gage... ..Advocate...En Educate. ing Understand Building Bridges of AJC mission The Atlanta Chapter To safeguard the Welfare and Security of Jews in the United States, in Israel, and throughout the world. Our Mission Our Our Mission Our To strengthen the Basic Principles of pluralism around the world, as the best defense against anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry. To enhance the quality of American Jewish life by helping to ensure Jewish continuity and deepen ties between American and Israeli Jews. American Jewish Committee, Atlanta Chapter 2006-2007 Board of Trustees President Lisa Brill Michal Hart Hillman Peggy Roth Kent Alexander Ron Brill Leslie Isenberg Arnold B. Rubenstein, M.D. Dianne Harnell Cohen Hon. Michael Jacobs Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin First Vice President Gerald Cohen Betty Ann Jacobson Jane Schiff Sheri S. Labovitz Herbert Cohen Dr. Brian A. Kahn A. Jay Schwartz Richard W. Cohen, M.D. Joshua M. Kamin Hon. William B. Schwartz, Jr. Vice Presidents Michael Coles Rabbi Mario Karpuj Rabbi Ronald M. Segal Sandra H. Cuttler Randal M. Crohn Craig Kaufman Linda W. Selig Dina Gerson Mona Diamond Greg Kirsch S. Stephen Selig, III David Kuniansky Peter Dosik Steven L. Kleber Cookie Shapiro Laura B. Kurlander Sari Earl Ross Kogon Hon. Marvin H. Shoob Jon Leven Elise Eplan Lewis Kravitz Hon. Wendy L. Shoob Beth H. Paradies William W. Epstein Ray Ann Kremer Mindy Shoulberg Robert M. Evans Cathy Selig Kuranoff Arnold Sidman Secretary/Treasurer Ted V. Fisher Steven J. Labovitz Tobyanne Sidman Lawrence E. Cooper, M.D. Evan Fishman Michael A. Leven Leonard A. Silverstein Martin Fleischmann Faith Levy Prof. Kenneth W. Stein Board of Trustees Lois Frank Ralph B. Levy Rabbi Alvin M. Sugarman Charles S. Ackerman Gary S. Freed Valerie Hartman Levy Betty Sunshine Hon. David Adelman Gloria Frisch Mark Lichtenstein Dr. Cedric L. Suzman Cecil Alexander, Jr. Dan Garson Joan Lipson Rabbi Donald A. Tam Kent Alexander Elaine B. Alexander Michelle Kravtin Gary Nathan I. Lipson Judith G. Taylor Helen Alexander Stacey K. Geer Bernard Marcus Douglas Teper Miles J. Alexander Burton M. Gold Darryl S. Maslia Lawrence I. Thorpe Hal Arnold Margo Dix Gold Sam Massell Ronnie van Gelder Ellen Arnovitz Randy S. Gold Timothy Mescon Lynda Walker Thomas J. Asher Joel Goldberg Belinda Morris Marvin Weintraub, Ph.D. Gregory Averbuch Jonathan Golden Michael A. Morris Karen Wildau Billy Bauman Burton B. Goldstein, Jr. Deborah Neese Gil Wolchock Barry Berlin Elliott Goldstein Hon. Sam Olens Charles R. Wolf Candy A. Berman Lauren G. Grien Sanford Orkin Rita Goldstein Wolfson Stephen M. Berman Richard A. Guthman, Jr. Susan Plasker Erwin Zaban Justin Berman Ruth Hackner Lisa Galanti Rabinowitz Allan J. Zachariah B. J. Bernstein Jack Halpern Ruth Rauzin Todd Zeldin Shirley Blaine Lynne Halpern A.J. Robinson Arthur Blank Doug Hertz Clyde Rodbell Shira Blate Lila Hertz Ann Rosewater 2 American Jewish Committee Atlanta Chapter e... ate...Engag cate...Advoc g Edu rstandin es of Unde Building Bridg The Atlanta Chapter From our Chapter President and Executive Director This year marked the start of the second century of the American Jewish Committee, and we are proud to be part of an organization that so effectively fosters democracy, pursues justice and uplifts Jewish people in Atlanta and throughout the world. Locally we continue to contribute to the national mission by building ever stronger and more effective bridges of understanding across religious, ethnic and national boundaries by way of education, www.ajc.org . advocacy and engagement. This Annual Report provides a taste of what has been an outstanding year. In the realm of religious communal relations our Atlanta Chapter has been very active. We hosted an extraordinary immigration forum that promoted better knowledge and understanding of the local and national Atlanta, GA 30305 GA Atlanta, . immigration debate. We established what many of us anticipate will be a long-lasting friendship with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and took our first steps to finding common and productive ground with strongly Pro-Israel Evangelical leaders. We also once again sponsored the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition’s Marvin C. Goldstein Project Understanding Retreat for young Jewish and African-American leaders. access outdid itself during the past year. As the following pages attest, In the area of Jewish continuity, the programming was outstanding. Indeed this past year the national AJC office fully executed its plan to Atlanta Chapter Atlanta access model and name across the country. Suite 510 510 Suite implement the Atlanta . Perhaps no program contributes as much to Jewish continuity and pride as the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. In this, our seventh year, attendance jumped 30% to 9,000 “tushes in seats.” Our revenue grew as well: as we received support from an unprecedented number of sponsors, including the National Endowment for the Arts www.ajcatlanta.org www.ajcatlanta.org and the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (yes, the Oscar people!). We found our audiences want . more movies, more days and more locations. We will work to meet these desires and expectations. Internationally, our Jewish “State Department” role took on new and broader dimensions locally. We held substantive meetings with four U.S. Ambassadors and 15 Consuls General, visiting with several of them on multiple occasions. Also, our launching of the Africa Institute and continuing our Latino outreach initiative, along with our many other initiatives like Project Interchange, further burnished our State Department image and effectiveness. On top of these noteworthy activities, we are very proud of our record-breaking Annual Campaign. With very special dinner honorees and a century of achievement as a foundation, it is no wonder we surpassed our (404) 233-5501 233-5501 (404) fundraising goal by 20%, raising more than $1.2 million. Six Piedmont Center Center Piedmont Six Finally, as we now enter the second year of AJC’s second century, we want to say thank you to all of you -- our members, donors and supporters. Because of you the Atlanta Chapter continues to excel and break new ground in building bridges of understanding through education, advocacy and engagement and, by doing so, makes a very positive difference every day in Atlanta and throughout the world. Sincerely, American Jewish Committee Jewish American Judy C. Marx Kent Alexander Executive Director President . Marx Judy C r lexande Kent A Judy Marx, Congressman John Lewis, Consul General of Mexico, Remedios Gomez Arnau 3 and Kent Alexander celebrate the success of the Atlanta Chapters Third Annual pre- Thanksgiving Intergroup Luncheon. AJC locally and nationally has been the leader in “building bridges of understanding.” Our members educated and engaged many religious and ethnic communities within Atlanta to discuss Jewish values and our connection to the challenging issues of today. Through our relationships and networks, we continued our advocacy work with new and pre-existing coalitions. Building Bridges of Understanding AJC continued developing relationships and building networks with diverse religious and ethnic communities. The Atlanta Chapter hosted its third annual pre-Thanksgiving interfaith and interethnic luncheon. We read from America’s Table®, to celebrate our most prized civic virtues and values. This year we invited Atlanta’s Consular Corps and were delighted at the presence of Dr. Remedios Gomez Arnau, Consul General of Mexico and Dean of Atlanta’s Consular Corps along with Congressman John Lewis. Ambassador Andrew Young’s first stop in Atlanta, following his unfortunate comments, was the AJC Office to express his regret and seek ways to Intergroup Relations Intergroup Intergroup Relations Intergroup rebuild solid relationships with the Jewish and Korean communities. At the meeting, he met with leaders of the Atlanta Chapter as well as leaders of the Korean and African American (L. to r.) Kent Alexander, Ambassador Young and Steve Selig. communities. Immigration Forum “Immigration: The Facts, the Challenges and the Moral Response” was convened in December by The Atlanta Chapter, the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta and Leadership Atlanta drew several hundred of Atlanta’s civic and religious leaders. The program looked at one of the most (L. to r.) Rabbi Mario Karpuj, Archbishop Wilton debated topics in the U.S. today from Gregory, Karen Wildau and Laura Kurlander, share a laugh after the community symposium. the perspectives of legal, education and healthcare experts. 4 Atlanta Chapter Atlanta American Jewish Committee Interreligious Outreach Following months of planning, AJC came together with the Cooperative www.ajc.org . Baptist Fellowship to learn about each other’s religions and try to see Atlanta, GA 30305 Atlanta, . from each other’s points of view. Our Baptist-Jewish Dialogue was a tremendous success and we look (L. to r.) Professor Loyd Allen of Mercer University, forward to continuing this partnership Beth Halpern of the Weber School, First Vice- Atlanta Chapter Atlanta Suite 510 Suite . with additional programs in the President Sheri Labovitz and Rev. Wayne Martin of upcoming year. the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. www.ajcatlanta.org www.ajcatlanta.org . Indo-Jewish Coalition We continued engaging with our friends in the Indian community, hosting Ambassador Raminder Singh Jassal, (404) 233-5501 Six Piedmont Center Center Piedmont Six former Indian Ambassador to Israel and current Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C., to learn about the India-US-Israel American Jewish Committee Jewish American relationship. We also sent three emissaries Member of Atlanta’s Indo-Jewish Coalition with Ambassador Raminder Singh Jassal (with Kiddush from the Indian community in Atlanta to Cup) Israel with Project Interchange in May. Black-Jewish Coalition The Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition has emerged as a central platform for education, outreach and advocacy in our community. As participation reaches new heights, the Coalition continues to build on its original mission by providing a forum for meaningful dialogue and action.