(561) 994-7286
PalmBeach@ajc.org
Kelley Whiter, Executive Director
Rachel Miller, Development Director
M. Richard Meyers, President
Welcome to the Palm Beach County Chapter
Our chapter was founded in 1991 in the kitchen of Richard Davimos, a local philanthropist. Since then we have become the premier, go-to agency for building bridges with other religious and ethnic groups in the county; advocating for balanced press coverage and support of Israel; combating anti-Semitism and hate; helping to train our community to protect itself; providing our local leaders and members with opportunities to interact with foreign diplomats on issues concerning Jewish communities worldwide; and working to defend the separation of church and state.
Please see below for more information about the Palm Beach County Chapter.
UPCOMING PALM BEACH PROGRAMMING
(Tentative) January, 2009 - David Harris, AJC's National Executive Director
Various events by invitaiton only.
(Tentative) February 16-19, 2009 - Fighting Extremism
Guest Speakers:
- Tawfik Hamid, former member of an Islamic extremist group
- Yehudit Barksy, Director of AJC's Division on International Terrorism
Exact date, location, and couvert TBD - Advance reservations will be required
(Tentative) March 11-13, 2009 - Annual Ambassadorial Lecture Series
Guest Speakers:
- H.E. Ambassador Hector Marcos Timerman of Argentina
- Dina Siegel Vann, Director of AJC's Latino & Latin American Institute
Exact date, location, and couvert TBD - Advance reservations will be required
(Tentative) Thursday, April 2, 2009 - 2nd Annual Interfaith Passover Seder
Cosponsored again by "The Coalition for Freedom & Unity"
5:30-8:30 pm, West Palm Beach Marriott at City Place
1001 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Couvert TBD - Advance reservations will be required
Wednesday, May 6 to Friday, May 8, 2009 - AJC's National Annual Meeting
To be held in Washington, D.C.
If you would like to become more involved in any of the topics on our agenda for the year, or if you would be interested in hosting an event in your home or at your community's clubhouse, please contact our office at your earliest convenience.
If you have any friends who are new to the "snowbird" lifestyle, please share their names with us so that we can make sure they receive invitations by mail or email to exciting AJC programming here in Palm Beach County.
ABOUT OUR CHAPTER:
Advocating for Israel's Quest for Peace and Security
- AJC advocates tirelessly for fair coverage of Israel. We make the case for Israel by putting relevant research papers and journal articles in the hands of media and opinion molders, coordinating letters-to-the editor campaigns, and by arranging briefings by AJC experts for news editors and editorial boards.
- Through Project Interchange our chapter brings community leaders face to face with the land and people of Israel. State Republican Party Chair Al Cardenas, Liz Quirantes of WPEC Channel-12 News, and Alberto Ibarguen of the Miami Herald are among those who have participated on our legislative and media missions. In addition, we have taken local law enforcement officials to Israel to cross-train with Israeli counterparts in areas of Homeland Security.
- Another way in which we advocate for Israel is through our annual Israel Among the Nations Speaker Series. All three Florida chapters will again be teaming together to collectively bring top-notch speakers to address our members as part of our second annual Israel Among the Nations Speaker Series. This year our scheduled speakers will be discussing the challenges Israel faces on the world stage and what we can do as ambassadors of the Jewish people to help tackle them. As you can see above, we have a very interesting and diverse group of speakers planned for this year. Last year, we were honored to host such exciting and informative speakers as: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, former Dutch parliamentarian and activist; Richard Foltin, Legislative Director and Counsel in AJC's Office of Government and International Affairs; Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of U.N. Watch in Geneva, Switzerland; and Eran Lerman, Executive Director of AJC's Israel/Middle East Office in Jerusalem.
Protecting Human Rights & Safeguarding Against Extremism
Since it's founding in 1906, the American Jewish Committee has been committed to securing the civil and religious rights of Jews. AJC has always believed that the only way to achieve this goal is to safeguard the civil and religious rights of all Americans. Some of the ways by which we strive to accomplish the goals of protecting human rights and safeguarding against extremism include:
- U.N. Watch is a non-governmental organization based in Geneva whose mandate is to monitor the performance of the United Nations by the yardstick of its own Charter. In addition to hosting the Executive Director of U.N. Watch many times for public speaking engagements and high-level briefing sessions, our chapter is quite proud of the fact that we share a board member in common with U.N. Watch.
- Save Darfur Coalition of South Palm Beach County - Our chapter has been very active in the local Save Darfur Coalition. Many of our members participated in the 2006 trip to Washington DC to unite and raise public awareness and funds, and to foster a groundswell of advocacy through all elements of the community.
- Monitoring Terrorist Groups - We are a resource to local media on issues concerning the terrorist threat in our backyard. With our access to AJC's national division on counter-terrorism, our chapter has become the central address for local synagogues and other institutions attempting to vet potential partners for intergroup dialogues.
- Future Plans Include - Hosting speakers on a variety of subjects, including Anti-Semitism in America, Europe, and the Middle East.
Community Outreach
The American Jewish Committee has played a leadership role in the field of interreligious and interethnic work for almost a century. Fundamental to AJC's mission has been the belief that the security and well-being of the Jewish community is connected to that of all groups in America. Supporting democracy and pluralism, promoting intergroup relations to achieve social harmony and cohesion, and building coalitions to advance shared interests, have always been the central focus of our intergroup work.
- Since 2001, our chapter has partnered with Toward a More Perfect Union (TMPU) to hold an America's Table: Thanksgiving Reader program. During these events our two groups have gathered to celebrate our diverse roots and shared values, and to express our common appreciation for the significance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
- AJC has long been active with the Latino communities in the U.S. and in international diplomacy with the highest levels of government in Latin America. Our chapter recently reached out to the Guatemalan community in Palm Beach and Martin Counties on a subject that we, as Jews, have a special expertise with. Geared toward Guatemalan leaders in these counties, the Guatemalans in Partnership for Development Workshop was designed to share insights from the Jewish experience in Diaspora-Homeland partnerships and to provide information about existing programs and models aimed at sustainable development in Guatemala.
Targeted Advocacy
- We closely monitor the Florida legislature and are able to act quickly when issues central to AJC's mission are addressed to make our voices heard.
- Vigilant in responding to complaints regarding threats to the separation of church and state, we will join in public meetings and lawsuits to protect the rights of Jews and others in both school and the workplace.
- We regularly engage in open dialogue with our state and federal legislators on a host of issues, including: Human Rights, Israel Advocacy, Immigration Reform, Energy Independence and Security, Separation of Church and State, Fighting Anti-Semitism, and International Affairs.
- By inviting our representatives and senators to come meet with us, and by occasionally visiting them back on "their turf", our members enjoy an access that provides them with a chance to share their thoughts and ideas with the policy makers who truly matter.
Energy Security & Oil Independence
AJC has designated energy security as one of our top priorities. Americans consume billions of gallons of oil each year, the proceeds of which support regimes whose values run counter to those of America and the West. With a 21-million-barrel-per-day oil habit, the U.S. consumes a quarter of the world's oil. One thing is clear, it will not be possible for the U.S. and the West to make headway in the fight against extremism, and the terrorism it fuels, as long as Americans are so completely beholden to the nations that produce oil. It is also clear that our reliance on oil contributes to the scourge of global warming. While the steps to be taken to deal with these two challenges are not always identical, our concerns about national security and about the environment are complementary. In addition to serving as responsible advocates for national security and opponents of extremism, we must act as responsible stewards of the earth.
While there are many worthwhile initiatives out there to reduce energy dependence, it's important to focus on a few key issues both locally and nationally. The more AJC national and chapters can work together in promoting a few key approaches, the greater the chance we can make a difference.
Opportunities for AJC members to advocate at the NATIONAL LEVEL:
- Support national AJC legislative efforts that promote national security and stability of the U.S. economy by reducing our dependence on foreign oil through the use of alternative fuels, new vehicle technologies, and other methods.
- Lobby our Congress and Senate members for the adoption of significant new corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards.
Opportunities for AJC members to advocate at the STATE LEVEL:
- Fight for key policy changes at the state and local levels that will, over time, reduce our energy dependence.
- Advocate at the state and local levels for increased use of hybrid cars and hybrid car incentives.
- Educate the general public on the importance of reducing our country's dependence on foreign oil.
Opportunities for AJC members to advocate at the LOCAL LEVEL:
- Promote the use of compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) among our members and other Jewish and non-Jewish groups.
- Encourage local businesses to establish incentives for increased use of hybrid vehicles.
- From environmentally-safe paint and new furniture made entirely from renewable sources of wood, to "field trips" to take our outdated materials to be recycled, the Palm Beach County AJC office is experiencing an eco-conscious facelift.
- Recently our chapter successfully convinced the management company in our three-building complex to institute a comprehensive recycling program in all three of the buildings.
 Ambassadorial Lecture Series
Our flagship international outreach program brings a cross-section of Jewish leadership into contact with ambassadors whose nations have either significant Jewish populations and/or hold strategic importance for Israel or America on matters of concern to the Jewish community. Our Ambassadorial Series continues to keep our members in-the-know on issues and concerns facing various foreign nations and their relationships with Israel and/or American Jewry. Building diplomatic bridges helps us promote a democratic, pluralistic message worldwide.
As a way of saying "thank you" to our members, every year each of our Ambassadorial Series programs are offered at no charge to those members who contribute a minimum of $250 to AJC's annual campaign.
During the first seven years of this series, our chapter has had the honor of hosting foreign dignitaries from: Argentina, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, and Turkey.
MAZEL TOV!
Mazel Tov to Chapter Board Member Gary Betensky on being named in the Class Action category as one of the Most Effective Lawyers in 2008 by the Daily Business Review.
If you know of any local news or simchas that we may have inadvertently missed, please let us know by emailing palmbeach@ajc.org.
THANK YOU for your continued support of the American Jewish Committee. Without the involvement and financial assistance of dedicated members like you, the Palm Beach County Chapter could not be what it is today.
Please consider reading up on AJC's many planned giving opportunities.
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