The two day seminar will take place Sunday and Monday, June 9-10, at the Heritage Hotel, located in Southbury, CT.   The American Zionist Movement, working in cooperation with Mercaz, the World Zionist Organization and the Israeli Embassy, is now accepting applications from members of its organizations who wish to become local trainers or activists in the Israel advocacy field.

Participation in the Israel Advocacy Training Seminar is designed to provide key leadership with the resources, knowledge and skills to work with others in chapters, Jewish institutions and their local community to project Israel and Zionism in a positive light.   Participants will be expected to familiarize themselves with certain requisite materials in advance of the program in order to guarantee a common baseline of information.  In addition, all participants in the seminar will be invited to be involved in follow-up activities to insure continuity.

The application process requires at least one recommendation from another community leader who  can attest to the participant’s’ abilities and appropriateness for this particular program.

The cost of the 2-day seminar is $180, which includes 1 night accommodations (double occupancy) and 4 kosher meals (Sunday lunch, Sunday dinner, Monday breakfast, Monday lunch).

There is also be a reduced “walk-in” fee for local residents. Travel costs are extra; however, there may be some travel scholarships available depending on need. (Separate application required.)

Those not accepted for this initial seminar will be placed on a priority list for subsequent workshops.

If you or someone you know is interested in joining in this effort, go to http://azm.org/advocacy-reg

Join us for an evening to savor and  remember.

There is no charge to participate, but you must register.

In her multimedia presentation, Balstan broke down Hatikvah into three parts: melody, lyrics and orchestration. Each element of the song, she said, proved the strength and unity of the Jewish people. She also detailed the histories of those involved in creating the song, and shared her research into those backgrounds.

The more than one hundred audience members were all astonished and fascinated by Hatikvah’s past. “Astrith was an outstanding storyteller, and by looking at the pictures and movies of our Zionist history we remembered and fell in love with Hatikvah,” said Marlene Post. It’s a meaningful and captivating experience, agreed Mindy Stein. “[We felt] the undying hope, through years of exile, to be a free people in our land!”

“Hatikvah” was sponsored by the American Zionist movement, the World Zionist Organization and the Consulate General of Israel in New York.

Progressive Jewish communities in North America are often concerned about certain phenomena occurring in the Jewish State that they recognize as counter their conceptions of Jewish social justice.

It is time for us to come together and build an open and safe space for learning, questioning, and discussing the conflicts that arise in our commitments when we attempt to actualize various ideologies and values.

Four partners (AZM, Ameninu, World Zionist Organization and Binah) have joined together to bring these issues to the table. We believe in the importance of voicing opinions and listening to others’ opinions through learning ancient and modern text, meeting with academic speakers and organizational leaders, and engaging in respectful provocative conversation.  Through the process, we will find new and meaningful ways to grapple with the problematic realities facing world Jewry and the Jewish State.

The Voices Fellowship is a pilot program being launched in New York and Philadelphia this spring. The program is designed to engage its selected participants in a deep discussion about Judaism, Zionism, social justice and Israel. The questions raised will include issues of religious tolerance, human rights and democracy, as well as relations between Israel and Diaspora, Jewish values and collective responsibility.

If you  would like to see a program like this in your organization or community please contact AZM to explore the question.

TO RESERVE A SEAT, PLEASE EMAIL ZOE JICK at zoej @ wzo.org.il

Space is limited.

The 90-minute program left everyone wanting to know more, and most of the audience remained for another hour to speak directly with the panelists — each an accomplished woman in her own right.  The program, sponsored by B’nai Jeshurun, the World Zionist Organization and the American Zionist Movement also featured the works of an Israeli artist, Sharona Eliassaf.

Participating in the program were: Tova Birnbaum, shlicha for the World Zionist Organization; Liron Mor, a graduate student in literature at Cornell University; Elana Sztokman, Executive Director of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance (JOFA);  Amal Abusif, Associate Director of Academic Programs for Kivunim; and Shani Rozanes, Director of Events and Public Programming at the Consulate General of Israel in New York.

If you would like to hear Astrith Baltsan, and enjoy her entire 90 minute Hatikva program, we suggest you take advantage of her

April 11th performance of Hatikvah: Hope Reborn

Temple Israel
7:30 PM
112 E. 75th Street

To purchase tickets, please call: 212.415.5500

Or visit:  http://www.92y.org/tickets/production.aspx?pid=91544

Take a mesmerizing journey on April 10th through the background and history of Israel’s national anthem, HaTikva.  Through a multi-media presentation, pianist Asthrith Baltsan reveals Hatikvah’ s past and its path to becoming the song of the Jewish People.

Register today

AZM donated the majority of mishloach manot to organizations in and around Ashkelon related to children. Children at Neve Hanna, a children’s home located in Kiryat Gat, and in the children’s ward of Barzilai Hospital, were delighted to receive their candy and noisemakers. The gifts enhanced the Purim celebration at the Kehillat Netzach Israel Ashkelon Preschool as well as at several NA’AMAT daycare centers. At the Ashkelon Family Nest, which assists young mothers and their children, recipients both enjoyed the surprise and were educated on the importance of volunteering and helping others. Ethiopian immigrant children at the Beit Canada Absorption Center celebrated Purim for the first time, and their mishloach manot made the experience even more exciting.

As in the past, in conjunction with Yashar LaChayal, an organization that provides necessities to soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces, AZM donated mishloach manot to soldiers on Israel’s front lines. Lone Soldiers who are based in the Ashkelon area also were recipients of AZM gifts.

The mishloach manot were distributed by Marty and Terri Davis, who, in their capacity as Ashkelon community activists, are passionate about helping their community. In a letter of thanks to AZM, they shared how important the packages were to recipients.

[The mishloach manot] put smiles on the faces of many children and Soldiers. Try to imagine a child in the hospital missing out on the Purim festivities and, from over the ocean, special gifts arrive to help them celebrate! Even those with serious health problems were able to smile.…For us it is an emotional experience, and we would like to thank AZM on behalf of all the children and soldiers in Ashkelon for bringing them such joy and happiness.

 To help AZM continue its mission of supporting and promoting Zionism, donate here.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED