AZM Biennial Assembly

"New Generations: New Challenges for Zionism"

Outgoing AZM President W. James Schiller (L) with incoming AZM President William D. Hess.

AZM would like to congratulate its incoming officers, elected on October 21-22 at the AZM Biennial Assembly in Newark, NJ. We thank them for their distinguished leadership and passionate commitment to the Zionist movement until this point, and wish them all the best as they begin this two-year term. They are:

William D. Hess, President;
Marlene E. Post, Chairman of the National Board;
Isaac Blachor, Eugenia Manwelyan and Evelyn Seelig, Vice Presidents;
Sondra Sokal, Treasurer; and
Steven Weinberg, Secretary.

Eugenia Manwelyan, the 22-year-old Cultural Director of Hashomer Hatzair, joins the AZM Vice Presidency as the result of a peer election. The historic decision to reach out to the next generation for leadership demonstrates AZM's resolution to act to involve today's youth and ensure that their voices are heard. At the Assembly, AZM committed to engaging a new generation of Jews as a central component of the action agenda for the Zionist Movement.

The Assembly featured keynote addresses by Ze'ev Bielski, Chairman of the WZO and Jewish Agency, and His Excellency Sallai Meridor, Israel Ambassador to the US, who encouraged the work of AZM. In addition, we heard from Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice President, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; Professor Steven M. Cohen, Hebrew Union College; and a multimedia presentation from Esther Kustanowitz, Senior Editor of PresenTense Magazine. Marty Davis, Director-General of the WZO Department for Zionist Activity, brought greetings and participated in a plenary session on collaboration among the Zionist organizations.

• Read the press release about the AZM Biennial Assembly
• View photos from the Assembly

World Solidarity Day

Students overflow in front of the UN on behalf of abducted Israeli soldiers

On October 30, one thousand students rallied in front of the United Nations in a World Solidarity Day rally organized by the American Zionist Movement and the Jewish Community Relations Council on behalf of all of the abducted Israeli soldiers.

Evelyn Seelig, AZM Vice President, speaks at the rally.

The rally attracted high school and college students, local government officials and Jewish leaders. A video of clips from the rally is available at http://shalomtv.org/SolidarityRally.htm

The rally in New York was one out of over 50 events in communities in the United States and 80 around the world. These World Solidarity Day events were student-led, taking place mostly on college campuses. An initiative of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the World Zionist Organization, these World Solidarity Day events included rallies, petition-signings, and other activities to raise awareness and call for the return of the abducted soldiers.

• View photos from World Solidarity Day Event organized with the help of AZM National Program Director Deborah Fishman at the University of Illinois at Chicago here.
• View list of events worldwide here.

Or L'Dor

Bringing Light to the Next Generation

Idan Raichel with the Or L'dor Steering committee

On October 28, AZM was proud to launch Or L'Dor, a new group for young Jewish professionals, with a special inaugural event at the 22nd Israel Film Festival in New York. The evening featured a special networking reception catered by Colbeh restaurant, followed by the US premiere film screening of "Black over White," a documentary about the Idan Raichel Project. After the film, Or L'Dor was treated to a Q&A session and intimate live performance with Idan Raichel himself!

Idan Raichel performs for Or L'Dor

The event was in cooperation with the WZO, Department for Zionist Activities.

Stay tuned for more exciting Or L'Dor events! To find out more or to get involved, please contact Sarah Rapaport, AZM's new Young Leadership Director, at 212-339-6930 or srapaport@azm.org.

AZM will also soon be launching an Or L'Dor group in the Chicago area! For more information, contact Deborah Fishman at 847-677-5949 or dfishman@azm.org

• Visit Or L'Dor - New York

AZM at the GA

If you will be attending the UJC General Assembly (GA) in Nashville, TN on November 11-13, please be sure to stop by the AZM table in the Exhibition Hall! AZM Booth is #213. AZM President Bill Hess will be there on Monday and Tuesday to meet and greet visitors.

Also at the GA, AZM will sponsor the 17th Annual "Do the Write Thing" (DTWT), which will bring campus editors, writers and multimedia specialists to the GA for workshops on mainstream and Jewish journalism. DTWT is also sponsored by the University Student Division-Hagshama Department and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI)-Spokesperson's Office, with the participation of the American Jewish Press Association (AJPA).