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J Street Conference Sessions

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25

Join J Street and Theater J for an exciting pre-conference event at the DCJCC, "Arts and Activism in Troubled Times: Can Culture Effect Change?"

5:00pm - Registration Opens

7:00pm - PLENARY SESSION: Israel and 21st Century American Jewry
Speakers:
Jeremy Ben-Ami, Executive Director, J Street
Daniel Sokatch, CEO, New Israel Fund
Respondents:
Ronit Avni, Founder and Executive Director, Just Vision
Rabbi Andy Bachman, Rabbi, Congregation Beth Elohim, Brooklyn, NY
Jim Gerstein, Principal, Gerstein Agne Strategic Communications
Rabbi Melissa Weintraub, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Encounter

9:00pm - Dessert Reception

 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 26

8:00am - Briefing for Hill Team Leaders

9:00am to 10:30am - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

  1. AMERICANS FOR PEACE NOW PRESENTS: West Bank Settlements: Obstacles on the Road to Peace - A View From the Ground and From the Diplomatic Arena 
    Akiva Eldar, Chief Political Columnist and Editorial Writer, Ha'aretz
    Scott Lasensky, Senior Research Associate, Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, United States Institute of Peace
    Hagit Ofran, Director, Settlement Watch, a project of Peace Now
    Moderator: Ori Nir, Spokesman, Americans For Peace Now
  2. The Maze: Navigating Foreign and National Security Policy Through the Knesset
    Ami Ayalon, Former Member of Knesset; Former Head of the Shin Bet
    Shlomo Molla, Member of Knesset (Kadima)
    Yuli Tamir, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset (Labor); Former Minister of Immigrant Absorption
    Moderator: Colette Avital, Former Israeli Consul General in New York; Former Member of Knesset (Labor)
  3. The Need for a Regional Comprehensive Approach to the Israeli Palestinian Conflict
    Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein, Ambassador of Jordan 
    Shlomo Ben Ami, Former Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Security
    Alvaro de Soto, Former Chief Middle East Envoy, United Nations
    Moderator: Ambassador Phillip Wilcox, President, Foundation for Middle East Peace; former U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem
  4. Examining the Jewish Social Justice/Israel Divide 
    Alana Alpert, Rabbinical student, Hebrew College; Former Recipient, 2008 AJWS Dvar Tzedek Torah Commentary: Lisa Goldberg Memorial Writers' Fellowship
    Elissa Barrett, Executive Director, Progressive Jewish Alliance
    Jacob Feinspan, Executive Director, Jews United for Justice
    Moderator: Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Program Director, The Nathan Cummings Foundation
  5. THEATER J AND J STREET PRESENT: Culture as a Tool For Change - Theater
    Ari Roth, Artistic Director, Theater J
    Actors from Theater J 

10:45am to 12:15pm - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

  1. The American Left and Israel
    J.J. Goldberg, Editorial Director, The Forward
    Michelle Goldberg, Author, Kingdom Coming
    Ezra Klein, Staff Reporter, The Washington Post
    Moderator: Katrina vanden Heuvel, Editor, The Nation
  2. Where Has Israeli Peace Activism Gone?
    Dana Agmon, Director of Major Gifts, OneVoice
    Ronit Avni, Founder and Executive Director, Just Vision
    Hagit Ofran, Director, Settlement Watch, a project of Peace Now
    Moderator: Didi Remez, Senior Partner, BenOr Consulting
  3. Israel's Social and Domestic Challenges - Yes, They Also Exist
    Nitzan Horowitz, Member of Knesset (New Movement - Meretz)
    Amir Peretz, Member of Knesset (Labor); Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense
    Meir Sheetrit, Member of Knesset (Kadima); Former Finance Minister; Former Interior Minister
    Moderator: Avshalom Vilan, Former Member of Knesset (Meretz)
  4. How Jews, Christians and Muslims Can Work Together For Peace
    Greg Khalil, President and Co-Founder, The Kairos Project
    Salam Al-Marayati, Executive Director, Muslim Public Affairs Council
    Mark Pelavin, Associate Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
    Maureen Shea, Former Director, Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations; Former Churches For Middle East Peace Chair
    Moderator: Ron Young, Co-Founder, National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace
  5. NEW ISRAEL FUND PRESENTS: Setting the Stage for Peace: The Fight for Democratic Values
    Hagai El-Ad, Executive Director, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)
    Akiva Eldar, Chief Political Columnist and Editorial Writer, Ha'aretz
    Rachel Liel, Executive Director, New Israel Fund Israel
    Moderator: Larry Garber, Former CEO, New Israel Fund
  6. THEATER J AND J STREET PRESENT: Culture as a Tool for Change - Popular Media
    John Marks, President and Founder, Search for Common Ground

12:30pm to 1:30pm - LUNCH

1:45pm to 3:15pm - PLENARY SESSION: Jewish Community Town Hall
Jeremy Ben-Ami, Executive Director, J Street
Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President, The Union for Reform Judaism
Moderator: Jane Eisner, Editor, The Forward

3:30pm to 4:45pm - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

  1. Iran: Is Diplomacy Working?
    Hillary Mann Leverett, CEO, STRATEGA
    Trita Parsi, Founder and President, National Iranian American Council
    Brian Finlay, Senior Associate, The Henry L. Stimson Center
    Moderator: Toni G. Verstandig, Director of Middle East Programs, The Aspen Institute
  2. Human Rights in Israel
    Rabbi Arik Ascherman, Executive Director, Rabbis for Human Rights
    Oded Na'aman, Breaking the Silence
    Uri Zaki, USA Representative, B'tselem
    Professor David Kretzmer, Emeritus Professor of International Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Co-Chair, Executive Board, B'Tselem, The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
    Moderator: Aaron Back, Director, Ford Israel Fund
  3. How We Stop Talking to Ourselves: Innovative Ways to Broaden the Conversation
    Ronit Avni, Founder and Executive Director, Just Vision
    Malka Fenyvesi, Director of Interfaith Programming/NewGround Co-Director, Progressive Jewish Alliance
    Rabbi Melissa Weintraub, Co-founder and Co-Executive Director, Encounter
    Moderator: Shawn Landres, Co-Founder and CEO, Jumpstart
  4. Israel on Campus
    Ralph Hexter, President, Hampshire College
    Aimee Mayer, Member, J Street U Student Board of Directors; President, University of Maryland J Street U
    David Shneer, Associate Professor of History; Director, Program in Jewish Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder
    Dr. Bernard Steinberg, President and Executive Director, Harvard Hillel
    Moderator: Chaya Rubin, Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Psychology, Yeshiva University
  5. Palestinian Economic Development: Path to Peace or Diversion?
    C. Ross Anthony, Ph.D., Senior Economist, RAND Corporation
    Bassim Khoury, Minister of National Economy, Palestinian Authority
    Ron Pundak, Director General, Peres Center for Peace
    Douglas Suisman, Principal Architect, Suisman Urban Design
    Moderator: Bernard Avishai, Business Consultant; Author
  6. THEATER J AND J STREET PRESENT: Culture as a Tool for Change - Storytelling - A Land Twice Promised
    Noa Baum, Storyteller  

5:00pm to 6:15pm - PLENARY SESSION: View From the Hill: Congress and the US-Israel Relationship
Representative Charles Boustany (LA-07)
Representative Bob Filner (CA-51)
Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
Moderator: Bob Franken, Former CNN Correspondent

8:00pm -  Rocking the Status Quo Party
Featuring Music by Soulico
Open to all participants

8:00pm  - Reception in Celebration of Brit Tzedek v' Shalom
Open to all participants

 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27

8:00am to 9:00am - Briefing for Hill Team Leaders

9:00am to 10:15am - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

  1. An Israeli-Palestinian Peace Deal in 24 Months: How to Get it Done
    Gadi Batilansky, Director General, Geneva Initiative-Israel; Former Spokesperson for Prime Minister Ehud Barak
    Daniel Levy, Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Task Force, New America Foundation; Former Israeli Negotiator
    Dr. Ron Pundak, Director General, The Peres Center for Peace
    Moderator: MJ Rosenberg, Senior Fellow on Foreign Policy, Media Matters Action Network
  2. What Does It Mean To Be Pro-Israel?
    Jonathan Chait, Senior Editor, The New Republic
    Matt Yglesias, Blogger, ThinkProgress.com
    Moderator    : J.J. Goldberg, Editorial Director, The Forward
  3. BRIT TZEDEK V'SHALOM PRESENTS: Organizing on the Ground - A Political Force for the Pro-Israel/Pro-Peace movement
    Carinne Luck, Organizer, Former Director of Grassroots and Chapter Development, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, Former J Street Chief of Staff
    Laurie Moskowitz, Founding Partner and Director, FieldWorks
    Ari Wallach; Partner, StudioBenZion; Co-founder, The Great Schlep.com, JCER and JewsVote.org
    Moderator: Diane Balser, Former Executive Director, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
  4. RABBIS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS OF NORTH AMERICA PRESENTS:  A Text Study: What's Jewish about J Street?
    Rabbi Amy Eilberg, Co-Founder, Yedidya Center for Jewish Spiritual Direction
    Rabbi Edward Feld, Rabbi-in-Residence, The Rabbinical School, Jewish Theological Seminary; Former Education Director, Rabbis for Human Rights of North America
    Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Spiritual leader, Congregation Nevei Kodesh, Boulder, Colorado
  5. THEATER J AND J STREET PRESENT: Culture as a Tool for Change - Short Films presented by The Other Israel Film Festival
    6.5 Minutes in Tel Aviv (    Director: Mirey Brantz)
    Roads     (Director: Lior Geller)
    Shnaim     (Director: Shimon Richik)
    Presenter: Isaac Zablocki; Executive Director, Other Israel Film Festival

10:30am to 11:45am - BREAKOUT SESSIONS 

  1. BRIT TZEDEK RABBINIC CABINET PRESENTS: Dancing on the Head of a Pin: The Role of Rabbis in the Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace Movement
     Rabbi David J. Cooper, Kehilla Community Congregation, Piedmont, CA
    Rabbi Joshua Levine-Grater, Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, Pasadena, CA
    Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller, Congregation Sherith Israel, San Francisco, CA 
    Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Congregation Dorshei Tzedek, Newton, MA
    Moderator: Rabbi John Friedman, Judea Reform Congregation, Durham, North Carolina
  2. Palestinian Perspectives: Looking Forward
    Ziad Asali, President and Founder, American Task Force on Palestine
    Nadia Bilbassy, Correspondent, Middle East Broadcasting Center
    Bassim Khoury, Minister of National Economy, Palestinian Authority
    Moderator: Amjad Atallah, Co-Director, Middle East Task Force, New America Foundation
  3. What Next? Analysis and Advice for the President from Washington Insiders
    Jon Alterman, Director and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
    Lara Friedman, Director of Policy and Government Relations, Americans for Peace Now
    Robert Malley, Director, Middle East/North Africa Program, International Crisis Group
    Moderator: Morton H. Halperin, Member, J Street Board of Directors
  4. Shifting the Conversation: Jewish Community Dynamics and Israel
    Shula Bahat, Director, American Friends of Beit Hatfutzot; Former Associate Executive Director, American Jewish Committee
    Rabbi Peter Knobel, Beth Emet the Free Synagogue; Former President, Central Conference of American Rabbis
    Daniel Sokatch, CEO, New Israel Fund; Former Executive Director, Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sanoma Counties
    Moderator: Hannah Rosenthal, Corporate Vice President, Wisconsin Physicians Service; Former Director, Jewish Council for Public Affairs
  5. Messaging "Pro-Israel, Pro Peace"
    Matt Dorf, Managing Partner, Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications
    Jim Gerstein, Principal, Gerstein Agne Strategic Communications
    Dr. Calvin Goldscheider, Scholar in Residence, Center for Israel Studies, American University
    Moderator: Dahlia Scheindlin, Political Consultant and Public Opinion Analyst
  6. THEATER J AND J STREET PRESENT: Culture as a Tool for Change - Documentary - Excerpts of Budrus has a Hammer/2010 (working title)
    Julia Bacha, Media Director, Just Vision
    Ronit Avni, Executive Director and Founder, Just Vision

12:15pm to 1:00pm - LUNCH

1:00pm to 4:00pm - PLENARY SESSION: Why Two States? Why Now?
Introduction and Response: Representative Robert Wexler (FL-19)
Keynote Speaker: General James L. Jones, United States National Security Advisor

Israeli Interests:
Bernard Avishai, Business Consultant; Author
Ami Ayalon, Former Member of Knesset (Labor); Former Head of the Shin Bet
Haim Ramon, Former Member of Knesset (Kadima); Former Vice Prime Minister

American Interests:
Ambassador Martin Indyk, Vice President and Director of the Foreign Policy Program, The Brookings Institution; Former Ambassador of the Unites States to Israel
Mel Levine, Former Member of Congress (D-CA)

Moderator:
Richard Wolffe, Author, Renegade: The Making of a President; Former Senior White House Correspondent, Newsweek

6:30pm - J Street Gala Dinner Reception
This is a ticketed event

7:30pm- J Street Gala Dinner Honoring Victor A. Kovner
This is a ticketed event
Keynote Address: Former Senator Chuck Hagel

 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28

8:00am-9:00am - Hill Visit Briefing

9:15am to 9:45am - Busses to Capitol Hill

10:00am to 2:00pm - Appointments with Member offices

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About J Street

J Street is the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement. We seek to change the direction of American policy in the Middle East and to broaden the public and policy debate in the U.S. about the Middle East. We support strong American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts peacefully and diplomatically...

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J Street, JStreetPAC, and the J Street Education Fund are legally independent entities:

• J Street – a 501(c)(4) corporation engages in advocacy, lobbying and political activity;
• JStreetPAC – a political action committee endorses and raises funds for federal candidates;
• The J Street Education Fund – a 501(c)(3) organization for education and outreach, includes the J Street U campus initiative and J Street Local, J Street's national field program.
Contact J Street at info [at] jstreet [dot] org or at (202) 596-5207 or P.O. Box 66073, Washington DC 20035. Contact JStreetPAC at info [at] jstreetpac [dot] org.

Paid for by J Street, http://jstreet.org/, and JStreetPAC,http://jstreetpac.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.