Blog

By: Rabbi Dana Saroken

On Sunday, March 24th, I headed to Washington, D.C. to attend the annual AIPAC Policy Conference with Dr. Eyal Bor and 30 of our Beth El congregants. From the moment we entered the convention center, the buzz was palpable: There were huge plenaries where politicians shared their reflections and visions, and 18,000 (yes…18,000!) people were captivated by their words.  

All 18,000 attendees sat together in plenaries that made us laugh and cry, each full of ‘make you think' moments. In addition to the plenaries, there were smaller breakout sessions throughout the day on any topic you could possibly imagine and presented by the greatest thinkers of our day.

If you haven't yet experienced an AIPAC Policy Conference, you might not realize that a diverse group of people attend. There are people of all ages, Democrats and Republicans, people who lean right, others who lean left and others who fall anywhere in-between on political, social and policy issues. There are Jews and non-Jews and leaders representing different religious and geographical communities. At AIPAC, the convention center's doors are open wide.  

There were times when we sat together, and some people stood and applauded, while others sat with hands in their laps. There were other times when the opposite was true. There were times when we heard people with whom we agreed and times when we didn't. There was one thing that everyone in the room shared, a passion for Israel and a belief in Israel's existence.  That's why we showed up �" 18,000 strong and listened and learned �" because we were all committed to ensuring a vibrant Israel and a strong relationship between diaspora Jews and Israelis.

The highlights of the conference for me included an 18,000 person sing-a-long led by Koolulam, a social-musical initiative aimed at strengthening the fabric of society through mass singing events. I loved my lunchtime session with Stav Shaffir, the youngest female Knesset member in Israel's history who, at just 33-years-old, has beautiful visions of a shared society. Ms. Shaffir just might be the Prime Minister one day! I enjoyed the opportunity to listen to Benny Gantz, the 20th Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), who is Prime Minister Netanyahu's stiffest competition in the upcoming election. I liked listening to the smart and wise David Horovitz (from the Times of Israel) make sense of the issues of the day in the Middle East. And for a few hours, I had a great time roaming around the “Village” listening to Israeli entrepreneurs share their latest innovations.  

Some friends spent their days attending the premieres of Israeli movies or went to wine and beer tastings. Others studied Torah with the Hartman fellows, Rabbi Danny Gordis, and other great rabbis. The truth is that there's something for everyone at the AIPAC Policy Conference. Most speakers you will love, others (depending on the year and who is in office) you will listen and learn and endure. But most importantly, if you join us in Washington, you will feel inspired and proud to be American Jews who stand in support of the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel. You will have taken a stand in support of Israel, to have been counted, and of course, you will feel good in knowing that there are others out there in our world �" who also love and care about Israel!  

If you would like to attend the AIPAC Policy Conference next year (March 1-3, 2020), we invite you to join us. As always, Dr. Bor and I are available to answer any questions you might have and talk through the details, as is the fabulous Leah Berry, the Baltimore Area Director of AIPAC (lberry@aipac.org).  

We'd love to have you join us!

B'shalom,

Rabbi Dana Saroken