Seven Years of Leadership

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Seven Years of Leadership

• Building the Pro-Israel/Pro-Peace Grassroots

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• On April 29, 2002, while the Second Intifada
  raged and the official peace process withered,
  Jewish grassroots activists founded a new
  national organization dedicated to bringing
  together the voices and power of ordinary
  American Jews.

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• We knew there had to be a different way and that
  only by coming together could we break the
  communal silence and bring back U.S. leadership
  for peace.
• As one of our activists said, we knew there is
  more than one way to be pro-Israel.

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The first conference was planned from the secret
location of Aliza Beckers living room
(Security Officer)
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April 27-29, 2002, 175 activists attended Brit
Tzedeks founding conference in Washington, DC.
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and we founded Brit Tzedek vShalom together
Founding VP Cherie Brown takes the vote.
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Former MK Marcia Freedman was elected founding
President
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Aliza Becker was our founding director
Executive and Deputy DirectorJune 2002
December 2009
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We hired our second staffer, Jessica Rosenblum
Assistant DirectorJune 2003 January 2007
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Our first campaign
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And we held a second conference
Boston, October 31 - November 2, 2003Stephen P.
Cohen, Marcia Freedman, Naomi Chazan, Aliza Becker
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Avram Mitzna, Israeli MK
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Rep. Barney Frank
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Naomi Chazan, Former Speaker of Knesset
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Newly elected board officers Elliot Figman,
Diane Balser, Marcia Freedman, Barry Joseph
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Our third conference in New YorkFebruary 19-21,
2005
Rebecca HartmanMadison-WI Chapter Chair
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Singer Debbie Friedman
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Western Regional Conference
Marcia Freedman, Stephen Zunes, Omar Dajani, and
Menachem Klein
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Carinne Luck and Molly Freeman
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Amjad Attalah, Aliza Becker and Omar Dajani
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• We began to educate and mobilize
• We reached into synagogue, JCCs and campuses
• We grew from 175 to 50,000 in seven years.

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• Weve hosted so many Israeli and Palestinian
  speakers who inspired us

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Daniel Levy Washington DC 2008
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Yossi BeilinWashington DC 2008
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Naomi ChazanNew York City 2008
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Gershon Baskin and Hanna Senora
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• educated us

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Bernard Avishai
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Maya Sabatello, BTselemNew York City 2007
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Gershon Baskin and Hanna SenoraNew York City 2007
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Jeff Albert on The Role of Water Resources in
the Arab-Israeli ConflictPortland, OR
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• and who broke our hearts

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Combatants for Peace January - February
2007 Sulaiman Al Hamri and Shimon Katz
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Breaking the Silence ExhibitPhiladelphia 2008
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Dr. Izzedin Abuleish
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Weve held some really boring meetings
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(Face it, gang, a few really boring meetings)
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Most importantly, weve brought hundreds of
pro-peace voices to Congress.
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Some greeted us enthusiastically!
Peace peace peace peace peace peace peace
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And some just humored us
(This is awkward. Hes never gonna agree.)
Hes important. Just keep talking.
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They heard us. Theyre hearing us. More and more.
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Rep. Steven Lynch (D-MA)
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Rep. Tsongas (D-MA)
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Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
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Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)
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Rep. Ed Townes (D-NY)
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Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
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Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY)
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Rep. David Price (D-NC)
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Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
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Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)
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Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
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Like those pictures?
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We have a few more where those came from
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It takes hundreds of dedicated volunteers working
all over the country to do this work.
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Harvard HillelPresidential Candidates Forum
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Boston Chapter Steering Committee Meeting
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Steve Masters and Ghaith Al-OmariChicago 2008
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Members at Obama Victory RallyChicago 2008
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Rep. David Price Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Board Meeting
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Jewish Music FestivalNew York City 2005
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Galia Golan and Sue Swartz
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Weve mobilized more than 1,000 rabbis, cantors
and clerical students
Rabbis John Friedman and Julie Saxe-TallerRabbini
c Cabinet Chair and Co-Chair
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Weve built up our credibility our numbers our
reputation our pro-peace power
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It takes a lot of us.
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And it takes leaders like you. Activists who
exemplify
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passion
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chutzpah
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thoughtfulness
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wisdom
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effectiveness
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good looks
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experience
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energy
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creativity
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faith
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dedication
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determination
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power
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selfless service
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visionary leadership
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We are women and men
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We are rabbis and cantors
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lay leaders
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secular and religious
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Some of us are new to this work
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Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf (1924-2008)
Allan Abrams (1939-2009)
And some of us fought our entire lives.
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Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf (1924-2008)
Allan Abrams (1939-2009)
(We miss you.)
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Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf (1924-2008)
Allan Abrams (1939-2009)
(So much.)
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Weve made some new friends too
Jeremy Ben-Ami, Founder of J StreetGrassroots
Training Institute 2009
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• Tonight is about you.
• And this conference is about the movement weve
  built.

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• Weve come so far, with plenty left to do.
• As we stand at the crossroads of history, we know
  we couldnt have done it without each other.

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• Mazel tov, gang.
• Weve come a long way.

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