Big News, Briefly

Vice President Biden delivered a stirring speech in Israel this week and hailed “Our nation's unbreakable bond borne of common values, interwoven cultures, and mutual interests has spanned the entirety of Israel's history…No matter what challenges we face, this bond will endure.”

The Local Angle: AJC Chicago met with Chicago Congressional staff this week to reinforce bipartisan support for the state of Israel. Recent meetings were held with a director of the Republican Israel Congressional Caucus and a senior member of Representative Quigley’s staff.

 Keeping Tabs, Locally

-AJC Chicago President Larry Adelman was mentioned in the "noted and quoted" section of this month's JUF News.

-AJC Chicago Director Dan Elbaum (pictured at left) spoke at the Lake Shore Men’s Club last week to an audience mostly consisting of World War II and Korean War Veterans. Elbaum gave an overview of AJC’s global advocacy and impact with the diplomatic community. Elbaum also recently spoke in front of the leaders of the Jewish organizations in Chicago at this week’s Jewish Community Relations Council meeting. Elbaum offered the dvar Torah and spoke of the need for all Jewish organizations to work together toward advancing the needs of the community. To read the speech, please click here. 

If you are interested in having an AJC speaker for your Synagogue or other group, please contact us at Schweitzerj@ajc.org.

Take Action

The prospect of immigration reform is heating up. In the last week, President Obama met with two leading Senators to discuss immigration reform this week and he also spoke about the issue during dinner with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

The Local Angle: In the past year, AJC Chicago has advocated for comprehensive immigration reform by meeting with elected officials and convening a diverse task force of Chicago-area stakeholders. 

How you can get involved: Join Jews from across the country for a National Jewish Conference Call on Immigration Reform on Sunday, March 21 at 6 PM CT. You’ll get the latest inside information about what is happening in Washington, D.C. and across the nation to ensure the passage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Among the confirmed speakers will be Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who recently spoke to AJC’s young professionals group, ACCESS. Click here to RSVP.

Make an Impact

We welcome your feedback about how we can best keep you informed.  Please e-mail Jon Schweitzer at schweitzerj@ajc.org

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