Ashland Chapter: 2004-05 Activities

The charter member of Advocates for Israel, the Ashland, Oregon chapter has been at the forefront of pro-Israel advocacy in the United States. Highlights of our activities include:

1) Established a Media Watch Team.

• An organization of monitors, writers, and submitters who work regularly to identify and respond to specific news stories, opinion/editorial columns, and radio programming regarding Israel.
• More than 100 letters published in regional newspapers.
• Ensures public understands realities of State of Israel and Israeli-Palestinian conflict through fair, objective, accurate, and balanced media reporting.
• Effectively responds to media by organizing the effort, delegating work, eliminating redundancies, and soliciting more community member participation.

2) Sponsored Zionist speakers David Meir Levy and Bob Hornstein. Target: Jewish community.

3) "Apartheid Wall" Protest.
A traveling "anti-Wall" exhibit arrived in Ashland weekend of July 4, 2004. We mobilized and mounted a counter- demonstration wherever the exhibit appeared. Tabling next to them, we distributed hundreds of fliers, effectively and totally frustrating their efforts throughout the weekend.

4) Sponsored speaker Nonie Darwish—pro-Israel Arab daughter of a Shahid. Extremely effective speaker denouncing Arab radicalism/claims that Israel is the cause of current conflict. Publicity campaign included: three in-depth 45-minute radio interviews, one with the local NPR affiliate station, and full story in newspaper. Target: general community.

5) Public Library Book Purchase. Donated some 20 books about Israel to public library.

6) At three pro-Palestinian cultural events we coordinated attendance of several Zionists, who countered during Q & A the false anti-Israel assertions that had been presented.

7) "Relentless" film. Numerous showings and discussion groups. Target: both Jewish and general communities.

• Facilitated two "Compassionate Listening" workshop events at library and university venues subsequent to film viewing. Target: the public, no cost. Pre-event publicity via radio interviews and newspaper stories, and subsequent event reporting.
• Six showings on RVTV public access television. Created 60-second commercial publicizing showings and PSAs in local newspapers and entertainment publications.
• Rivergate Church screening: facilitated discussions, newspaper, bulletins, fliers.

8) Yom Ha’atzmaut. Produced a Jewish community-wide festival that included food, dancing, music, paintings & photo exhibit, discussion on Zionism, Israeli feature films, arts & crafts.

9) "Four Rabbis" Speaker Event. Invited local rabbis to speak from their hearts on importance of the State of Israel. Target: Jewish community.

10) Convinced Ashland Foreign Film Festival to include contemporary Israeli film "Walk on Water." As a result of our assistance in marketing, realized second-best attendance for the festival. Theater now willing to host an exclusive Israel Film Festival, targeting general population.