Advocates for Israel: Community Activism

Advocates for Israel champions, nurtures, and advises local community pro-Israel chapters. This section will be updated frequently to provide details and suggestions for:

GETTING STARTED
Initiate effective coordination of local programming:
• Finding Zionists
• First Meeting
• Second Meeting
• Media List
• Goal Setting
• Finances
• By Laws
• Strategic Alliances
• A-Z

ACTIVITIES
Introduce and maintain dynamic pro-Israel projects:
• Book Club
• Discussion/Debate
—Compassionate Listening workshops
—Debates sponsored by neutral organizations
• Films
• Celebrations
—Jewish festivals provide natural venues for organizing events at synagogues, community centers, and universities. We'll consult with you on PR and tabling with pro-Israel materials.
• Going to Israel
• Event Planning
• Press Releases
• Synagogue Bulletins
• Adult Education
—Design and contract development of exciting curriculum for university-level lectures (i.e., "U.S. Foreign Relations"); synagogue and church groups (i.e., "The History of Modern Israel"); Hebrew high schools (i.e., "Anti-Semitism and the Imperative of the Jewish State); and secular high schools (i.e., The History and Culture of the Middle East").
• Rotary Lectures
• Speakers
• University Actions
—Educating professors.
—General "non-event" tabling in student unions.
—U.S. campuses have long drawn speakers who spread often vicious anti-Israel propaganda. Demonstrations at these events bring great visibility and media attention to the events. We'll assist you in organization and mobilization. Keep in consideration: advertising; signs and fliers; tabling; and talking points for reporters.

MAKING THE CASE
Implement specific pro-Israel presentation techniques for your local initiatives:
• PowerPoints
—We can produce PowerPoint presentations for A/V enhancement for speakers, teachers, and rabbis on a variety of topics, including: Causes of Palestinian refugee situation; attempts for peace through negotiation; rational for U.S. government support of Israel; history of the borders; the question of expansionist policies; historical Jewish presence; and Israeli achievements.
• Talking Points
—Please refer to our Talking Points section for vital resources. We'll gladly assist you in focusing your letters and op-ed pieces. Contact us for insights and perspectives.
—We strongly recommend that your letter not only inform but also urge the reader to take action similar to what you are doing. This is an excellent means to transform your constituency from passive into active pro-Israel advocates. Letter and op-eds also provide an excellent way to encourage organizations in your community to take action.
• Position Papers
• Speakers
—Top-tier speakers usually command a high fee/honorarium, yet they are likely to bring much prestige to the evening and to your chapter and will virtually guarantee media coverage.
—Often equally impactful as nationally renowned personalities (and much more affordable) are regional and metro-area speakers. Contact your local Jewish Federation/JCC/JCRB for access to their speaker pool.
—Local speakers, including university professors, are likely to speak at your event, often for free.
• Books

BEST PRACTICES
Utilize our experience to achieve finely-tuned pro-Israel advocacy:
• Mission Statements
• Actual Experiences that Work
• Bad Experiences
• Do’s and Don'ts

MEDIA WATCH
Establish and maintain an effective local Media Watch team:
• Forming the Team
• Setting Goals
• Effective Technologies
• Other Teams
• Talking Points
• Archived Letters