I am sometimes asked about the impact Ameinu really has in our community and Israel. It’s a fair question, so I thought I would take a few minutes and share some examples with you.
--I recently returned from leading our Ameinu Study Trip to Israel and Palestine. A main objective of the trip, of course, was educating ourselves about the various issues on our agenda. We also held important meetings with some of our partners and grantees, like the Hayarden School in Tel Aviv that educates over 500 African refugee children, Dror Israel, the urban kibbutz movement, and Project Rozana, the Israeli Palestinian healthcare initiative that we launched in the U.S. On the political level, we were one of the few American Jewish delegations that have met with the new Palestinian Authority Prime Minister, Mohammed Shtayyeh. Our open and frank conversation was useful for all participants, American and Palestinian.
-- Just last week here in the United States, our affiliated faculty organization, the Alliance for Academic Freedom (AAF), sent an open letter expressing concern to the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) which is scheduled to vote later this month on a resolution calling for the boycott of Israeli academic institutions. We will also have representatives opposing the resolution at the meeting.
--At an event last week I was introduced to the Chief of Staff of a leading Democratic member of Congress. When she heard I was from Ameinu, her face lit up and she said “I have been using your website for years.” She explained that our positioning and language on Israel-Palestine and related issues is extremely helpful in the drafting of legislation and other policy efforts.
--And finally, I recently watched a presentation by a former staffer in the Obama White House in which he spoke about the administration’s relationship with the Jewish community. One of his examples? The letter organized by Ameinu from 340 Rabbis supporting the Iran nuclear deal.
Those are examples of real impact. Ameinu makes a difference!
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