White House Social Justice Roundtable Engages Jewish Community Leaders

Ariela Fleisig — August 17, 2011 – 11:26 am | Barack Obama | Domestic Policy | Israel | Social Safety Net Comments (0) Add a comment

Jewish community leaders recently gathered at the White House for a “Jewish Social Justice Roundtable” as part of the White House Office of Public Engagement’s Community Leaders Briefings series.

The Algemeiner’s Maxine Dovere reported:

170 Jewish leaders from across the geographic and socio-political spectrum gathered to discuss American social justice issues as part of the White House Office of Public Engagement ‘Community Leaders Briefings.’ The series of meetings, says the While House, is intended ‘to bring together leaders and activists from communities all across the country for an opportunity to discuss common challenges.’ The July 28 meeting was unique - it was specifically called the ‘Jewish Social Justice Roundtable.’

Top White House advisors including Valerie Jarrett, (Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement), Jon Carson, (Office of Public Engagement), (Michael Strautmanis (Counselor for Strategic Engagement to Jarrett), Danielle Borrin (Vice President’s staff, handles Jewish affairs) Cecilia Munoz, (Intergovernmental Affairs), Tina Tchen (White House Council on Women and Girls), and Dr. Rebecca Blank, (Department of Commerce) met with 170 representatives of 21 organizations in a meeting generally characterized as positive, including a statement of the President’s continued support for Israel’s security and general availability to the issues concerning the American Jewish community.

Almost 5 % of the participants came from the National Council NCJW, which brings with it a century of work towards social change. Others represented ‘grassroots’ leadership of the 20 other organizations composing the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable. From Hillel to denomination representatives, a wide range of the American Jewish community participated….

Jewish Congressional leaders, including Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Henry Waxman, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Sen. Mark Begich, and a representative of Senator Charles Schumer also spoke to the group. Rabbi Moline concluded, saying ‘the gatherings at the White House are extraordinarily important. This was the only group that came as a community - which says something about the importance of Jewish concerns to Obama administration.’

After the meeting, Rabbi Jack Moline’s spoke with Dovere about President Barack Obama’s commitment to Israel’s security:

Rabbi Jack Moline is the rabbi of the conservative Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia. He is on the national board of the Rabbinical Assembly, has served as President of the Washington Board of Rabbis and is on the board of the Gesher Day School. He calls Israel ‘a high priority item in both my professional and my personal life.’ Moline spoke candidly with the Algemeiner.

‘If you listen to those voices concerned with Israel’s security, including Israel’s defense minister and Ambassador Michael Oren, things have never been stronger or more dependable than now,’ commented Moline. ‘There may be some disputes on questions about who is doing the right thing in terms of resolving issues between Israel and her neighbors, but in terms of the essential aspects of Israel and security, there is no distance between Obama and Netanyahu.’ He continued ‘The two leaders’ relationship is close and strong.’

 

Comments

There are no comments for this entry