The AZM E-Letter is a publication of the American Zionist Movement, sent to registered voters in the Zionist elections and people who requested to be added to the AZM e-mail list. The E-Letter updates readers about the activities of the American Zionist Movement and its members, the World Zionist Organization and important trends in Israel and world Jewry. To subscribe to the AZM E-Letter, click here. To inform us of a change in your e-mail address, to update your contact information, or to unsubscribe, click here. |
AZM has launched a new postcard campaign calling on United Nations representatives from Lebanon, Syria and Iran to produce a sign of life from abducted Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. After one entire year of silence from and about these men, AZM's new campaign shows a commitment to exhaust all options on their behalf and never give up on restoring them to their families and country.
This campaign was inspired by the words of Karnit Goldwasser, wife of abducted reservist Ehud Goldwasser. At the July 16th "Free the Soldiers" rally, sponsored in part by AZM, she called upon more the 5,000 attendees to demand that those who have information about her husband and his colleague be compelled to release it: "Ask for a sign of life and ask for help from the ambassadors of Lebanon, Syria, and Iran here at the United Nations. They need to know that you are standing with us and demanding with us a sign of life."
In addition to calling for a sign of life, AZM's postcards express outrage over the terrorists' clear violations of international law, including UN resolution 1701, which calls for the soldiers' unconditional release, and the Geneva conventions, which give prisoners the right to treatment by the International Red Cross and communication with their families.
AZM "Sign of Life" Postcards can be purchased online here or by calling 212-318-6100.
Read the press release about the "Sign of Life" Campaign
Reminder: Early Bird registration ($250.00) must be paid in full by August 31!
The AZM Biennial Assembly will take place on October 21 and 22, 2007 at the Sheraton Hotel, Newark Airport. Israel's Ambassador to the United States Sallai Meridor has now been confirmed as a speaker, in addition to Chairman of the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency Zeev Bielski and sociologist Steven M. Cohen.
At the Assembly, AZM's new leadership will be elected and an Action Agenda for the Zionist movement for the next two years will be established. Another goal of the Assembly is to commit to engaging a new generation of Jews. Delegates will return to their communities with new skills, information, and the motivation to work even harder on behalf of the Jewish people.
Thanks to your generous contributions, AZM hosted "Yom Kef," or "fun days," on August 5, 6 and 7 for the citizens of Sderot, who have suffered greatly from living under an unyielding barrage of Qassam rocket fire for the last five years. A total of eight busloads of Sderot families were treated to fun and educational day trips which included a tour of the Kotel (Western Wall) Tunnels, a visit to the Bloomfield Science Museum in Jerusalem, a picnic lunch at the Wohl Rose Garden, and an afternoon at the amusement park Superland in Rishon Lezion.
"This project was unique in that it had two objectives: education and fun," said AZM Executive Director Karen Rubinstein. "But even above and beyond giving these families some much-needed 'quality time' together, in doing so we showed them that they have not been forgotten by the rest of the world."
AZM member organizations generously helped contribute to "Yom Kef." Mercaz USA sponsored three buses of Sderot citizens, AMIT sponsored two buses, and B'nai B'rith and the Baltimore Zionist District each sponsored one bus.
There will be an additional day of "Yom Kef" planned for the citizens of Sderot this October.
The entire Zionist community is gearing up for an international celebration of Israel's 60th birthday in May 2008! This year also marks other important milestones in Israel's history, including the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem (May 2007), the 110th anniversary of the first Zionist Congress (August 2007) and the 90th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration and the 60th anniversary of the UN Partition Plan (November 2007). Mercaz USA is coordinating a year's worth of activities and programs in the Conservative Movement - learn more at www.israelanniversary.org. If your organization or community is planning "Israel at 60" programming, please e-mail the information to dfishman@azm.org. AZM will compile events from different organizations across the country into an online calendar accessible throughout the community.
The PresenTense Institute for Creative Zionism (PICZ) concluded its inaugural summer session last month. Funded in part by AZM and WZO, Department for Zionist Activities, PICZ brings together innovators on the cutting edge of Jewish creativity in diverse areas of expertise in a cooperative, creative community. On July 29, the eighteen PICZ fellows presented their ongoing projects to PICZ's partner organizations at the Weizmann Room of the World Zionist Organization/Jewish Agency. These projects included a woman's empowerment organization to help Haredi women enter the Israeli business sector; writing rhymes that teach the history of the Jewish People in Israel; developing an Israeli youth parliament to express the voice of the younger generation to current political leaders; working through a hi-tech company based in Israel to ease the access of American organizations to Israeli-based expertise; and producing an ethnic pride dance troupe that will bring Israeli dancers to America to teach a Zionist melody of dance and movement. For more information, visit www.creativezionism.com
Are you tired of trying to memorize thousands of telephone numbers? Did you ever wish there was a way to find what you were looking for using only a cell phone, without carrying the Yellow Pages everywhere you go? Ehud Nahum, an Internet startup genius in Israel, has hit upon something which seems like it should have been obvious: using his Call My Name service, you can dial the name or type of business - or even a person - instead of the phone number. Nahum was inspired by the Internet revolution, where suddenly names, in the form of web addresses, were used instead of numbers in order to access information. Several patents are pending worldwide for this technology and deals are currently being negotiated with American businesses. In Israel, all four mobile phone service providers in Israel already have agreements with Call My Name.
This listing includes events through the end of September as well as upcoming missions to Israel. To find out about events which will take place later than September, please visit AZM's online calendar.
| Zvi Lachman Exhibit | |
|---|---|
| "Poet's Portraits: Lines For My Image" presents drawings and sculpture by Israeli artist Zvi Lachman, curated by Ayelet Danielle Aldouby and Reba Wulkan. | |
| Where: | Yeshiva University Museum - Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th St., Manhattan |
| When: | April 26 through August 30 |
| Contact: | RSVP by calling 212-294-8330x8805. For more information, visit www.yumuseum.org |
| Book Talk | |
|---|---|
| With Professor of Psychology at Central Connecticut State University Moises Salinas on his new book Planting Hatred, Sowing Pain: The Psychology of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. | |
| Organizer: | Meretz USA |
| Where: | Meretz USA's offices, Beit Shalom (114 West 26th Street, 10th floor) |
| When: | Thursday, September 6 at 7:00 p.m. |
| Contact: | To RSVP, call 212-242-4500 |
| "Promises" | |
|---|---|
| Screening of "Promises," the third in Meretz USA's 2007 film series. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Fairleigh Dickinson Professor of Psychology Lenny Grob, who has taught on the film. "Promises" follows the journal of Israel-American filmmaker B.Z. Goldberg as he travels to a Palestinian refugee camp, to an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, and to the more familiar neighborhoods of Jerusalem. The film explores the natures of the boundaries between the seven Israeli and Palestinian children the filmmaker meets. | |
| Organizer: | Meretz USA |
| Where: | Meretz USA's offices, Beit Shalom (114 West 26th Street, 10th floor) |
| When: | Monday, September 24 at 6:00 p.m. |
| Contact: | Please RSVP by calling 212-242-4500 |
| Panel Discussion | |
|---|---|
| Featuring author Leonard Cole, Debra Burlingame and others | |
| Organizer: | Bnai Zion |
| Where: | Bnai Zion House |
| When: | Tuesday, September 25 at 7:00 p.m. |
| Contact: | For information and reservations, call 212-725-1211x222 |
| Speaker: Ambassador Reda Monsour, Consul General for the Southeastern States | |
|---|---|
| This speaker is part of the JNF Corporate Forum, a membership-based group which provides exclusive opportunities for an "insider's view" of Israel, Israeli politics and the Israeli/Middle East situation. The Forum features unique speakers from Israel on tops of business, politics, culture, and academia. | |
| Organizer: | JNF |
| Where: | 20803 Biscayne Blvd., #200, Aventura, FL |
| When: | September 25, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| Contact: | Please call 305-682-0025 or e-mail abernstein@jnf.org |
| Jewish Arts Festival of Dallas - BZ Booth | |
|---|---|
| The Texas Region of Bnai Zion will have a booth at the 11th Annual Jewish Arts Festival of Dallas. More than 5,000 people are expected to join in the festivities celebrating Jewish arts and culture. | |
| Organizer: | Bnai Zion, Texas Region |
| Where: | Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas |
| When: | Sunday, August 26, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. |
| Contact: | Contact SueEllen Wolfson at 972-918-9200 or e-mail sueellen.wolfson@bnaizion.org |
| Na'amat USA's 39th National Convention | |
|---|---|
| Open to members and non-members, men and women. Convention packages, land only, and single supplement prices available. | |
| Organizer: | Na'amat USA |
| Where: | Israel |
| When: | November 4-15, 2007 |
| Contact: | For more information, e-mail naamat@naamat.org |
| Israel: Contemporary Challenges to Pioneering Visions, Ameinu Mission to Israel | |
|---|---|
| Ameinu envisions Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, at peace with its neighbors, committed to religious pluralism and social and economic justice for all its citizens. Come with us and explore the unparalleled challenges Israel is facing. | |
| Organizer: | Ameinu |
| Where: | Tel Aviv, Neot Kedumim, Be'er Sheva, Lakiya, S'de Boker, Yerucham, Ashkelon, Haifa, Nahriya, Acco, Seam Line, Jerusalem, Gush Etzion |
| When: | December 23, 2007 through January 1, 2008 |
| Contact: | For detailed itinerary and registration form, please visit www.ameinu.net or contact Ameinu at office at ameinu.net, tel: (212) 366-1194. Questions should be directed to Kayla Ship at kayla@keshetisrael.co.il |