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State of the nation
By Natasha Mozgovaya
Tags: Barack Obama 

The date of the White House Hanukkah party hasn't been formally set, but the guest list will be examined closely by the Jewish establishment. The list is expected to reveal who is close to the Obama administration and who is perceived as important enough to be invited, despite being critical of some U.S. policies. Some functionaries began lobbying for invitations as far back as last April, when the White House seder turned out to be an intimate event for Obama's campaign insiders.

The president's July meeting with Jewish leaders was a clear sign of change: More left-wing groups were included than in similar events held by his predecessor. Obama's address next week before the United Jewish Communities (UJC) General Assembly will be the next milestone in the developing public dialogue between the White House and the Jewish community. And the Hanukkah party will become the final litmus test, showing who is "in."

One Jewish leader on Capitol Hill speculates that "it will be much smaller this year - which I think is just because over eight years, the Bush parties got bigger and bigger, so President Obama might retract to make the events more intimate and leave room for growth. Attendees will be the usual mix of organizational leaders, political contributors, and Congressional figures. One big change in the attendance list: There will be many more Jewish Democrats from Congress than Republicans."
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Hadar Susskind, former Washington director for the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the new policy director for the J Street lobbying organization, says that in the past year he has witnessed "democratization of access ... Once only a few people from Jewish organizations had the cell phone of administration officials. During the Bush era, I did not necessarily know people invited to the White House 'Jewish' events - many were affluent Republican donors. I'm sure that this Hanukkah, we will see at the White House party many more small organizations that were off the radar of the previous administration. The agenda of this president is pretty similar to that of the Jewish community. American Jews are concerned about health care policy, national security issues, Guantanamo, poverty, climate change - and now they are conducting a broader dialogue with this administration."

"Al Gore with Joe Lieberman on the ticket got 80 percent of the Jewish vote," says Jim Gerstein, who has conducted polls for J Street. A Gallup poll released in October found that despite the clear discomfort of the community over recent tensions between the administration and the Israeli government, 64 percent of Jews still support the president - the highest support of any religious group, consistent with their vote during the elections (77-78 percent voted for Obama). "It shows that the basic values shared by this president and the Jewish community remained unshaken by the elections and recent events," says Gerstein.

He thinks that the humiliating 6 percent support for Obama in Israel is "a complete misinterpretation of the data" and believes that Obama's agenda has far more supporters in Israel. In one of his own polls, Israel ranked only eighth place in a list of Jewish American community priorities. "It doesn't mean American Jews don't care about Israel. They do, but as long as the candidate demonstrates his support for Israel, they can move on to evaluate him on a whole range of other issues, such as the economy, health care and the war on terrorism. American and Israeli Jews share a common history and culture, but they live in very different environments."

Next week, Washington, D.C. will host over 3,000 participants in the annual UJC General Assembly (GA) - one of the largest Jewish communal events. Approaching the end of quite a turbulent year, which included the economic crisis, major political changes in the United States and Israel, and changes in Jewish influence, the assembly will feature the traditional speech of the Israeli prime minister and a rare address by the U.S. president in person.

"I don't remember when that has happened [recently]," Joe Berkofsky, communications director for the Jewish Federations of North America told Haaretz. "Bill Clinton addressed the GA through video conference. We are thrilled that President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu are coming and expect to learn from them. Obama will talk about Israel and the Middle East - but probably also about volunteering, which is a big issue of ours, as we are trying to encourage other ways to engage, not only through donations."

Time of change

America's Jewish community is changing: Rabbi Julie Schonfeld became the first female executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly of Conservative Judaism, 23 years after the first woman was ordained in the movement, and LGBT Jewish faith communities have gained legitimacy. Changes will definitely be felt at the GA, too: Kathy Manning, chair of the UJC's executive committee, is expected to be approved as chair of the UJC Board of Trustees - the first woman to take that role. This year the Israeli-Russian businessman, Leonid Nevzlin, will be co-chair of the GA. The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington organized an event for GA delegates starring Elliott Yamin, an "American Idol" finalist.

Berkofsky says that as time goes by, the relationship with Israel changes, too, and becomes more egalitarian. "Israel is no poor cousin anymore, relying on donations from overseas. It's no secret that the whole nature of philanthropy is changing, and we've been working with some major Israeli philanthropists to help develop the philanthropy sector in Israel."

This year, the biggest domestic concern for the community remains the economic crisis. UJC raises about $3 billion a year, and this year, Berkofsky explains, "some campaigns are definitely behind pace; the average donation is down about 4.5 percent. But there are still some bright spots: It didn't affect every federation, and some federations reacted with very creative programs to deal with crises, job training services, counseling, food programs, financial planning - things that are helping people deal with the down economy. And there is some good news: Endowments, or foundations overseen by the federation, are considered to be the fastest-growing sector of the philanthropic economy."

More than half of American Jews are not affiliated in any way to Jewish organizations and could not identify the figures considered to be the "most influential" Jewish community leaders. Some Jewish leaders have hit the mainstream, like Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, with his interviews on CNN, his books on kosher sex and parenthood, and his conversations with Michael Jackson, published soon after the pop star's death. For most of the unaffiliated, the influential Jews are concentrated in show-biz and news - Wolf Blitzer, Howard Kurtz, Larry King, or Jon Stewart of the "Daily Show."

"I don't know how many times Jon Stewart walks into a synagogue, but he is clearly a Jewish icon, and someone who adds sprinkles of Yiddish words here and there every night when he's on television," says William Daroff, vice president for public policy for UJC and director of its Washington, D.C. office.

"I'm not sure Steven Spielberg follows 613 mitzvot, or whether Woody Allen has a rabbi. Madonna might be considered a more devoted Jew than Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler or Sarah Silverman. But they are role models for young Jews who are seeking ways to express their Jewishness without wearing a kippah. They prove that you can express your Jewishness and still be successful in non-Jewish America."

Caleb Zipperstein, a student from Boston, defines himself as a "very active Zionist, a member of Young Judaea" (the oldest youth Zionist movement in the United States). But lots of his peers do not want to be affiliated: "It's not because they're 'self-hating' - they are just not interested. There are lots of intermarriages, it's probably one of the impacts of the Holocaust. My parents' generation was taken away from the faith; they just wanted the kids to be happy, almost at any price. The other reason is that there are lots of distractions - with how competitive it is to get into college, to socialize - and the community issues might not be high on their priority list."

AIPAC vs. J Street

In the Jewish political arena, the most influential organizational players have remained much the same. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which some call "the" Jewish lobby, led an effort this year to get Congress to pass additional legislation against Iran and to soften the administration's harsh stance on settlements.

UJC, which is changing its name to the Jewish Federations of North America, represents 157 federations and remains the biggest supplier of social services to the Jewish community.

The Conference of Presidents, an umbrella for 52 major Jewish American organizations, still claims to represent the community's consensus. (It includes Americans for Peace Now and the Zionist Organization of America.)

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is the loudest anti-bigotry voice of the Jewish community (critics dubbed its quick reactions to some petty events as "gevaltisation"). The American Jewish Committee (AJC) focuses on a broader agenda, including promoting pluralism and advocating for energy independence.

For their part, organizations from the center and left have certainly gained an advantage from the change of administration in Washington. Today these include the Union for Reform Judaism (with more than 900 congregations across North America, and its Rabbi David Saperstein sitting on the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships); the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the National Jewish Democratic Council.

But most headlines from within the community were made this year by J Street - the new pro-peace, pro-Israel leftist lobby, which stirred hopes and controversy alike. Ahead of its first annual national conference held last month in Washington, the lobby's staff and supporters inched closer to the center, stressing that they envision an eventual land swap within a "back to the 1967 borders" agreement, and insisting that they don't object to sanctions on Iran in general ("but it's counterproductive to talk about it when the president tries to engage Tehran in a dialogue").

While some congressmen pulled out, under pressure, from the host committee of J Street's gala dinner, President Obama's national security advisor, James Jones, promised he would be present at future conferences, and Jordan's King Abdullah II sent a video address to the conference. In addition, there have been Arab donations to J Street, which have inflamed criticism of the lobby, which Dr. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute in Washington, does not understand.

"In 1994, when I chaired a forum on the Palestinian economy at the Casablanca Economic Summit, the Israelis there were so excited that they were going to do business with Arabs. So the fact that Arab ambassadors came, and some Arab businessmen supported J Street - it's a thing to celebrate, it's the best evidence of the fact they are moving in the right direction, that we can get together and that peace can be achieved," says Zogby.

J Street executive director Jeremy Ben-Ami insists that, "we didn't create the organization to be against someone, but to create space to express the voices of progressive Jews who believe that Israel's security can be achieved only through peace."

But many J Street supporters do not hesitate to attack AIPAC directly. Dan Berk, CEO of Kesem film productions, came all the way from Beverly Hills, California to the recent J Street conference in Washington.

"AIPAC has dominated the scene, but doesn't represent the large group of Jews who support Israel and who voted for Obama," says Berk. "The Israeli ambassador's attempt to marginalize them by declining their invitation made me angry. There is a future to this organization. AIPAC cannot control the relationship between Israel and the U.S. They say they create a positive image of Israel in the U.S., but it's not true - Americans support Israel because of similar values."

AIPAC, which sits in a new, well-secured building whose facade shows no evidence of the organization inside, will not engage in any open disputes with J Street, even though behind the scenes, it considers the new organization to be harmful to Israel. In spite of AIPAC's influence, its officials usually prefer to keep a low profile with the press.

In contrast to the ADL, which has been identified for several decades now with one man - Abraham Foxman - the president of AIPAC is elected every two years. Its board of directors consists of 50 influential figures, while several hundred more form a national council, which defines the principles of its policy. Besides frequent lobbying on Capitol Hill itself, AIPAC constantly keeps in touch with members of Congress in their home states. During the peak of American pressure on Israel, most members of Congress still signed letters urging the administration to stand by Israel, and like every year congressional solidarity delegations went to Israel.

Jewish action on the Hill

On the Hill, this year has been marked by the battle for the economic stimulus and health care reform, in which some Jewish congressmen are deeply involved. As chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, for example, Congressman Henry Waxman is in the midst of the U.S. health care debate. He was also a sponsor of the cap-and-trade, anti-global warming energy bill approved earlier this year by the House. Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee Howard Berman initiated this year the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act (IRPSA), which passed in the House last month; he also criticized the Goldstone report on Israel's Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip.

One person that stands out in the large Jewish Democratic camp in Congress is Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz from Florida, who initiated legislation for a Jewish American Heritage month. She has undergone seven operations for cancer and speaks openly about coping with the disease to promote awareness of the need for early detection.

Freshman Senator Al Franken has aroused plenty of curiosity. He is best known for his books and his work on "Saturday Night Live," but last month the National Jewish Democratic Council awarded him its B. Rapoport Tikkun Olam Award.

Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee, whose district is more than 60 percent black, is walking proof that Jewish politicians can overcome racial suspicions and find their place in the America of the future. But Representative Robert Wexler of Florida, who was among the first Jewish lawmakers to support Obama's bid for the presidency, has surprisingly announced his resignation, and will head the nonprofit Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation.

On the conservative side, minority whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, the only Jewish Republican in Congress, might encourage moderation of the fiery Rush Limbaugh-style criticism of the Obama administration. He is a devoted Jew, a supporter of Israel and, indeed, a Jewish political leader - but there are not very many Jews in his party.

Eight years of the George W. Bush administration have affected the boards of some major Jewish organizations: It's not that conservative Jewish leaders have been ousted, but some of them no longer have the cell-phone numbers of White House officials and cannot claim a special relationship.

William Daroff, vice president for public policy of UJC and former deputy executive director and national grass-roots director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, says that the key to success in Washington is balance: "UJC is trying to stay in the middle of the road, and on social policy we're more in line with this administration than the previous one."‬

Everyone agrees that prominent Jews working at the White House and in the National Security Council are not Jewish leaders per se, rather American leaders who just happen to be Jews.

Meanwhile, the Jewish community still carries the burden of the Bernard Madoff scandal and would rather forget his ethnic origins.

"I think after Madoff, the Jewish community is more cautious, and people will demand more transparency, but the harm is done," observes Matthew Bronfman, the New York businessman and philanthropist. "When I first saw the news, it seemed just like any other bad news. But in a couple of days, as more and more names and Jewish organizations turned out to be on the list of victims, it turned into a disaster."

Surprising move

Jewish philanthropy and the influence of tycoons is also a matter of discussion these days. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was just reelected, topped the list of Jewish donors in 2008 in America, but unlike Sheldon Adelson, he did not necessarily donate his money to Jewish causes. Recently, Google co-founder Sergey Brin made a surprising move, donating $1 million to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which helped his family when they emigrated from the Soviet Union 30 years ago.

There are philanthropists who praise innovation rather than large amounts of money. "To create something new is significant as well. Birthright was something new, and it helps to shape the Jewish community for the future. Supporting existing Jewish organizations is important, but innovation is exciting," says Bronfman, who chairs and supports Limmud FSU for young Jews in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Some wealthy Jewish players have also gained access to the White House. Penny Pritzker, chair of Classic Residence by Hyatt, high-end retirement communities, and a member of the Jewish economic elite of Chicago, was the finance chair of the Obama campaign and now serves on the president's Economic Recovery Advisory Board. In July, Obama attended a fundraising dinner at her home. According to the recently published visitor's log of the White House, George Soros paid some visits in the first six months of Obama's presidency.

In general today, one of the long-term challenges for the American Jewish community is evident in demographic forecasts that predict that in two or three decades, certain minority groups are expected to become a majority in the United States. A recent ADL poll showed that 12 percent of Americans hold anti-Semitic views - but among African-Americans, the figure is 28 percent, and among foreign-born Hispanics it is 35 percent.

"If 20 years from now the largest caucus in Congress is Hispanic, they will have a great deal to say about where foreign aid goes," says Foxman. "On church-state issues and all kinds of social issues - some of which impact directly on the Jewish community and some indirectly - they will have a great influence. We are working on it now, so as they become the majority force, there is a sensitivity, a relationship. It's a major challenge."
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