Israel's Road to Peace:
The Role of American Jews
| 2003 National Conference of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, The Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace |
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom's second national conference -"Israels's Road to Peace: The Role of American Jews," held in Boston October 31-November 2, 2003, was a total high for everyone who was able to attend, about 650 people representing 30 states.
Our keynote speakers included MK Amram Mitzna, former MK Naomi Chazan, James Zogby, Sumaya Farhat Nasser, Stephen P. Cohen and Congressman Barney Frank.
The atmosphere at the conference was one of renewed vigor and optimism, what Steve Masters, Chair of our Advocacy/Public Policy Committee calls "the big MO" -- momentum. We have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams a year and a half ago when the founding conference was held.
We all came way from the conference with a strong sense that Brit Tzedek has a major role to play, nationally and locally, in helping to advocate for the spirit of Geneva-a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is just, practical and fully and viable
- Keynote Transcripts and Speaker Bios
- Media coverage of the conference
- Transcript of MK Amram Mitzna's keynote address: "Israel's Road to Peace: Current and Future Directions"
- Agenda
- Concurrent Sessions
- Conference Photos
- Order audiotapes of the plenaries and concurrent sessions from Brit Tzedek’s Second National Conference
AGENDA
| Friday, October 31 | |
| Begins 2:00 pm | Registration |
| 4:15 pm | Kabbalat Shabbat |
| 5:30 pm | Shabbat Dinner (Kosher) [contact: info@btvshalom.org] |
| 7:30 pm | Opening Remarks: Aliza Becker, Executive Director [Bio] The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Where Have We Been? Where Are We Going? Presenters: Naomi Chazan, former MK and Deputy Speaker of the Knesset (Meretz) Marcia Freedman, President of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, Former MK Stephen P. Cohen, National Scholar for Israel Policy Forum and President, Institute for Middle East Peace and Development |
| 9:30 pm | Small Group Discussions |
| Saturday, November 1 | |
| 8:00-9:30 am | • Egalitarian Services Tamara Cohen, Greater Washington Coalition for Jewish Life. [Bio] • The Torah Study on Masechet Haatzmaut (Israel's Declaration of Independence) Rabbi Brian Walt, Rabbis for Human Rights [Bio] • Jewish Meditation Nan Fink Gefen, Chochmat Halev Jewish Meditation Center [Bio] • Secular Discussion Group Rafe Ezekiel, Boston Chapter Co-chair |
| 9:45 - 11:15 am | Concurrent Sessions |
| 11:30 - 1:00 pm | Concurrent Sessions |
| 1:00 pm | Lunch |
| 2:45 - 4:15 pm | Concurrent Sessions |
| 4:30 - 5:30 pm | The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict on Capitol Hill Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) |
| 5:30 pm | Havdalah |
| 7:30 pm | Plenary Keynote MK Amram Mitzna, former Mayor of Haifa and Labor Party candidate for Prime Minister Debbie Friedman, singer and songwriter [read more] |
| Sunday, November 2 | |
| 9:30-11:00 am | Plenary: A Palestinian Perspective Sumaya Farhat-Naser, co-founder and former director of the Jerusalem Center for Women James Zogby, Founder and President of the Arab American Institute |
| 11:00-12:00 pm | Presidential Candidates' Forum Steve Grossman, National Co-Chair of the Howard Dean campaign Matt Lieberman (for Joe Lieberman's campaign) Alan Solomont (For John Kerry's campaign) Other Democratic presidential candidates* Administration Representative* * not yet confirmed |
| 12 noon | Lunch |
| 1:30 pm | Opening: A Besere Velt (A Better World), Yiddish Community Chorus of the Workmen's Circle Annual Meeting Business Meeting and Discussion of 2004 Strategic Plan |
| 3:30 pm | Closing |
| For information on purchasing optional Kosher meals,
contact info@btvshalom.org. Reservations and an additional fee are required. |
|
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KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
- Member of Knesset (MK) Amram Mitzna,former Labor Party candidate for Prime Minister and Mayor of Haifa.
[bio] [transcript] - Former MK Naomi Chazan,former Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, peace activist and academic.
[bio] [transcript] - Sumaya Farhat-Naser,co-founder and former director of the Jerusalem Center for Women, Palestinian peace activist and academic.
[bio] [transcript] - Stephen P. Cohen,National Scholar for Israel Policy Forum and President, Institute for Middle East Peace and Development.
[bio] [transcript] - Congressman Barney Frank,Democratic Representative from Massachusetts.
[bio] [transcript] - James Zogby, Founder and President of the Arab American Institute
[bio] [transcript] - Marcia Freedman, President, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom and former Member of Knesset.
[bio] [transcript]
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
|
Advocating for Israel and for Peace on Campus Judah Ariel,Rabbi Jonathan Crane, Dr. Susannah Heschel, Gwynn Kessler |
[Description] | [Bios] |
| Answering the Difficult Questions about the Conflict and Brit Tzedek Aliza Becker and Marcia Freedman |
[Description] | [Becker's Bio] [Freedman's Bio] |
| Anti-Semitism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict David Albert, Diane Balser, Cherie Brown, Barry Joseph, and Irena Klepfisz. |
[description] | [Albert's Bio] [Balser's Bio] [Brown's Bio] [Joseph's Bio] [Klepfisz's Bio] |
| Brit Tzedek and the Israeli Refuser Movement: Strengthening Each Other Dan Vos, Ora Gladstone, and David Levy |
[Description] | [Bios] |
| Democracy in the Balance: Security and Rights in the Israeli Courts Pnina LaHav |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Engaging Young Adults in Middle East Peace Work Jennifer Goldstein, Rebecca Hartman, Barry Joseph, Jessica Rosenblum, and Beth Wasserman | [Description] | [Bios] |
| Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Brit Tzedek v'Shalom's Seven
Principles Donna Spiegelman and Mitch Silver |
[Description] | [Bios] |
| Everything you wanted to know about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, but were afraid to ask David Albert |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Getting Our Message of Hope and Peace into the Media Carolyn Toll Oppenheim |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Grassroots Educational Projects David Albert, Ivan Handler, Barbara Nordstrom-Loeb |
[Description] | [Albert's Bio] [Handler's Bio] [Nordstrom-Loeb's Bio] |
| Grassroots Peace-Building between Israelis and Palestinians Betsy Kaptchuk and Yehezkel Landau |
[Description] | [Bios] |
| Handling Disagreements with Jews on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Cherie Brown |
[Description] |
[Bio] |
| A History of North American Jewish Peace Groups Rabbi Rebecca Lillian |
[Description] |
[Bio] |
| Ideas Ahead Of The Curve (WHICH MAY NOT EVER BE ADOPTED BY OFFICIAL DIPLOMACY) Stephen P. Cohen |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Integrating the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and Jewish Ritual Rabbi Arthur Waskow |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Israel and the American Superpower Syndrome Robert Jay Lifton |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Is the Settlement Process Reversible? Ian Lustick |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Jewish American Medical Project Alan Meyers and Alice Rothschild |
[Description] | [Bios] |
| Judaism and Human Rights in Israel Rabbi Brian Walt |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Justice, and Beyond: How Do We Talk About the Conflict? Rabbi Toba Spitzer |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Learning from the Campus Context: Building Vibrant Activist Communities Joseph Gindi and Eli Staub |
[Description] | [Bios] |
| Milhamot Hashem? Jewish Conception of War Ethics Rabbi Jill Jacobs and Melissa Weintraub |
[Description] | [Bios] |
| The National Campaign: Bring the Settlers Home to Israel Ian Lustick, Steve Masters |
[Description] | [Masters' Bio] [Lustick's Bio] |
| Organizing Listening Projects in Synagogues and Jewish Organizations Cherie Brown |
[Description] |
[Bio] |
| A Political Understanding Of Trauma Barbara Kane |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Recruiting Panim El Panim ("Face to Face"): Michael Jacoby Brown |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| A Report from the Front: An Up-to-the-Minute Analysis of the Conflict Naomi Chazan |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Schmorganizing: Building Power at the Grassroots Through our
Chapters Janice Fine and Donna Spiegelman |
[Description] | [Fine's Bio] [Spiegelman's Bio] |
| A Security Fence or a Dangerous Wall?: Exploring the Political and Moral Implications
of Israel's Construction Project Stephen P. Cohen and Tamara Cohen |
[Description] | [S. Cohen's Bio] [T. Cohen's Bio] |
| Sharing the Screen: 20 years of film by Israelis and Palestinians Janis Plotkin |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| Successful Outreach to Synagogues Elliot Zashin, Molly Freeman, and Judy Weinman |
[Description] | [Bios] |
| Unofficial Contributions to Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking and
Peacebuilding Herbert C. Kelman |
[Description] | [Bio] |
| What is Happening Today in Congress and How Can U.S. Jews Influence It?
Jeremy Rabinovitz, Diane Balser and Steve Masters |
[Description] | [Balser's Bio] [Master's Bio] [Rabinovitz' Bio] |
| Women in the Israeli Peace Movement Naomi Chazan and Marcia Freedman |
[Description] | [Chazan's Bio] [Freedman's Bio] |