Ten Senior Officers Of The Israeli Defense Forces Get First-Hand Look At American Jewish Communities

American Jewish Committee
Wednesday, 3 September 1997

As part of the American Jewish Committee's ongoing commitment to strengthening the ties between Israeli and American Jews, senior officers from the Israel Defense Forces will travel to major cities throughout the United States for an intensive 11-day visit aimed at helping them learn about the many dimensions of American Jewish life.

The visit of this Israeli delegation - The William Rosenwald Israeli Leadership Program - will take place from September 7 - 18 under the auspices of AJC's Institute on American Jewish - Israeli Relations (IAJIR).

This trip marks the seventeenth year for the Israeli Leadership Program, which has, in the past, included emerging Israeli leaders from many professions with diverse political, religious, educational and vocational backgrounds. Dr. Steven Bayme is director of AJC's Institute on American Jewish - Israeli Relations and will coordinate the program in the U.S., with assistance from Dr. Nina Hanan, assistant director of AJC's New York Chapter. Joseph Alpher, Director of AJC's Israel/Middle East Office, is the Israeli coordinator.

Dr. Bayme commented on the significance of the Rosenwald Program and on its decision to bring over a delegation of senior IDF officers: "The military is one of the elite sectors of Israeli society. At a time of increased tension between Israel and American Jewry over questions of religious pluralism, it is all the more necessary to build bridges and dialogue with influential Israelis. This pathbreaking program, involving senior officers, aims to do precisely that."

Dr. Bayme added that the program now has well over 100 alumni active in Israeli politics, communications, education, academia and law. "Our challenge," he said, "is to activate them as a group with a profound understanding of the interdependence and mutual responsibility between our communities, uniting us in a common Jewish peoplehood."

The group will travel to the following AJC chapter cities:

From September 7 - September 10, in New York, the group will meet with Bill Richardson, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. They will also hold discussions with Jewish communal and educational leaders and congregational rabbis representing the major streams in Jewish religious life. They will visit the Israeli Consulate, travel to Brooklyn where they will learn about immigrant acculturation programs, and visit West Point for a tour of the military academy.

From September 11 - September 14, in Atlanta, the Rosenwald Fellows will visit the Carter Center, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, and meet with senior law enforcement officials who participated in an Israeli exchange program on anti-terrorism and security.

From September 15 - September 17, in Washington, DC, the group will learn about Jewish public policy and advocacy. They will hold meetings with, among others, Jewish members of Congress, State Department officials, and leading journalists. They will tour the Pentagon and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and will visit the Israeli Embassy for meetings with Ambassador Ben Elissar and other officials.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org