Meretz USA
114 West 26th St. #1002
New York,
NY,
10001
Fax: (212) 242 5718 mail@meretzusa.org
Events
Friday September 11, 2009
Start: 8:30 am
End: 10:00 am
Meretz USA is very pleased to join with other groups in Co-Sponsoring a program featuring special guests from Washington,
D.C. and Israel.
Friday, September 11, 2009, 8:30 a.m.
(note the time is 1/2 hour later than our usual start)
Institute of Jewish Education - Library
8339 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles
(at the corner of N. Flores St., several blocks east of La Cienega / Use parking lot or street parking)
$10 - Includes Bagel Breakfast (pay at the door)
RSVP to meretzusa.la@gmail.com or 310/600-7232
SPEAKER BIOS
Ambassador Colette
Avital was born in Rumania and immigrated to Israel at the age of 10.
After her army service she joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, while still
completing her BA in Political Science and English Literature at The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. She subsequently held a variety of key Foreign
Ministry posts and led the Ministry's efforts to upgrade the status of women in
Diplomatic Service. Ambassador
Avital's distinguished record of foreign postings includes Montreal (as Chancelor) Brussels (Press and Cultural
Attache) Paris (as Minister-Counselor) Boston (Consul) and Lisbon (as Ambassador).
In 1992 Ambassador Avital was appointed Consul General of Israel in New-York, the highest position attained by a woman in the Foreign Service.
Ambassador Avital turned to politics and was elected to the Israeli Knesset from the Labor Party in 1999, serving as Chairperson on several committees and as Deputy Speaker in the 17th Knesset.
She has been awarded the Palmes Academiques and subsequently La Legion d"honneur by the French Government; the Cavaliere del'ordine della
Republica by the Italian Government and the National Order for Merit with the rank of High Officer by the Rumanian Government.
Currently Ambassador Avital serves as Director General of the Berl Katznelson Foundation's Ideological and EducationalCenter; as International Secretary of the Israel Labour Party, and as Senior Advisor to JStreet.
Jeremy Ben-Ami is Executive Director of J
Street and JStreetPAC, the
political voice of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement. He has nearly
twenty-five years of experience in government, politics and communications, in
the United States and internationally, including numerous political
campaigns. In 2003-4, he was Policy Director for Howard Dean's
presidential campaign; in 2001, he was one of the managers of Mark
Green's Mayoral campaign in New
York City; and, from 1992 through
1996, he worked for former President Bill Clinton, serving for two years as the
President's Deputy Domestic Policy Advisor.
Ben-Ami has also been actively involved in Israeli politics and communications. In 1998, he started a consulting firm in Israel which worked with Israeli non-profit organizations and politicians. He also has served as Director of Communications and Regional Director in New York for the New Israel Fund, a foundation supporting civil rights, social justice and religious pluralism in Israel and is on the Board of Americans for Peace Now.
Ben-Ami was most recently Senior Vice President of Fenton Communications, a public interest communications firm, and he spent eight years early in his career in New York City government and politics for Mayors Dinkins and Koch, primarily in the field of homeless housing. Ben-Ami received a law degree from New York University and is a graduate of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Relations at Princeton University.
J Street is the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement and seeks 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. J Street supports strong American Leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts peacefully and diplomatically
Please make your plans
to join us for a breakfast program with:
COLETTE AVITAL
Former Knesset Member
&
JEREMY BEN-AMI
J Sreet Founder/Director
Former Knesset Member
&
JEREMY BEN-AMI
J Sreet Founder/Director
Friday, September 11, 2009, 8:30 a.m.
(note the time is 1/2 hour later than our usual start)
Institute of Jewish Education - Library
8339 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles
(at the corner of N. Flores St., several blocks east of La Cienega / Use parking lot or street parking)
$10 - Includes Bagel Breakfast (pay at the door)
RSVP to meretzusa.la@gmail.com or 310/600-7232
Co-Sponsored by (as of today): Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, J Street, Meretz USA, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Workmen's Circe/Arbeter Ring
------------------------------SPEAKER BIOS
Ambassador Colette
Avital was born in Rumania and immigrated to Israel at the age of 10.
After her army service she joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, while still
completing her BA in Political Science and English Literature at The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. She subsequently held a variety of key Foreign
Ministry posts and led the Ministry's efforts to upgrade the status of women in
Diplomatic Service. Ambassador
Avital's distinguished record of foreign postings includes Montreal (as Chancelor) Brussels (Press and Cultural
Attache) Paris (as Minister-Counselor) Boston (Consul) and Lisbon (as Ambassador). In 1992 Ambassador Avital was appointed Consul General of Israel in New-York, the highest position attained by a woman in the Foreign Service.
Ambassador Avital turned to politics and was elected to the Israeli Knesset from the Labor Party in 1999, serving as Chairperson on several committees and as Deputy Speaker in the 17th Knesset.
She has been awarded the Palmes Academiques and subsequently La Legion d"honneur by the French Government; the Cavaliere del'ordine della
Republica by the Italian Government and the National Order for Merit with the rank of High Officer by the Rumanian Government.
Currently Ambassador Avital serves as Director General of the Berl Katznelson Foundation's Ideological and EducationalCenter; as International Secretary of the Israel Labour Party, and as Senior Advisor to JStreet.
Jeremy Ben-Ami is Executive Director of J
Street and JStreetPAC, the
political voice of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement. He has nearly
twenty-five years of experience in government, politics and communications, in
the United States and internationally, including numerous political
campaigns. In 2003-4, he was Policy Director for Howard Dean's
presidential campaign; in 2001, he was one of the managers of Mark
Green's Mayoral campaign in New
York City; and, from 1992 through
1996, he worked for former President Bill Clinton, serving for two years as the
President's Deputy Domestic Policy Advisor.Ben-Ami has also been actively involved in Israeli politics and communications. In 1998, he started a consulting firm in Israel which worked with Israeli non-profit organizations and politicians. He also has served as Director of Communications and Regional Director in New York for the New Israel Fund, a foundation supporting civil rights, social justice and religious pluralism in Israel and is on the Board of Americans for Peace Now.
Ben-Ami was most recently Senior Vice President of Fenton Communications, a public interest communications firm, and he spent eight years early in his career in New York City government and politics for Mayors Dinkins and Koch, primarily in the field of homeless housing. Ben-Ami received a law degree from New York University and is a graduate of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Relations at Princeton University.
J Street is the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement and seeks 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. J Street supports strong American Leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts peacefully and diplomatically
Monday September 14, 2009
Start: 7:00 pm
Pro-active Humanist Zionism Now!
Challenging American and Israeli Jews to make a better Israel
featuring special guest:
Leah Shakdiel
During the Gaza War of last winter, Leah Shakdiel, a modern orthodox woman, peace activst and feminist was arrested with others during a vigil protesting the violence and killing on both sides. The Israeli government put her under house arrest and through these actions threatened her political freedoms of speech, assembly, and organizing.
Through teaching and continued activist work with Israeli Human Rights NGOs like Machsom Watch, Mirkam Azori, Darom4Peace, and Rabbis for Human Rights, Leah works tirelessly to bring the values of peace, equality, human rights, and social justice to the next generation of Israelis.
