Kc.

Scene

Political
I mpact

AIPAC and YAD give
Detroit young adults a
taste for politics.

Josh Opperer
listens intently.

<,• :.. ■• .41:W'''''''' • •

••

......................

Ata

Meeting Sen. Abraham are Lauren Hurwitz and Jennifer Kopely.

Sen. Abraham is asked a question by Scott Kaufman.

LYNNE MEREDITH COHN
Scene Editor

B

ryce Sandler will do anything
to get young Jewish adults in
metro Detroit involved in the
political process.
"Our nation's history and our corn-
munity's political past is based on the
informed participation of as many peo-
ple as possible," said the 27-year-old
finance director for Republican
Congressman Joe Knollenberg. "We are
the next generation which needs to
keep that fine tradition of democracy
alive and well."
Sandler was one of several co-chairs

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1999

92_ae_tr_oltae wish News

of a combination American Israel
Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)
fund-raiser and Jewish Federation
Young Adult Division (YAD) event
Dec. 9 at Franklin Hills Country Club.
About 250 people, mostly between the
ages of 26 and 32, shmoozed over cock-
tails and appetizers and then listened to
Senator Spence Abraham, the Lebanese-
American first-term Republican senator,
talk about U.S.-Israel relations and
immigration.
It was the first time AIPAC and
YAD co-sponsored an event, said
Sandler, who is a member of both
groups. "I thought it would be a good
idea to try to involve more young adults

in the political process and make them
more aware of how it affects them. I felt
that the best way to do that was to
bring in an elected official of some
prominence.
"Sen. Abraham became the first
choice because he's not as widely known
as some others and his Arab-American
background made him a particularly
intriguing guest for [Jewish] young
adults."
"Without AIPAC, all these other
groups may not have a country or a
cause to support," said Mike Kahan,
29, an AIPAC member and event co-
chair. "AIPAC keeps the congressmen
and the Senate informed of the true

facts of what's going on in the Middle
East."
One of AIPAC's biggest concerns is
the foreign aid bill, with $3 billion
going to Israel each year, said Kahan.
He became involved with AIPAC a year
ago, largely to bring in younger mem-
bers.
AIPAC will follow up the Dec. 9
event with smaller, more issues-intensive"--:\
sessions after the New Year, one involv-
ing Rep. Knollenberg. "On the YAD
end, we have some additional political
programming, too, in large part in
response to this event," said Sandler.
"There's really a need to do more."