People To People

JULIE WIENER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Chicago
6
n a speech that was the center-
piece of the North American
Jewish federation system's gather-
ing in Chicago this week, Israel's
prime minister recalled being a small
child when he heard of the United
Nations' 1947 vote to partition Palestine.
That period — when the Jews' will-
ingness to split the land was rebuffed
by Arabs, precipitating Israel's difficult,
but triumphant War of Independence,
parallels the situation of the Jewish
state today, said Ehud Barak.
Again, he told more than 4,000 flag-
waving Jews on Monday at a rally
intended to show solidarity for the
embattled state, Israel feels its efforts
at compromise have been rebuffed and
that it may face another war.
It was against this backdrop — and
perhaps because of it — that this year's
General Assembly drew 4,500 partici-
pants, the first over-capacity gathering
in recent memory, said organizers.
With Monday's large solidarity rally,
unprecedented security measures,
about 100 Arabs demonstrating out-
side and a bevy of Israel-related pro-
gramming, the gathering of Jewish
leaders from around North America
was not a typical GA.
Security was unusually strict at the
sprawling downtown hotel where the
assembly took place. Police stopped
approaching vehicles, searching under
them as well as inside the hoods and
trunks. Inside, guests were frequently
asked to show their nametags.
Despite the threat of war facing
Israel, Barak's message to North
American Jewry was one of peace and
solidarity.
Israel must be "liberated from the
crushing burden of never-ending war,"
said Barak, whose speech was preceded
by a multiracial Israeli youth choir
that sang folk songs about peace.
Despite his repeated message that
there is no alternative to peace, Barak
also squarely blamed the Palestinians
for the violence and outlined several

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Solidarity for Israel dominates
annual gathering ofiewish leaders.

Israel Central
conditions — including a "Jerusalem
broader than it has ever been in histo-
In speech after speech, Israeli leaders
ry" — for a peace agreement.
spoke gratefully of American Jews as
After years in which the GA had
partners and family members, thanked
been dominated by debates about reli-
them for the solidarity missions they
gious pluralism and hammering out
have been organizing since the vio-
details of the newly formed United
lence broke out in late September,
Jewish Communities, issues of Jewish
urged them to defend Israel in the
solidarity and Israel ruled the day.
media and asked them to visit Israel.
The UJC, formed by a merger of
Most participants said
the Council of Jewish
they were not only
After nearly three hours
Federations, the United
pleased to have the
of
talks aimed at ending opportunity to learn
Jewish Appeal and the
violence in the Middle
United Israel Appeal, is
about Israel, but also
East, US. President Bill relieved to see Jews — at
the Jewish community's
Clinton escorts Israeli
central fund-raising and
least temporarily — uni-
Prime Minister Ehud
social service system.
fied.
Barak to the door at the
Except for comments
The focus on solidarity
White House on Nov. 12. came "at a time when
from retiring U.S. Sen.
Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)
maybe we'd have been
— angry that neither his son-in-law who
discussing the different factions of the
converted to Judaism nor the Jewish-
community," said Jennifer Levine,
raised children of his Catholic daughter-
president of the Jewish Federation of
in-law would be recognized as Jewish in
Metropolitan Chicago's Young
Israel — discussion of religious pluralism
Leadership Division.
were notably absent from the assembly.
But despite Israel's starring role, it

did not — as some had initially feared
crowd out all other issues.
For the first time, the Jewish
Outreach Institute sponsored several
sessions — many well-attended — on
outreach to interfaith families. There
were sessions on Jewish education. And
the top professional of the UJC deliv-
ered a speech that focused more on the
institutional changes federations need
to make than it did on Israel.
"Our infrastructure needs to be
majorly overhauled if we're going to
continue to be relevant," said Stephen
Solender, UJC's president and chief
executive officer. He cited the need for
more designated giving opportunities
for donors, upgraded technology and
collective responsibility for maintain-
ing and enhancing a central fund-rais-
ing and funding system for local,
national and overseas needs.
Amid the talk about solidarity, there
was some confusion over just what
American Jews — particularly those in
the grass roots — should be doing to
express that solidarity.
Although some federations have
begun focusing more heavily on Israel
in their find-raising campaigns, Israel is
not asking for new money at this time.
Many GA participants said Israel is
treated unfairly in the media. But
beyond writing letters to the editor
and opinion page articles, many were
uncertain what they could do.
"There's injustice in the media, but
Israelis are not being killed left and
right," Chicago's Levine said, noting
that she has had difficulty recruiting
her peers for solidarity missions, many
of whom don't understand the purpose
of such trips.
"People are confused by what they
should be doing. It's not like it's a war
and we should be packing up sup-
plies," said Levine.

No Clear Signal

Rabbi Jerome Epstein, executive vice
president of the United Synagogue
for Conservative Judaism, said part
of the difficulty is that American
Jews have not yet received clear or

