With 225 local pro-Israel leaders gathered in Burlingame Sunday, leaders of the 25 workshops focused on key issues and strategies for advocacy and education.
“It was important that we not just talk about how we can affect our local community, but to see things from the perspective of activists from abroad,” said Avner Even-Zohar, a co-producer of the Israel Summer Institute, held at Peninsula Temple Sholom.
That’s why two of the speakers included Reuven Hazan, a senior lecturer from Hebrew University, and Avraham Infeld, the founder of Melitz: The Center for Jewish Education in Israel, who brought varying messages from abroad.
Hazan offered a personal account of the bombing that killed nine people at Hebrew University earlier this month, while Infeld delivered an impassioned address on the link between Jews and the Land of Israel. Both gave Bay Area activists insights into how the lessons taught in the workshops can make an impact in the real world.
“The more we know, the more tough questions we can answer,” said Tehila Aviv, a San Francisco participant. “After going on leadership trips to Israel and going to pro-Israel workshops in D.C., I do them to pick up resources I need to be a leader within my own community.”
Meanwhile, Steven Spiegel led an intimate hourlong classroom workshop for pro-Israel community leaders in the Bay Area, answering the tough questions that have, at times, even stumped even him.
Spiegel, a professor of political science at UCLA and a leading authority on global conflict and American foreign policy, was one of the keynote speakers at the event, along with Hazan and Infeld. It was in the close-quarters setting of a workshop classroom, though, that gave people a rare opportunity to tap Spiegel’s expertise, grilling him on the tough questions about Israel that so many have trouble answering.
Why wasn’t the Camp David accord in 2000 a success? What effect will a dividing wall really have on the Israelis and the Palestinians? What if Yasser Arafat wins in the proposed elections? These were only some of the fastballs hurled.
Participants were there to listen and learn.
Spiegel’s workshop, “The Toughest Questions on Israel For Me To Answer,” joined sessions that addressed education about Israel, working effectively with the media and Israel 101.
“The logic behind these workshops is to show our community a diversity of opinion and the ample amount of resources they have to use at their fingertips,” said Even-Zohar.
From “Issues Affecting the California-Israel and U.S. Relationship” to “Hearing the Other Side: Palestinians and Jews in Dialogue,” the day reinforced the tools necessary to promote Israel on a local level, such as starting dialogue groups between Arabs and Israelis, joining Israel Action Committees and attending and leading events.
Some workshops, such as “Israel: Supporting Your Campus Community” and “Informal Education Approaches to the Current Israel Situation: A Workshop For Educators,” centered on Israel education at pre-college and college institutions. Others, such as “The Forgotten Refugees: Jews From Arab Countries,” touched on aspects of the Israel conflict that few hear about.
Late in the day, a closing workshop found Mark Schickman, chairman of the Israel Center, writing the session’s key bullet points on a chalkboard. The Israel Center of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation co-sponsored the event along with the Jewish Community Relations Council.
“Wherever we stand, we stand with Israel,” Schickman said. “What vehicles can we use to stand with Israel? We need numbers and we need community members, and everyone needs to know their facts.”