AJC Survey Reveals Link between American Jewish Attitudes and 2012 Election
A new AJC survey of American Jews shows President Obama would win a majority of the Jewish vote in a contest against Gov. Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee. Obama would gain 61 percent and Romney 28 percent, with 11 percent undecided. Obama won 78 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008.
The national survey reveals certain indicators of Jewish voting behavior. Probed for the first time, for example, is the link between religious activity (based on frequency of synagogue attendance) and voting behavior. Click here to view the full results.
Historic Concert Unites Chicago's Jewish, Catholic and Polish Communities
Hundreds of Chicagoans of all faiths and backgrounds attended last week's Peace Through Music concert to mark the one-year anniversary of Pope John Paul II's beatification. Sir Gilbert Levine, the Pope's conductor, led the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Chorus and various soloists through four pieces of music at Orchestra Hall. Co-Sponsored by AJC Chicago, the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Consulate General of Poland and other organizations, the concert brought together the Jewish, Catholic and Polish communities of Chicago. Click here to read a Chicago Sun-Times review of the concert.
Jewish-Iranian Author Highlights Iran's Targeting of Dissident Exiles
Iranian-American author and human rights activist Roya Hakakian spoke at an AJC event profiling the true story of Iran's terror campaign against exiled dissidents. Hakakian, an Iranian Jew, is the author of the book "Assasins of the Torquoise Palace," an account of Iran's secret plot to kill dissidents in Berlin.The event was cosponsored by the DePaul College of Law's International Human Rights Law Institute and the Center for Jewish Law and Judaic Studies & the Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies Program in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Science at DePaul University.
Big News, Briefly
AJC, in a letter to Secretary of State Clinton, urged the U.S. to oppose Turkey’s effort to block Israel’s participation in the NATO Summit, which will take place in Chicago next month.
The Local Angle: Join AJC Chicago just days before the start of the NATO Conference to hear from AJC's expert on the world's most important strategic alliance. Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of AJC's Transatlantic Institute in Brussels, will brief attendees on NATO's agenda, its work in the Middle East and its efforts to halt Iran's nuclear weapons program. The event is Friday, May 18 at 8:30 a.m. at Merrill Lynch, 1033 Skokie Blvd in Northbrook. Click here to register for just $10! Breakfast is included!
Last week, President Obama announced that Jan Karski, who risked his life to give eyewitness accounts of Nazi Germany's murder of Jews, will posthumously receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The medal is the highest civilian honor in the United States.
The Local Angle: AJC Chicago leaders honored Karski at a reception at the Polish Consulate in Chicago this weekend. AJC Chicago President Jack Levin and Board Members Allan Reich, Naomi Gitlin and Betsy Katz attended the reception that featured appearances by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
A CBS 60 Minutes report blamed Israel for the suffering of Christians in the West bank and Jerusalem.
The AJC Angle: Yesterday, AJC wrote to the president of CBS News, expressing deep concerns about the segment, saying “The most significant shortcoming of the segment, in our minds, is that it left the impression that Christians in the West Bank and Jerusalem are suffering because of religious reasons.” Click here to read the rest of the letter.
The AJC Global Forum This Week!
This week, AJC Chicago will send a 60-member delegation to the Global Forum in Washington, D.C., to experience the premier global Jewish advocacy event of the year. Over two days, attendees will turn insight into action by interacting with leaders from around the world, including ambassadors, foreign ministers and U.S. government officials and legislators in the biggest advocacy event ever held by AJC. Click here to see a schedule of the events.
Israel Turns 64!
On Thursday, people across the world celebrated Israel's Independence Day, including an event in Chicago's Daley Plaza. AJC Chicago Director Dan Elbaum was quoted in a Medill News Service report about Chicago’s celebration efforts. AJC's Executive Director David Harris wrote a column about Israel's miraculous journey to its 64th anniversary. Click here to read the column.
