Anyone attending the North American federation system’s upcoming conference in Jerusalem this weekend had to sign a waiver releasing the United Jewish Communities from any security-related liabilities.
But after accepting “any and all risks to my safety and security” — and despite a recently updated U.S. government travel warning for the region — delegates seem unfazed by the risks as they gear up for the UJC’s annual General Assembly, which runs through Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Betsy Pottruck, president of the women’s philanthropy division with the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay, is one of many local people attending the G.A.
“I never had to sign a piece a paper like that before,” she said. ” But I signed it without any second thoughts. I go to Israel because I want to go. Nobody twists my arm.”
This is her third trip to Israel this year.
Asked if his community has shown signs of concern, Gary Weinstein, executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas replied: “No, no and no — no issues, no concerns and no one’s talking about it.” People “just get numb” to the ongoing Palestinian intifada, Weinstein said.
That insouciance may be due to the type of people attending the event.
“People going to the G.A. anyway are your most committed folks,” Weinstein said. “The G.A. is primarily for leadership, and so we’re not finding really any ripples.”
In fact, fear about the security situation may be
better measured by those who chose not to attend the conference.
Probably due to the ongoing violence, the Alabama delegation shrank to seven from 15 or 20 in 1998, the last time the General Assembly was held in Jerusalem, said Richard Friedman, executive vice president of the Birmingham Jewish Federation.
But none of the seven Alabamians headed for Israel has “expressed any particular concerns about safety,” Friedman said.
Locally, both the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation and the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay are sending enthusiastic missions to this year’s General Assembly. And if they were to don T-shirts, they’d all sport the same catch phrase: “No fear!”
“The political and security situation in Israel has not been a daunting factor,” said Sam Salkin, CEO of the San Francisco-based federation, and one of 40 from his mission attending the G.A. this year. “When people ask me what is the most important thing to do for Israel, I have one consistent answer: ‘Go there!'”
Loren Basch of the East Bay federation echoed Salkin’s sentiments. “I’m sure the Israeli government and UJC are doing everything they possibly can to make this as safe and secure as possible,” he says. “For me, in the last analysis, it’s my own decision to go, and I feel strongly that I want to be there at this time.”
Several events on the program likely will require significant security measures. They include tours to more than 200 sites throughout Israel, from lunching with Israel Defense Forces soldiers in Tel Aviv to touring mixed Jewish-Arab cities to a solidarity march through the streets of Jerusalem.
While UJC officials would not go into details about G.A. security, it’s clear that measures will be considerable.
“We are not limited by budget” or any other constraints, and are “simply doing everything possible so that all our participants will be safe while traveling in the country — in Jerusalem and elsewhere,” said Nachman Shai, the UJC’s director general in Israel.
j. staff writer Dan Pine contributed to this report.