• JPAC Mission
• Latter Day Saints/Jewish Community Luncheon
• New Leaders Project Retreat

For more information on any JCRC event or program, please contact Caron Spector at (323) 761-8163 or CSpector@JewishLA.org.

Annual JPAC Mission in
Sacramento Addresses

More than 150 people from across California, including a group from The Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC), took part in the Jewish Public Affairs Committee’s (JPAC) annual Statewide Advocacy Day.

The group gathered in Sacramento April 28-29 to discuss important legislation such as ACR 79, which calls for the prohibition of the government investing public employees’ retirement funds in companies that have ties with Iran or other countries that support terrorist activities, and SR 18, which requests that the University of California Education Abroad Program revise its policies in order to allow students to study in Israel without the need to temporarily withdraw or drop out of school for that semester. The group also called upon the government to restore Medi-Cal funding after dramatic cuts in February that threaten to affect the elderly and senior services, as well as other frail and vulnerable California residents including children and adults with disabilities.

After meetings and conferences about these legislative issues, the group split up and attended legislative appointments at the State Capitol Building, which allowed them to air their concerns and press the resolution of these issues to members of California state government. During the two-day program, Assemblymembers John Laird (Chair, Assembly Budget Committee) and Mike Villines (Republican Assembly Leader) also participated in a discussion about the ongoing budget crisis, and State Controller John Chiang gave the keynote address at the JPAC mission luncheon.

During the mission, Stanley Kandel, a longtime JCRC lay leader, was presented with the 2008 JPAC Earl Raab Award honoring the state's leading volunteer advocate for the Jewish community. Stanley has been active with the JCRC Holy Land Democracy Project, traveling to Israel numerous times with Catholic teachers, and has also participated in several JCRC missions to Israel with state legislators.

Mormon Church and Jewish Community Join Together to Celebrate Israel’s 60th

On May 16, two religious communities joined together as more than 200 people from the Latter Day Saints and the Jewish community gathered for a celebratory luncheon in honor of Israel’s 60th.

ElderJohn Dalton, John Fishel, President Robert Keeler, Rabbi Mark Diamond, and President Mark Bragg at the luncheon

Many important leaders from both communities spoke at the event, including Federation President John Fishel; Santa Monica Stake President Robert Keeler; Elder John Dalton, Area Seventy; Israeli Consul General Jacob Dayan; Board of Rabbis Executive Vice President Rabbi Mark Diamond; and Los Angeles Stake President Mark Bragg, who offered the benediction.

The luncheon marked the first time the Mormon Church has ever held an event at a Jewish federation and commemorated both the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence and the 40th anniversary of Brigham Young University's study abroad program in Israel.

Group Retreat Creates Bond Between
New Leaders Project Participants

The 2008 New Leaders Project members spent the weekend of May 16-18 learning and bonding with one another on the annual NLP retreat.

Held at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute in Simi Valley, the retreat allowed participants to work together in leadership groups, participate in a discussion about public speaking with California State Senator Sheila Kuehl, and celebrate Shabbat with a delicious meal, services, and havdallah.

When the weekend was over, NLP members left feeling confident that they had accomplished a great deal and truly connected with one another. “Throughout the weekend, we really got to know each other as more than just fellow New Leaders. I think it was because there was a sense of familiarity; we saw something in each other that we recognized in ourselves,” said NLP participant Sabrina Eisenstadt.

“Most likely it was the desire to affect change and make a difference in our community but it grew into mutual admiration and affection for each other. Because of that, we were able to really enjoy sharing our experiences and we came together as a cohesive group,” explained Eistenstadt. “It's a true pleasure to consider myself a member of such an impressive group of young leaders.”

The New Leaders Project is the premier Jewish civic leadership training program in the country, linking Jewish values with a commitment to civic activism. After the program, participants are expected to take active leadership roles in the civic and Jewish communities of Los Angeles.