PA 215.665.2300

NJ 856.665.5663

The Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey Chapter of AJC is working with many communities, building understanding and advocating together in areas of mutual concern and interest. These include the African American, Latino, German, Polish, Muslim, Ukrainian, Evangelical, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Catholic communities, among others. We are also focusing on issues of the environment and independence from foreign oil as a necessity for the protection of Israel, as well as concentrating on Jewish continuity and the future of our faith through a close look at interfaith relationships and how to incorporate interfaith families into the Jewish community.

Officers:
Dr. Harold B. Yaffe, Chair
James A. Rosenstein, Esq., President

Vice Presidents: (alphabetical order)
Douglas N. Candeub, Esq., Secretary
Dr. Eric S. Cantor, International Affairs
Steven M. Cohen, Esq., S. NJ Outreach
Jane Foster, Esq., Domestic Affairs
Victor S. Levy, S. NJ Outreach
Ryan Newman, Finances
Judd Serotta, Esq., Membership
Mona R. Sutnick, Contemporary Jewish Life
Joseph S. Zuritsky, Development and Outreach

Professional Staff:
Ilana Krop Wilensik, Area Director
wilensiki@ajc.org

Rebecca Karp, Assistant Area Director
karpr@ajc.org

Marcia Bronstein, Director of Development and Outreach
bronsteinm@ajc.org

Jane Sumerson, Office Manager
Sandy Hankin, Executive Assistant

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Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey Chapter in the news
Local Group Builds Bridges Between Catholics, Jews
April 20, 2007

Survivor Studies Roots of Childhood Hostility
March 3, 2007

AJCommittee looks for SJ growth; will start with Jan. 3 event on Islam
December 21, 2006

Committee Hands Out Major Honor
Jewish Exponent
November 30, 2006

Pamphlet Tries to Put the 'Thanks' Back Into the Thanksgiving Holiday
Jewish Exponent
November 22, 2006

New cable channel says 'Shalom': Shalom TV hopes a focus on Jewish culture as well as religion will draw a wide audience
September 23, 2006

Network extolling Jewish life debuts in region
September 23, 2006

Violence pushes woman to Israel
August 2, 2006

Jewish Community Holds Rally To Support Israel
July 24, 2006

U.S. flight to Israel carries intrepid travelers, despite turmoil
July 18, 2006

Promoting Tolerance Weekend
Philadelphia/SNJ Chapter Report
November 14-15, 2008

Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.
-- John F. Kennedy

Prologue
World events help us to comprehend the critical need to understand and respect one another as the key to peaceful co existence. The disturbing and violent attacks in Mumbai which started on Wednesday November 29th at several hotels, the Chabad Jewish Community Center and public facilities in India's west coast city, has been profoundly heart wrenching. Dozens of foreigners were held hostage or trapped in the buildings. At least 125 people were killed and 327 wounded in the terrorist attacks on some of the city's most high-profile buildings.

Having recently completed a successful Promoting Tolerance weekend in Philadelphia, the AJC leadership is steadfast in its belief that that the only way minorities of any religion or group can be safe in any community is to build bridges with those who live around them. Our hearts broke when we heard about what happened in Mumbai over the weekend and our prayers are with them as AJC reaches out in empathy and support.

Our 102 year old mission is as relevant and necessary today as it was when the organization was founded.

Overview

Eleven rising leaders from Central and Eastern Europe arrived in the United States for an intensive nine day, six city tour, to learn from Americans and one another while addressing issues of discrimination and ethnic tension. They visited Philadelphia from November 14th to 16th as part of the sixteenth annual “Promoting Tolerance” program.

“Promoting Tolerance” is a joint project of AJC and the German Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty. Program organizers identify emerging leaders in the new democracies of Europe and Eurasia and introduce them to initiatives aimed at fostering pluralism and respect for diversity in the United States. The program is designed to inspire similar efforts in the participants' respective countries.
In 2008, participants came from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Uzbekistan. Philadelphia hosted three Fellows.(see attachment #2)

Planning

When initially presented with the opportunity to host Fellows from the joint international AJC and Fur Die Freiheit Foundation, the professional and volunteer leadership of the Philadelphia/Southern NJ Chapter spent time brainstorming about its capacity to support this activity on such short notice and how to make the most of the experience.

An outreach plan was developed with the goal of engaging current and past leadership and sharing our mission with potential new members. This was also a way to show leadership and members how AJC works in communities around the world to further the mission of democracy and freedom.

The weekend activities were arranged as follows to allow for maximum interaction and dialogue between the chapter, the community and the Fellows:

1. Overview for Fellows with tour of Jewish Philadelphia and a meeting with the local board chair and international vice chair
2. Shabbat Services with AJC members
3. Friday evening traditional Shabbat dinner with current and past leadership and friends of the host.
4. Breakfast with AJC development chairman (a critical component because it is a tangible way to see the AJC mission in action and become familiar with personal stories ~development chairs need to be able to tell personal stories to current and new donors)
5. Lunch and private tours with guides at the National Constitution Center and the National Liberty Museum(another opportunity to bring AJC to the community while familiarizing the guests with Philadelphia)
6. Saturday evening dinner with AJC board and community members
   

Conclusion
The weekend exceeded our expectations for outreach and became a tangible reminder of why were are involved with AJC and what it stands for in the United States and around the world.

Over 25 board members (past and current) attended the Friday evening dinner which was an excellent forum for exploring intergroup relations and celebrating democracy. Three tables were set for dinner and each of the three Fellows dined with board members providing an individualized approach to understanding life in Serbia, Uzbekistan and Georgia. Conversations also centered on personal lives such as what being a Republican or Democrat means, the US elections and hopes for global peace.

It was striking how many similarities there were between the desire to rebuild the individiaul countries and the hopes for the next generation. Building a better world for our children to grow up in and taking responsibility to be the change that we want to see in the world.

Highlights

Sharing their personal lives and explaining why they are involved with the program was a highlight for everyone involved. The personal element (ie understanding why Sukhrobjon Ismoilov (Uzbekistan) wanted to participate in the program even though it meant leaving his wife and 20 day old daughter to do so) inspired all and allowed for intimate discussion and interaction.
Gia Jandieri (Georgia) had emergency dental work (root canal) while in Philadelphia courtesy of Harold Yaffe, chairman of the board of AJC.

Dusan Gamser (Serbia) wanted to speak with a Republican to help him understand the American election process. He explained that he had only had opportunities to speak with Democrats prior. When introduced to a Republican member of our board, he was surprised to learn that while the individual was indeed a Republican for 75 years, he had voted for the Democratic candidate in the presidential election. That conversation created a forum for ongoing dinner conversation and allowed for group bonding and closeness that might not have emerged without the initial question.

Gia connected with Al Sutnick who is a consultant for the healthcare industry. Gia wanted to start a health care track at the new School of Economics in Georgia (where he teaches) and Al made appointments for him with Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania. Gia is coming back next week to meet with the directors of those programs. As fate would have it, Al has some business in Tblisi and he will visit with Gia when he is there. Al is collaborating with a Georgian colleague and another American on a project to build an American style hospital in Tibilisi. It's part of an effort to encourage Western investment and business in Georgia.

What our members had to say:

Thank you for asking us to host the AJC guests; we learned so much from them and it was a good reminder for us about why we are involved.

This was one of the most interesting dinner parties that we had ever had.

We were delighted to be part of the Promoting Tolerance weekend and we are pretty sure that everyone from AJC who participated enjoyed it as much as we did.

We had an excellent evening.

We are still talking about the Promoting Tolerance weekend and feel so lucky to have been included.

Other
In an effort to be responsible with the resources needed to house the Fellows, AJC contracted for rooms at a B & B called Columns on Clinton instead of a hotel. Kathy Cushing, the owner was very interested to learn about AJC, the Fellows and the Promoting Tolerance program. As a result, Kathy is making a donation to the local chapter of a special water color painting she has had for a number of years.

See comments below from Kathy:

“The water color is large and depicts the view from the internment camp that my friend commanded from 1945-52. She was Louise Gardner of Milwaukee. She lived here and worked from 62 till 1970's for City RDA and was in charge of moving all the persons displaced by the rebuilding of Society Hill/Washington Sq WEST during the urban renewal process.

Louise was sent thru the new United Nations in 1945 to set up a camp in southern Germany to house and repatriate the countless persons liberated from camps all over Europe.

When I meet her in 1973, her apartment was full of things made for her by residents of this camp, mostly as a gift when they were leaving to go back to their country or city.

Kathy felt that the painting would be viewed by the community at the AJC office and a plaque would read:

Served the world of humanity 1945 - 1952 as commander of a displaced persons camp, Germany. This watercolor was created by a displaced person as a parting gift to her as he left to resume his life. Given to AJC to honor Lousie Gardner and remind the world that suffering does end and hope remains.
From the Friends who were her family

The painting will be hung during the month of May (Holocaust Awareness Month) and Kathy will present it at the May board meeting.

Summary

AJC's promotion of democracy and respect of civil rights for all remains among its central tenets. These goals have rarely been more important than they are at the present moment. Even as democracy spreads to countries that have never had it before, a backlash of fundamentalism and extremism makes its presence felt in almost every nation on the globe, and is tolerated by many who do not realize its power or the ideology that feeds it. Worldwide, AJC engages in the struggle to aid those forces that advocate respect for difference and that believe in the power of open minds to open hearts.

Attachment #1

Agenda

Friday November 14th Arrival

12:00 -1:00 Lunch & Welcome
AJC staff and board members
1:00 – 3:00
Tour of Jewish Philadelphia
4:00
Check into Elkins Park House
5:15 Congregation Adath Jeshurun for Kabbalat Shabbat in Elkins Park.
Shabbat dinner with AJC Board Members
6:30 Cocktails and 7:30 Dinner: Hosted by Leon and Elsa Malmud
Return to Elkins Park House 10:00 p.m.

Saturday November 15

8:00 Meet for transportation back to CC
9:30 Breakfast with Joe and Renee Zuritsky at the Rittenhouse
Harold will join the group and accompany the guests to the NLM
11:00 National Liberty Museum Tour, 321 Chestnut Street
Tour of the National Liberty Museum; Walk to South Street for lunch.
1:00 Lunch at Jim’s on South Street (4th & South
3:00 Constitution Center w/Harold Yaffe; and Eric Cantor
Private Tour of the museum with guide at 2:50.
Return to Columns on Clinton until Dinner
Dinner: hosted the home of Mona and Al Sutnick
2135 St James Place
Philadelphia, PA


Sunday November 16 ~

Departure to LA 7:00 a.m.

Attachment #2

The Philadelphia participants were:

Sukhrobjon Ismoilov (Uzbekistan) – Mr. Ismoilov received his degree in International Public Law from Tashkent University of World Economy and Diplomacy. He was a participant in the Public Interest Law Initiative Program at Columbia Law School. Mr. Ismoilov is a founder of the first independent think tank in Uzbekistan “Rapid Response Group for Prevention of Torture,” which is a coalition of eight human rights organizations. He is a practicing lawyer and works for the “Veritas” Youth Human Rights Movement.

Gia (Givi) Jandieri (Georgia) – Mr. Jandieri is a graduate of Tbilisi State University. He is currently a professor at the new Economic School in Georgia. He has been an active leader in International seminars for the World Bank, USAID, and the United Nations Development Program.

Dusan Gamser (Serbia)- Mr. Gamser studied Philosophy at the University in Belgrade. He is currently working as a political/economic consultant with the Swiss company CRV-Itinera (Chopard-Rentrop-Vollmer). Previously, he worked with the Fredrich Naumann Foundation as the Regional Coordinator for Western Balkans. Mr. Gamser is an active member of the Third Chamber (a shadow parliament in Netherlands dealing with international development). He is also politically active as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party in Serbia, and serves as the International Secretary.

Attachment #3 Addendum

From: Gia Jandieri
To: altonsutnick@msn.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 10:11 AM
Subject: many thanks

Dear Al and Mona,
Many thanks for your hospitality and kindness. I peacefully returned back to Georgia and continued working. I am again leaving the country on 12th to visit Rwanda for a conference.

The last visit to Philadelphia was very interesting, I am was tired but the meetings were truly effective. Now we are sitting with my colleagues and thinking how can we use this knowledge better. We are especially interested to find intellectual support from both universities I visited, inviting lecturers, finding materials, preparing together course plans etc. So if you think that all what I am writing has any chances we are eager to use them. My idea is to try to find together special sources of international donor organizations to ask their support of this kind of activities. Experience of last years showed us that WB and USAID are always interested in health care issues.

I hope and I am sure we will continue our cooperation and friendship. I really hope to bring my wife next year to Philadelphia which I liked very much for many reasons but especially because of very nice people living there.

Thanks again and very best wishes,
Gia Jandieri
Vice-President
New Economic School - Georgia

cell: 995-77-770-011
e-fax: 1-801-684-5812
http://www.nesgeorgia.org
http://giajandieri.blogspot.com

Upcoming Events
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING ON OR ATTENDING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING UPCOMING EVENTS, PLEASE CONTACT ILANA OR REBECCA AT PA 215.665.2300 or NJ 856.665.5663

Civic Achievement Award Dinner
Honoring Carole Haas Gravango
March 25, 2009, 6:00 PM
Rittenhouse Hotel
To participate or attend, please contact Marcia Bronstein, bronsteinm@ajc.org,
or PA 215.665.2300 NJ 856.665.5663

Face to Face with Faith: Engaging Interfaith Families
Ongoing series beginning in early 2009
For more information, contact AJC at 215.665.2300, or NJ 856.665.5663
David Hyman, Ryan Newman, Heather Frattone, co-chairs

American Jewish Committee and the Next Great City Coalition
Ongoing work to help determine Philadelphia’s energy initiatives

American Jewish Committee’s Southern New Jersey Outreach
AJC speakers and various events in the planning process
Please contact area director Ilana Wilensik for more information on how you can be involved 856.665.5663

Jewish Study Wednesdays with Dan Cohen
3 and 17 December 2008
7 and 21 January 2009
12:15 – 1:30 PM (beverages provided)
Continuation of Talmud tractate B’rachut (Blessings)
Call Jane Sumerson at 215.665.2300, or NJ 856.665.5663 for more information

Ongoing intergroup dialogues with:
Bucks County Christian Coalition
Hispanic Community
African American/Jewish Women’s dialogue

Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey Chapter
2009/10 Initiatives

AJC and our Energy Partners
We have partnered with The Next Great City Coalition, with whom the city of Philadelphia consults when planning its own energy agenda. We are expanding our hybrid car incentives offered to AJC employees, and introducing the plan to Philadelphia and southern New Jersey businesses to use with their own employees. In Cherry Hill and southern New Jersey, AJC is partnering with Sustainable Cherry Hill, a local non-profit, to help present a series of educational forums, including one based on our pamphlet, Over a Barrel: How America’s Dependence on Foreign Oil Endangers our National Security, Economy, and Environment.

Bucks County Christian Coalition
The Bucks County Christian Coalition, a dialogue between Bucks County Christians and AJC, has been meeting since 1993, promoting democracy and respect of civil rights for all people. These goals have rarely been more important than they are at the present moment. Even as democracy spreads to countries that have never had it before, a backlash of fundamentalism and extremism makes its presence felt in almost every nation on the globe, and is tolerated by many who do not realize its power or the ideology that feeds it. The Bucks County Christian Coalition engages in dialogue to advocate respect for differences and the belief in the power of open minds to open hearts.

Intergroup/Interreligious Relations
AJC has played a leadership role in the field of interreligious and interethnic work for more than a century. Fundamental to our mission is the belief that the security and well-being of the Jewish community is connected to that of all groups. Supporting democracy and pluralism, promoting intergroup relations, and building coalitions to advance shared interests, have always been the central focus of our intergroup dialogue work. Currently, we are focusing our attention on the Latino and the African American Communities. Our continued meetings with leaders from the Latino community are working toward fulfilling their desire to form a cohesive group from which they have the power to make real change. Members include neighborhood representatives, directors from Latino non-profits, and Latino business owners.

Our African American/Jewish Professional Women’s Dialogue is a pilot initiative that we hope can be duplicated in all of our national chapters, strengthening diminished ties with the African-American community through woman-to-woman understanding.

It is also imperative that we maintain valued relationships with our longtime friends, understanding that we cannot take for granted any support we have received from them in the past. They include, among others, the German, Polish, Ukrainian, Evangelical, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Catholic communities.

Energy Security and 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 the U.S. Consuming one quarter of the world’s oil, one thing is clear: it will not be possible for the United States 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 possible damages of climate change. While the steps being taken to deal with these two challenges are not always identical, AJC’s 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. To that end, we have outfitted our office space to be as environmentally friendly as possible with our choice of carpeting and paint, as well as employing motion-sensitive lighting in all of our offices.

Face to Face with Faith: Engaging Interfaith Families series
One effect of living in a democratic nation is making room for diversity. The ambivalence that reaches intermarried families tends to push them away from Judaism. It is vital to make room for all Jews in the community and welcome/mobilize those who are diverse, ambivalent, and on the fringes so that they can be part of the answer to Jewish survival. Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey AJC seeks to work with the Jewish community to develop a multi-track approach to strengthen Jewish identity and positive Jewish experience in both in-marriages and mixed-marriages.

Jewish Study Wednesdays
Led by one of our most learned AJC leaders, Jewish study Wednesdays is an ongoing (almost 30 years) drop-in study and discussion session. This class is for all levels of Torah scholars, from complete novices to yeshiva graduates. Meeting bi-weekly at a convenient center city law firm during lunchtime, it is open to the community and always welcoming of new members.

Jewish Tours of Greater Philadelphia
Also a longtime initiative of the local chapter of American Jewish Committee, these tours focus on Jewish settlements and highlight Jewish contributions to early American society. Stories of Philadelphia’s Jewish colonists are included. Tours can be conducted by foot or bus, and customized to the needs and desires of its participants.

Israel and Media Relations
AJC advocates tirelessly for Israel, as well as her fair coverage in the media. 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.

Southern New Jersey outreach
The Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey chapter of AJC is working with many communities, building understanding and advocating together in areas of mutual concern and interest. This year, we have been partnering with the local JCRC in an effort to raise our visibility. Recently, we were contacted by Congregation Beth El in Cherry Hill to organize an AJC lecture series, the first being well-attended to hear AJC’s Anti-Semitism and Hate specialist, Ken Stern.

AJC is also involved in S. Jersey’s Middle East Institute for the first time in its 40-year history. Aaron Jacob, AJC’s Assistant Director of International Affairs, will be speaking on implications of the Iranian nuclear program, the UN security council resolutions adopted around this issue, the nature of Iran’s governing regime, and what can be done.

Young Leadership Forum/ACCESS
Nationally known as ACCESS, this is AJC’s affinity group for Jewish professionals under the age of 45. The mission is to reach out to the next generation of young Jewish professionals to help them network with each other, and to identify and train a Cadre of people who will lead AJC in the future. This group has unique access to some of the most influential people in Philadelphia (starting within our own board) and works to integrate its programming within the AJC chapter.

On Campuses
AJC continues to belong to the Israel Campus Coalition, and is a resource in many areas to the university community.

ON THE CALENDAR:
Board and Executive Committee meetings (locations tbd)
Executive Committee Wednesday 17 March 1 PM with AJC Exec. Director David Harris
Board Monday 13 April 8:30 AM
Executive Committee Wednesday 13 May noon

Tribute Events
Wednesday 25 March
Civic Achievement Award honoring Carole Haas Gravagno
6:00 Rittenhouse Hotel

Sunday 19 April
National Award honoring Senator Arlen Specter
10 AM National Constitution Center

Wednesday 17 June
Human Relations Award honoring Charlie Kahn
5:30 PM Rittenhouse Hotel

Southern New Jersey
AJC Energy Awareness Honoring Mayor Bernie Platt, Mayor of Cherry Hill, NJ
May date to be determined

Programs: (please contact Ilana or Rebecca for more information)
Thursday 26 March
Mideast briefing with Israel Consul General Daniel Kutner – The US, Israel, and the Middle East
6:00 PM Reception
6:45 PM Dinner and Program
Holy Family University/Northeast Philadelphia

Sunday morning 29 March
S. Jersey Middle East Institute focusing on Nuclear Iran
Aaron Jacob – AJC Assistant Director/International Affairs
Katz Jewish Community Center/Cherry Hill, NJ

Jewish Study Wednesdays with Dan Cohen
18 February
4 and 18 March
April – June dates to be announced
WolfBlock 1650 Arch Street
12:15 bring lunch