Affairs for From 2000 to 2006, she served as RABBI JONAH DOV PESNER serves the American Jewish Committee Executive Director of Kol Ha-Isha - The as the Director of the Religious Action and Secretariat for the International Jerusalem Feminist Center. During Center of Reform Judaism. He has Jewish Committee on Interreligious extended stays in South Africa and led the Religious Action Center since Consultations, the formal Jewish New Zealand, she engaged in various 2015. Rabbi Pesner also serves as representative in international, communal and gender-related projects Senior Vice President of the Union for interreligious dialogue. Picker Neiss and among positions early in her career, Reform Judaism, a position to which is the Co-Chair of the North American SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 64 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE Interfaith Youth Network of Religions for other outlets. He was a columnist for MAY PUNDAK is the Director of the Peace, a CLAL Rabbis Without Borders Tikkun Magazine, Zeek Magazine and New Israel Fund New Generations in fellow and co-editor of InterActive Faith: Souciant. He has spoken all over the the San Francisco region. Trained as The Essential Interreligious Community- country on Middle East politics, and has an Israeli human rights attorney, May Building Handbook. She is married to regularly offered commentary in a wide is a graduate of the LL.M program in Russel Neiss, a Software Engineer for range of radio and television outlets International and Public Law from the Sefaria, and they have two daughters including PBS News Hour, the O’Reilly Hebrew University. May founded and and a son: Daria, Susanna and Shmaya. Factor and CNBC Asia. He received a directed an organization supporting master’s degree in public policy from dialogue groups of Israeli and AMBASSADOR ALON PINKAS served the University of Maryland, College Park Palestinian youth from West and East as Israel’s Consul General in New York and a BA in Middle Eastern studies from Jerusalem and was later the Executive from 2000–2004. Prior to that, Pinkas the University of California, Berkeley. Director of the Polyphony Foundation. served as the Chief of Staff to two May clerked in the Israeli Attorney foreign ministers and was the adviser REBECCA POLIVY is the former General’s office and helped establish on US affairs to former Prime Minister Regional Director (Jerusalem) of a legal advisory team forpolitical Ehud Barak. He was also the policy Encounter and serves as a consultant to grassroots movement fighting for civil adviser to two former foreign ministers, the organization. equality in Israel. May is a certified Shimon Peres and Ehud Barak. Pinkas group facilitator and has experience participated in Israeli-Palestinian JENN POLLAN is a Brooklyn-based in transitional justice, community negotiations following Camp David member of IfNotNow, the movement to lawyering and grassroots organizing. and was a member of the UN-Israel end the American Jewish community’s negotiating team on Israeli withdrawal support for the occupation. Inspired BOAZ RAKOCZ currently serves as from Lebanon and negotiations with by its commitment to building a the founding Executive Director of Syria. He was appointed by Prime movement for justice grounded in The Whistle, a new media monitoring Minister Barak to the US-Israel Jewish values and community, Pollan and fact checking NGO in Israel. Until strategic Policy Planning Group. Today joined IfNotNow in January 2016. As recently Rakocz served as the founding he continues his work as a foreign a member of IfNotNow, she is one of Executive Director of the Knesset Social affairs analyst and commentator in the lead coordinators of both local Guard — a nonpartisan NGO, dedicated foreign and Israeli media outlets in TV, and national communications strategy to the enhancement of democracy radio and newspapers. for the movement. While a student at in Israel through civic participation in Wesleyan University, Pollan served both government and the promotion of social- SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER MITCHELL PLITNICK is the former as the National Social Media Co-Chair economic legislation. A native of Tel Aviv, Vice President of the Foundation for J Street U and as a leader of J Street Rakocz served in the IDF for eight years for Middle East Peace. Previously, U’s Wesleyan Chapter. She spends her and currently holds the rank of Battalion he was Director of the US Office of days fighting foreclosure in the Bronx Commander in the reserves (ranked Lt. B’Tselem: The Israeli Information Center as a paralegal in the Legal Aid Society’s Colonel). He holds a MA in International for Human Rights in the Occupied Foreclosure and Predatory Lending Relations from Columbia University. Territories and Director of Education Prevention Project. In the Fall of 2017, and Policy for Jewish Voice for Peace. Pollan will begin law school. She plans JASMIN RAMSEY is a DC-based His writing has appeared in Haaretz, to pursue a career as a public interest journalist and editor. In 2012 she the New Republic, the Jordan Times, lawyer with the hope of fighting injustice became the Washington Correspondent Middle East Report, the San Francisco and inequality. for Inter Press Service, an international Chronicle, +972 Magazine, Outlook and news wire service, and, shortly
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thereafter, took over its US foreign primarily from the US, UK, Middle YAIR ROSENBERG is a senior writer policy-focused blog, Lobe Log, as East and South Asia. In that role, at Tablet Magazine, where he covers chief editor. During her leadership Lobe Reeves is in charge of programming the intersection of politics, culture Log was listed as a must-read site on for American and UK students in the and religion. His work on these and US-Iran relations by prominent news International Program and US Program. other subjects has also appeared at sites including the Economist and the His programmatic focus is on working the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Washington Post and received regular with youth to equip them with skills and The Atlantic and the Jewish Review mentions in the The New York Times and relationships they need to accelerate of Books, among other outlets. His the Wall Street Journal. In 2015, Lobe social, economic and political changes writings have received awards from Log became the first web blog to receive essential for peace and community the Religion Newswriters Association the Arthur Ross Award for Distinguished action. His work gives him a unique and the Harvard Center for Jewish Reporting and Analysis of Foreign perspective on working with youth Studies. He also serves as the editor of Affairs from the American Academy in the United States to effect social Israel’s Documented Story, the English- of Diplomacy. Numerous international change both in local communities and language blog of the Israeli National news outlets including BBC World, on a broader international scale. Archives and in his spare time, creates CNN, France24, Al Jazeera English, bots that troll anti-Semites on Twitter. Le Monde Diplomatique and the CBC ELIZABETH ROSENBERG is a Senior have interviewed Ramsey and featured Fellow and Director of the Energy, JODIE RUBENSTEIN is the Regional her reporting on US-Iran relations. The Economics and Security Program at the Director of the Mountain West for J Guardian has also named her as a top-10 Center for a New American Security. Street. Rubenstein joined J Street after twitter account to follow on Iran. In this capacity, she publishes and working as a children’s therapist for speaks on the national security and witnesses and survivors of domestic DAN RAVIV recently joined i24News foreign policy implications of energy violence at Sanctuary for Families as senior Washington correspondent. market shifts and the use of sanctions in New York. Born and raised in the He comes to i24 after 40 years at CBS and economic statecraft. She has DC Metro area, she received a BA in Radio News in Tel Aviv, London, and testified before Congress on energy Psychology from Wesleyan University. Washington as National Correspondent. and financial issues and been quoted Rubenstein received a masters degree He is also the author of several books, widely by leading media outlets in the from Columbia University School including the 1990 best seller Every United States and Europe. Previously, of Social Work in 2011, specializing Spy a Prince: The Complete History of Rosenberg served as a Senior Advisor in contemporary social issues and Israel’s Intelligence Community; a history at the US Department of the Treasury, trauma-focused treatment for children. of Israeli espionage and security, Spies to the Assistant Secretary for Terrorist After completing her master’s degree, Against Armageddon: Inside Israel’s Financing and Financial Crimes and then she spent five months living in South Secret Wars; and Friends In Deed: Inside to the Under Secretary for Terrorism Tel Aviv and working with the African the US-Israel Alliance, all three co- and Financial Intelligence. In these roles Refugee Development Center at a authored with journalist Yossi Melman. she helped to develop and implement shelter for single mothers and pregnant financial and energy sanctions including women from Eritrea and Sudan. CLARKE REEVES is the Programs overseeing the tightening of global and Development Manager at sanctions on Iran. She received an JOEL RUBIN, President of Washington Seeds of Peace, an international MA in Near Eastern Studies from New Strategy Group, is a seasoned leadership development and conflict York University and a BA in Politics and practitioner of foreign policy and politics transformation organization with more Religion from Oberlin College. with nearly 20 years of experience than 6,500 alumni from 27 countries, in both the executive and legislative SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 66 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE branches of the US government, the RABBI NOA SATTATH is the Director of DR. DAHLIA SCHEINDLIN is a public foreign policy advocacy community and Israel Religious Action Center, the social opinion expert and an international the private sector. Rubin is a frequent justice arm of the Reform movement in political and strategic consultant; foreign policy commentator on national Israel. She is charged with leading the she is also an academic and a writer. news networks like MSNBC, Fox and staff of the organization, developing She is an adjunct university lecturer, CBS, and he has written multiple and implementing social change a regular media commentator and a editorials for Jewish outlets, political strategies in the fields of separation of columnist at +972 Magazine, where newspapers and the foreign policy religion and state, women’s rights and she is also Chairperson of the Board press. Rubin was the founding Political the struggle against racism. Prior to of Directors. She holds a doctorate Director of J Street and a longtime her work with IRAC, Sattath was the in political science from Tel Aviv advocate for the use of diplomacy to Executive Director of the Jerusalem University. Scheindlin has worked as advance American national security. He Open House, the LGBT community a senior analyst for the Washington- was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of center in Jerusalem. She was also the based global firm Greenberg Quinlan State for Legislative Affairs in the Obama Executive Director of MEET a non-profit Rosner Research, the director of Administration in charge of relations organization that uses technology to international campaigns at GCS Issue with the US House of Representatives. create a common language between Management and as researcher at In 2016, Rubin ran for Congress in the Israeli and Palestinian young leaders. the Israel Democracy Institute. As an Maryland-8 Democratic primary. Prior to her work in civil society, independent consultant, she conducts she worked as a leader in the Israeli public opinion research on the Israeli- GEORGE R. SALEM serves as software industry. Sattath is a graduate Palestinian conflict along with issues Strategic Advisor with DLA Piper, of the Hebrew University and Gratz of democracy, human rights, minority where he is focused on assisting College. She was ordained by the relations and foreign affairs for a wide in the development of DLA Piper’s Hebrew Union College in 2014. She range of NGOs. Scheindlin also works Middle East and US Department of is a member of Congregation Kol internationally on electoral campaigns, Labor practices. He was named by Haneshama in Jerusalem. social and civil society projects in The National Law Journal as one of Serbia, Ukraine, Cyprus, Greece, the top 26 labor lawyers in the United THE HONORABLE JAN Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and the US States. From 1985-1989 he served as SCHAKOWSKY was first elected to among other countries. Solicitor of Labor, the US Department represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional of Labor’s chief legal officer. He is the District in 1998. Serving in the House HILLEL SCHENKER is Co-Editor first Palestinian Arab American to have Democratic Leadership as Chief of the Palestine-Israel Journal of been nominated by a President and Deputy Whip, Rep. Schakowsky has Politics, Economics and Culture, BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER confirmed by the US Senate. Salem earned a reputation as a champion of and served for 13 years as an editor played key roles in the campaigns of progressive issues on Capitol Hill. The of New Outlook, the Israeli peace Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Congresswoman has traveled to Israel monthly based on Martin Buber’s Bush and George W. Bush. He chairs and the Palestinian territory extensively philosophy, a catalyst for dialogue and the Arab American Institute, which he and has been a longtime advocate of a initiatives for peace. Schenker has co-founded in 1985. In 1992 Salem two-state solution. During her time in written for The Nation, Los Angeles received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Congress, Rep. Schakowsky has been a Times, The Guardian, Tikkun, Israel presented annually to Americans strong ally of the pro-Israel, pro-peace Horizons, In These Times, Haaretz, of diverse origins for outstanding movement and was a vocal advocate for The Jerusalem Post, The Jerusalem contributions to their own ethnic groups the nuclear agreement with Iran. Report, The Times of Israel, was a co- and to American society. founder of Peace Now and for many
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years spokesperson for International participant in conferences on political Service, Mayan and Abraham’s Physicians for the Prevention of and economic issues and Palestinian Vision, where she taught at both the Nuclear War-Israel. Schenker has an affairs, such as the reconstruction AJ Heschel School and the Al-Iman MA in Communications from Clark of Gaza, the reconciliation between School in New York. As a consultant University and a BA in Literature from Hamas and Fatah, the Arab-Israeli to the Edmond & Benjamin Rothschild Tel Aviv University. He was given the conflict and the Euro-Med cooperation. Foundation, Yona helped envision Outstanding Contribution to Peace Shaban holds a BA in economy and launch The Ariane de Rothschild Award, at the 2012 International Media from Egypt and a M.SC. Degree Fellowship, a network of Jewish and Awards Ceremony in London, together in Entrepreneurial Studies, Stirling Muslim social entrepreneurs in France, with Co-Editor Ziad AbuZayyad, for their University, Scotland. the UK and US. She also co-created work at the Palestine-Israel Journal. and served as Associate Director of Re/ TAL SHALEV is the chief Political Presenting the Jewish Past, a network LIAT SCHLESINGER is the Executive Correspondent for Walla! News – the of Jewish history educators from across Director of Molad, the Center for the largest Israeli website that provides Canada and the US. Shem-Tov pursued Renewal of Israeli Democracy, where independent breaking news and doctoral work at New York University she previously served as head of analysis 24 hours a day. She covers as a Wexner Graduate Fellow, where investigative research. Prior to joining Israel’s Prime Minister, government, her research focused on citizenship and Molad, Schlesinger was an investigative parliament and parliament as well as the history education in Jewish and Muslim- journalist at Ma’ariv, an Israeli daily. country’s foreign and diplomatic affairs, American schools. In 2013, she was awarded the Pratt including TV and written commentary Prize for Environmental Journalism. and analysis. In addition, Tal writes BEN SHNIDER began his career in She holds an MA in International “Kafe Knesset,” a daily brief of Israeli politics as a field organizer for President Community Development from the politics for Jewish Insider, a US-based Obama’s 2008 campaign. He went on to Hebrew University. political newsletter. Tal has over a manage Delegate Saqib Ali’s campaign decade of an extremely varied and for Maryland State Senate in 2010 and JESSICA SCHULBERG is a reporter rich career in journalism, including as worked at J Street as PAC Manager covering foreign policy and national a news editor for Israel’s Haaretz daily during the 2014 election cycle before security for The Huffington Post. newspaper, known for its liberal stance launching Bend the Arc Jewish Action’s Previously, she worked at The New on domestic and foreign issues, and PAC in 2015. As J Street’s National Republic. She holds a master’s was part of the establishment team of Political Director, he oversees JStreetPAC, degree in international politics from i24 News. Prior to her media career, she the largest pro-Israel PAC in the country American University. studied political science and philosophy and J Street’s polling and candidate at Tel Aviv University. outreach. He received his bachelor’s OMAR SHABAN is an analyst on degree in political science from Emory political economy of the Middle YONA SHEM-TOV is the Executive University and is currently enrolled in East and the founder of PalThink Director of Encounter, an educational University of Maryland’s Executive Master for Strategic Studies. Shaban was organization dedicated to transforming in Public Management program. candidate for the 1st Palestinian American Jewish communal parliamentary elections in 1996. engagement with the Israeli-Palestinian BARRY SHRAGE has served as He regularly writes for international conflict. Shem-Tov has worked President of CJP — Boston’s Jewish magazines and has been interviewed and consulted for a broad range Federation — since 1987. Under by many well-known international of American Jewish organizations, Shrage’s leadership, CJP is focused newspapers. He is a frequent including American Jewish World on three priorities: Jewish education SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 68 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE and engaging future generations, Slavin previously served as Assistant Jewish Community Relations Council strengthening the connection to Israel Managing Editor for World and National of Metropolitan Chicago and Chairman through community-to-community and Security of the Washington Times, of JCC Association of North America, people-to-people partnerships, and senior diplomatic reporter for USA among other posts. Solow ‘s political creating a caring community. Shrage TODAY, Cairo correspondent for the activism was largely driven by his has been instrumental in the creation Economist and as an editor at The New Jewish communal involvement. An of several cutting-edge programs York Times Week in Review. Slavin has early supporter of State Senator Barack designed to engage the next generation served as a public policy scholar at the Obama, he was a charter member of in meaningful Jewish life, and create Woodrow Wilson International Center the Obama Finance Committees in a welcoming, inclusive Jewish for Scholars, where she wrote Bitter 2008 and 2012 and served as a National community. He has led significant Friends, and as a senior fellow at the US Campaign co-chair for Obama-Biden efforts to engage interfaith families, Institute of Peace. in 2012. After completing his term as Jews with disabilities and the LGBTQ Chairman of the Presidents Conference, community. After graduating from City DANIEL J. SOKATCH is the Chief he worked closely with the Obama team College of New York, Shrage earned Executive Officer of the New Israel on a variety foreign policy issues. He a master’s degree in social work from Fund (NIF), the leading organization is frequently consulted by Members Boston University. He worked at JCCs committed to equality and democracy of Congress and has written opinion from 1969 to 1977 and at the Jewish for all Israelis. Before joining NIF, pieces on issues of interest to the Community Federation of Cleveland Sokatch served as the Executive Jewish community. Professionally, from 1978 to 1987. Director of the Jewish Community Solow is a Partner at Resolute Federation of San Francisco, the Consulting, a national public affairs MATT SIENKIEWICZ is Assistant Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma and strategic communications firm Professor of Communication and Counties. Prior to his tenure at headquartered in Chicago. International Studies at Boston College. Federation, he served as the founding He is the author of The Other Air Force: Executive Director of the Los Angeles ATILLA SOMFALVI is the Chief Anchor US Efforts to Re-shape Middle Eastern based Progressive Jewish Alliance. In at ynet, Israel’s leading news site and Media Since 9/11, as well numerous recognition of his leadership, Sokatch a political analyst. He has covered the articles on media, politics, and religious has been named to the Forward Israeli political scene since 2003, and identity. His documentary film, Live newspaper’s “Forward 50,” an annual also covers diplomatic issues. Somfalvi From Bethlehem, has screened at film list of the 50 leading Jewish decision- hosts a weekly political show on The festivals across the world. makers and opinion-shapers, in 2002, Knesset Channel, and publishes his 2005 and 2008 and 2010. Daniel has political analysis on many different BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER BARBARA SLAVIN is the Acting an MA from the Fletcher School at platforms, nationally and internationally. Director of the Future of Iran Initiative Tufts University, a JD from Boston He served at BaMachane, IDF’s now at the Atlantic Council and Washington College Law School and a BA from defunct magazine. He is married and correspondent for Al-Monitor, a website Brandeis University. father to Shahar, and lives in Tel Aviv. devoted to news from and about the Middle East. The author of Bitter ALAN P. SOLOW is a long-time RABBI TOBA SPITZER has served as Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the US Jewish communal activist. He served the Spiritual Leader of Congregation and the Twisted Path to Confrontation, as Chairman of the Conference of Dorshei Tzedek in West Newton, MA, she is a regular commentator on US Presidents of Major American Jewish since 1997. She is a popular teacher foreign policy and Iran on NPR, PBS Organizations from 2009-2011. of courses on Judaism and economic and C-SPAN. A career journalist, Previously, he was Chairman of the justice, Reconstructionist Judaism,
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new approaches to thinking about Rabbi Stutman graduated from the General of Israel in Boston for four years. God and the practice of integrating Reconstructionist Rabbinical College He then served at the Policy Planning at Jewish spiritual and ethical teachings in 2007, where she was a Wexner the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until July into daily life. Rabbi Spitzer is on the Graduate Fellow. 2011 when he joined the President’s Advisory Council of J Street and Co- Office. Tamir joined the Ministry of Foreign Chair of the Boston J Street Rabbinic HOWARD J. SUMKA is an expert Affairs in 1993. In 2001, he was granted Council, serves as Treasurer of the in post-conflict reconstruction the position of Advisor to the Director board for T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call and development in fragile and General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Human Rights and is the incoming conflict-ridden regions. During his in Jerusalem. He was later chosen as President of the Massachusetts Board 25-year career with the US Agency for a Wexner Israel Fellow and earned his of Rabbis. She served as President International Development, he lived master’s in public administration from of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical and worked in Kenya and served as the the Kennedy School of Government at Association from 2007-2009, the first country director of USAID’s Missions Harvard University in 2004. lesbian or gay rabbi to head a national in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina. rabbinic organization. Rabbi Spitzer has From 2006–2010, Sumka led USAID’s AMIR TIBON is an Israeli journalist been active on issues related to Israeli- programs for Palestinian state building who is currently the Washington, DC Palestinian peace since the 1980s. in the West Bank and Gaza. From correspondent for Haaretz. From 2011-2012, Sumka served as CEO 2013 to 2016, he was the diplomatic RABBI SHIRA STUTMAN, Senior of the OneVoice Movement, which correspondent for Walla! News, one Rabbi at Washington, DC’s innovative mobilizes civil society on both sides of the largest news websites in Israel. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, was to support a two-state solution to the His writings on Israel and the region named one of “America’s Most Inspiring Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He currently have appeared in Foreign Affairs, The Rabbis” by the Forward in 2013 and a serves on OneVoice’s Honorary New Yorker, Politico Magazine, The “Woman to Watch” by Jewish Women Board of Advisers and on the board Huffington Post, The American Interest, International in 2014. At Sixth & I, she of CEDAR (Communities Engaging Tablet Magazine and The New Republic. and her colleagues strive to create with Difference and Religion). Sumka An article he co-authored in 2014 about a spiritually connected, reflective, attained the rank of minister counselor the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian intellectually challenging and engaging in the Senior Foreign Service and peace talks, was nominated in the US Jewish community for the area’s large received the President’s Distinguished for a National Magazine Award. His millennial population. When not at Service Award in 2012, the President’s first book, a biography of Palestinian Sixth & I, Rabbi Stutman serves as the Meritorious Service Award in 2004 and President Mahmoud Abbas, will be Scholar-In-Residence for the National the USAID Administrator’s Award for published in July 2017. Women’s Philanthropy program of the Distinguished Career Service in 2010. Jewish Federations of North America; NAHAL TOOSI is currently a foreign teaches for the Wexner Heritage NADAV TAMIR is currently Director of affairs correspondent for Politico. Prior program; and is Board Chair of Jews International Policy and Government to Politico, Toosi worked with The United for Justice. She also speaks Affairs at Peres & Associates Global Associated Press as a reporter and an nationally on the topics of post-tribal Advisory Ltd. He served as the Senior editor in London, New York, Kabul and Judaism; creating meaningful Jewish Policy Adviser to the President of Israel Islamabad. She was one of the first programming for people in their 20s during the last 3 years of the presidency of reporters in Pakistan after Osama bin and 30s; working with and supporting Shimon Peres. Tamir returned to Israel in Laden was killed. Toosi worked for the interfaith couples; and creating 2010 after serving as the Consul General Milwaukee Journal Sentinel before her a welcoming Jewish community. of Israel to New England at the Consulate time at the Associated Press. SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 70 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE DOV WAXMAN is Professor of Political 25 years. Washington Life magazine REV. DAVID WRIGHT is the Executive Science, International Affairs, Israel included Weingarten on its 2013 Power Director of the Black Ministerial Alliance Studies and the Stotsky Professor of 100 list of influential leaders. She is of Greater Boston, Inc. A native Jewish Historical and Cultural Studies at an active member of the Democratic Bostonian and product of Boston Northeastern University. He is also the National Committee and numerous public schools, he is a graduate of the Co-Director of the university’s Middle professional, civic and philanthropic Boston Latin School and holds degrees East Center. His research focuses on organizations. Born in 1957 and raised from Harvard College, cum laude, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israeli in Rockland County, NY, Weingarten and Harvard Law School. He holds a politics and society, US-Israel relations now resides on Long Island and in master’s degree in urban ministry from and American Jewry’s relationship Washington, DC. Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary with Israel. He received his PhD and and is currently pursuing a master’s in MA from Johns Hopkins University BEN WIKLER is the Washington theology. A bar certified attorney, Rev. and his BA from Oxford University. Director of MoveOn.org and host of Wright clerked for the Honorable David He is the author of The Pursuit of The Good Fight, an award-winning S. Nelson, Federal District Judge for the Peace and the Crisis of Israeli Identity: radio show and podcast about people District of Massachusetts. After working Defending / Defining the Nation and changing the world. Previously, he was in large law firms for nearly a decade, Israel’s Palestinians: The Conflict Within. Executive Vice President at Change. he left to lead the African American Waxman’s latest book, Trouble in the org and Campaign Director and Online Federation, Inc. in 1999 and was chosen Tribe: The American Jewish Conflict Director at Avaaz.org. Earlier, he was a for his current position in 2007. Rev. over Israel, was published by Princeton writer, producer and researcher for Al Wright is an ordained minister and University Press in 2016. He is a Franken; press secretary for Senator serves as the Assistant to the Pastor at frequent commentator in print, on radio, Sherrod Brown’s first Senate race in the Historic Peoples Baptist Church in on television and has lectured widely in Ohio, editor-in-chief of the Huffington Boston, Massachusetts. the United States and abroad. Post’s humor spin-off, a researcher for Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, co-founder of the MEMBER OF KNESSET TAMAR RANDI WEINGARTEN is president Student Global AIDS Campaign and a ZANDBERG represents the Meretz of the 1.6 million-member American contributor to The Onion. party. She has served as Chair of Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, which the Committee on Women’s Rights, represents teachers; paraprofessionals DYLAN WILLIAMS is the Vice President as well as a member of several and school-related personnel; higher of Government Affairs at J Street. committees, including the finance, education faculty and staff; nurses Williams joins J Street after serving as affordable housing and gender SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES SPEAKER and other healthcare professionals; Counsel for Foreign Relations, Trade equality committees. Zandberg was local, state and federal government and Immigration to Senator Olympia also behind the initiative to introduce employees; and early childhood Snowe (R-ME). Williams brings more public transport on Shabbat, as well as educators. Prior to her election as AFT than 15 years of experience advising behind the Israeli movement to support president in 2008, Weingarten served US government officials and private Palestinian statehood. A former Tel Aviv for 12 years as president of the United clients on international affairs and law. Yaffo City Council Member, Zandberg Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 2, Born and raised in Honolulu, HI, he is is a lifelong social and feminist activist. representing approximately 200,000 a member of the New York Bar and She is also the former parliamentary educators in the New York City public holds a law degree and bachelor’s in assistant to Member of Knesset Ran school system. In 2013, the New York government from Cornell University. Cohen. Zandberg is a former lecturer Observer named Weingarten one of the at Sapir College in Sederot and at the most influential New Yorkers of the past Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya.
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She graduated from the Hebrew Foundation and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Network, member of the Middle East University in Jerusalem and received an She is also a fellow in the Social Leadership Initiative (MELI) and a LLB from Tel Aviv University Law School Economic Academy and an active member of the global Young Presidents and MA from Ben Gurion University. member of Ko’ach La’Ovdim, Israel’s Organization (YPO). In 2013, she earned Democratic Workers’ Organization. the Vital Voices Global Leadership DR. CRAIG ZELIZER is the Associate Zernowitzki is involved with Bat Melech, Economic Empowerment Award. Director of the MA in Conflict Resolution an organization that helps women within the Department of Government victims of domestic violence in the at Georgetown University. Zelizer was religious community. She is also a one of the co-founders and a senior member of the Israel Women’s Network. partner in the Alliance for Conflict Committed to integrating ultra- Transformation, a leading non-profit Orthodox women into local and national organization dedicated to building politics in Israel, Zernowitzki believes peace through innovative research and in unifying all Israelis in the struggle for practice. He has worked as a consultant social justice and peace. Zernowitzki with many leading development and holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science. peacebuilding organizations including the United States Institute of Peace, AVI ZOLLMAN is the Digital Campaigns Rotary International and USAID. He Director at Everytown for Gun Safety, a has received a number of fellowships movement of Americans working together and awards, including serving as a to end gun violence and build safer Fulbright Junior Scholar in Hungary for communities. A former digital director at two years and as a National Security J Street, he’s worked at the intersection Education Program Fellow in Bosnia- of technology, communications and Herzegovina. Zeilzer currently serves politics for more than a decade, helping on the editorial boards of the African movements build the scale they need to Peace and Conflict Journal, Journal make social change. of Conflictologyand the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development MANAL ZRAIQ is on a mission to and is the founder of the Peace and show young Palestinian women what is Collaborative Development Network. achievable when one has inner inertia and persists “against all odds,” of which MICHAL ZERNOWITZKI is Founder there are many in Occupied Palestine. and Chairperson of the Ultra-Orthodox As a partner and General Director Caucus in the Labor party in Israel. of Massar International, she leads She was one of several ultra-Orthodox the development of Palestine’s first women who recently ran for a seat planned city. Zraiq has also established on the all-male local council in the the Business Women’s Forum, sits town of El’ad, a religious municipality. on several Boards and contributes to Zernowitzki manages Haredim for the numerous social programs. Zraiq has a State, a series of courses for politically knack for problem solving and grabbing engaged ultra-Orthodox women and unlikely opportunities. She is a fellow of men, a project of the Berl Katzenelson the Aspen Institute Global Leadership SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES 72 J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE Saturday, February 25
5:30 PM Doors Open DAR Hall 6:30–8:30 PM Plenary Session: Stories of our Past, Dreams for our Future DAR Hall 9:00–10:30 PM J Street Regional Meet-Ups See program
Sunday, February 26
9:00–10:15 AM Tribal Nation: Identity Politics in Israel 143AB Concurrent Between the Lines: Deciphering a New US Approach to the Broader Middle East 145AB Sessions US Politics and Israel: Adding Allies, Building Bridges, Pursuing Peace 146AB Training: Fighting for Our Future: Harnessing our Power in the Age of Trump 143C 10:15–10:45 AM BREAKFAST - First Level Concourse North Building Building an Effective Alternative to the Israeli Right 146C 10:45 AM–12:00 PM SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE Concurrent Human Rights: Views from the Field 143AB Sessions Ripping up the Iran Deal? 145AB Daylight to No Daylight: Switching Gears on US-Israel Relations 147AB Combatting Islamophobia 146AB Advocacy Day Training: State Captains and Team Leaders 150B 12:00–5:00 PM Action Center Open Salon GHI
12:15–1:30 PM Bereaved Israelis and Palestinians Bridge Divides (Presented by Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF) 145AB Supplementary Jerusalem 2017: Crisis and Opportunity (Presented by Ir Amim) 146C Sessions The Settlers: A New Film 143AB Israeli Palestinian Conflict 101 143C “Proclaim Release”: Using Jubilee Texts to Speak Across Political Divides (Presented by T'ruah) 150A JSpace Canada Meet-Up 146AB Defending Our Values: Organizing in the Jewish Community Training 147AB Advocacy Day Training – State Captains 150B
1:45–3:00 PM Fighting for Israeli Democracy and Human Rights in the Age of Trump (Presented by New Israel Fund) 143AB Concurrent Trump, Putin, Brexit and Bibi: A New World Order? 146AB Sessions Bridging Divides, Rebuilding Alliances: How Can Jewish and Black Communities Work Together? 146C A Security-Driven, Two-State Process (Presented by Israel Policy Forum) 145AB Peace in Search of a Process: Who Steps in if the US Steps Back? 147AB An Encounter Preview 150B Advocacy Basics Training 143C
3:15–4:30 PM The State of the Palestinian Economy 145AB Concurrent Shared Values: Fault Lines in the American and Israeli Jewish Communities 146C Sessions Israeli Changemakers on the Cutting Edge (Presented by Women's Leadership Forum) 150B What's a Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace Advocate to Do in 2017? 147AB From Enemy to Asset: Israel's Moment of Regional Opportunity 143AB
J STREET NATIONAL CONFERENCE, GALA DINNER & ADVOCACY DAY #JSt2017 #JSt2017 DEFENDING OUR VALUES, FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE 73 SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE Training Day Advocacy 12:20–1:30 10:00 8:15–9:45 8:15 am–5:00 7:30–9:00 1:00–2:00 –11:30 11:00 9:00 8:30 7:30–10 6:30–7:30 5:00–6:15 5:00–5:15 3:35–4:45 3:35–4:45 1:50–3:20 9:00–11:00 7:30–9:00 see program Times Various 4:45–5:00 Sessions Supplementary Sessions Concurrent Sessions Supplementary Sessions Supplementary Sessions Supplementary AM AM AM
–4:00 –4:00 –12:00 –12:00 PM PM AM PM PM PM AM PM PM PM PM
PM PM AM
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Kick-Off Day Advocacy Mincha Services: Egalitarian and Mincha Egalitarian Mechitza Services: Concourse Level -First BREAKFAST Gala Dinner Gala The Israel-Diaspora Partnership to Save Israel and Stop the Occupation Occupation the Stop and Israel toSave Partnership Israel-Diaspora The West, Mountain Capitol Southwest and Region including California Tristate, Midwest and Connecticut Your in Synagogue Conversation Israel the Up Opening Period in the Current Facing Anti-Semitism Building Progressive Movements in Polarized Societies the Grabbing Mic – Social Media Training 2017 in Coverage Media &Israeli American Door: the Out Go Facts When Opposition in toWork Capital Political JStreet’s Putting Battle: for Ready 0 Meet-Up Hatzair Dror/Hashomer Habonim 101 Conflict Israeli-Palestinian Session Strategy JStreetLEAD It? With todo Got Gaza What's Meet-Up LGBTQ Opposition the in Organizing Session: U Plenary JStreet Reform Movement Reception
Reception Dinner Gala Leaders Pro-Peace of Generation Next The To" A"How Peace: the of Session Disturbers Welcome Young Professionals Meet-Up
Open Center Action
Plenary Session: Future Israel’s for Mean Settlements What Tops Hill Hill: the to the From fie Offices Member with Appointments Delivery of PetitionDelivery Opposing Friedman Nomination T'ruah and J Street Rabbinic and Cantorial Cabinet Happy Hour for Rabbis, Cantors, Seminary Students Seminary Cantors, Rabbis, for Hour Happy Cabinet Cantorial and Rabbinic JStreet and T'ruah The State of Jewish Peoplehood: 1917, 2017 & Transformations of Jewish Nationalism Nationalism Jewish of 1917, 2017 &Transformations Peoplehood: Jewish of State The Two States &Preventing Annexation Outposts, Frontier: New Movement's Settlement The Plenary Session: East Middle the in Opportunity and Chaos Conflicts, ROUNDTABLE: POLICYMAKERS
Rising to the Challenge: American Jewish Leadership in the Trump Era Ballroom AB Ballroom Trump Era the in Leadership Jewish American Challenge: tothe Rising US the and Israel for Means Trump Era the What Aftershocks: Sunday, February 26 26 Sunday, February Tuesday, 28 February Monday, February 27
(continued)
(Presented by OneVoice) by (Presented (Presented by Shalom Hartman Institute) (Presented by Americans for Peace Now) Peace for Americans by (Presented (Presented by SISO) by (Presented
1334 Longworth See program North Building North Ballroom AB Ballroom 146AB 150A 145AB 145AB 146AB 146AB 143C 147AB 146C 146AB Ballroom AB Ballroom AB Ballroom Hill Capitol South Prefunction Hill Capitol 146AB 143AB See Program Sixth Engine Sixth Salon GHI Salon 147AB 145AB 146C 147AB 143C Fado Irish Pub
145AB 143AB TBD 147AB 2237 Rayburn 2237 Ping Pong Dim Sum Dim Pong Ping ) ) (ground level
BALLROOMS A/B (ground level
Walter E. Washington Convention Center PLENARY STREET KEY L
GALA DINNER Registration Food & Refreshment MOUNT VERNON PLACE Sessions Lost & Found
Bathrooms First Aid LEVEL FIRST LOST & 3 AID FOUND
LEVEL 7TH STREET
FOOD 1 CARTS
ROOM ROOM ROOM 144A/B 143C 143A/B
ROOM STREET 150A L
EXHIBIT ROOM ROOM ROOM HALL 147A /B 145A/B 150B
L STREET L STREET FOOD EXHIBIT CARTS HALL NORTH SOUTH GRAND LOBBY BRIDGE
LOBBY L STREET LOBBY
REGISTRATION/ MOUNT VERNON PLACE
ROOM ROOM INFO DESK 146C 146A/B EXHIBIT HALL TAXIS COMPASS COFFEE STREET FOOD
L CARTS
COAT CHECK
9TH STREET TAKE ACTION AT THE J STREET CONFERENCE
This conference comes at a critical time for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans. Thousands of us are gathered here to come together and stand up for our most fundamental values. We we have an obligation to act. Here is a list of actions you can take at J Street's 2017 National Conference in defense of diplomacy, a two-state solution, tolerance and democracy
SIGN OUR PETITION calling on the Senate to reject President Trump's dangerous nominee for US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman — then tell 3 friends to do the same
SHARE A PICTURE from one of our photo booths on social media with the hashtag #JSt2017
CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS from our Action Center (located in Salon GHI)
SIGN UP TO TAKE ACTIONS and stay informed with J Street AFTER the conference at jstreet.org/get-involved New Logo, New Gear!
Pick up your new J Street merchandise in Salon GHI!
T-shirts: $15 Mugs: $10
Merch can be purchased at the Info Kiosk.
GET YOURS TODAY! Save the Date! 2018 NATIONAL CONFERENCE
APRIL 14–17, 2018 | WASHINGTON, DC
Visit jstreet.org/conference to register!
PO Box 66073 l Washington, DC 20035 www.jstreet.org