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Political Organizations
Southeast Regional Office Atlanta, GA (678) 254-2620 www.aipac.org
AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is the only American organization whose sole mission is to lobby the U.S. government about legislation that strengthens the relationship between the United States and Israel. AIPAC is not a political action committee and does not rate or endorse candidates. AIPAC is a pro-Israel, bipartisan lobbying organization.
More than 100,000 citizens from across the country work with AIPAC staff to strengthen the bonds between the United States and Israel. AIPAC members in all 50 states are encouraged to be politically active and develop relationships with their members of Congress to help educate them about the importance of U.S.-Israel ties. While building support in Washington is essential, AIPAC is found wherever the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship could be affected. AIPAC has a network of 10 regional offices and seven satellite offices that help pro-Israel activists from Missoula to Miami learn how they can affect Israel’s future and security by promoting strong ties with the United States.
Pro-Israel advocacy and strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship is a cause that concerns a broad spectrum of Americans. AIPAC professionals work with synagogues and churches to promote pro-Israel advocacy in their congregations. African-American and Hispanic leaders work with AIPAC staff and their members of Congress to ensure that America supports our ally in the Middle East. AIPAC also works on hundreds of college and high school campuses, empowering and educating student activists to answer Israel’s detractors and on how to use political involvement to build support for Israel. AIPAC empowers pro-Israel activists across all ages, religions and races to be politically engaged and build relationships with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to promote the U.S.-Israel relationship. •
J Street Nashville
P.O. Box 58525 Nashville, TN 37205 www.Jstreet.org/nashville Shayna Abrams, Chair hapshepsute@gmail.com
J Street Nashville is the local chapter of J Street, the national political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans. The organization gives political voice to mainstream American Jews and other supporters of Israel who believe that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential to Israel’s survival as the national home of the Jewish people and a vibrant democracy.
J Street's mission is twofold: first, to support American diplomatic leadership in helping to achieve a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as a broader regional peace; second, to ensure open discussion of Israel and the Middle East in national politics and the American Jewish community.
J Street Nashville, part of the J Street Educational Foundation, offers a variety of educational activities and opportunities. Such events include nationally and internationally recognized speakers, and smaller group presentations on various topics, relating to American Jewish concerns regarding Israel and the Middle East. •
Nashville Jewish Social Justice Roundtable
Irwin Venick and Avi Poster www.jsjrnashville.org jsjrnashville@gmail.com
The Nashville Jewish Social Justice Roundtable is an indepen¬dent, non-partisan Jewish voice for progressive views on social justice issues including poverty, affordable housing, education, mass incarceration, employment and voting rights primarily fo¬cused on local and state concerns.
Formed in 2016 and open to all members of the Jewish com¬munity, the NJSJR stands on the Jewish moral values of mishpat (justice for all); tzedakah (social justice); gemilut hesedim (acts of loving kindness) and rahamim (compassion for those in need). Our mission is to advocate in support of solutions to problems that will advance the principles of democratic pluralism, reli¬gious freedom and economic justice.
When appropriate, NJSJR takes positions on specific so¬cial justice issues and encourages its members to advocate for those positions by contacting civic leaders and others via email and telephone, being sure to let them know that the opinion expressed is from this Nashville Jewish organization. At other times, NJSJR will join with groups in the broader Nashville com-munity to strengthen advocacy for social justice issues. NJSJR also sponsors membership meetings to educate its members and the larger Jewish community about timely concerns. Over time NJSJR plans to affiliate with national Jewish social justice orga¬nizations to better educate its members and the greater Nashville Jewish community on national issues of specific local and state concern.
As NJSJR is primarily concerned about local and state social justice issues, it does not address issues involving Israel or the Middle East.
Anyone interested in joining the Nashville Jewish Social Justice Roundtable can sign up at http://jsjrnashville.org. To learn more about NJSJR contact Irwin Venick (irwin.venick@gmail.com or (615) 3906689) or Avi Poster (aviposter4@gmail.com or (615) 414-2396). •
