Comment

Comment by shyam tosawad on January 11, 2011 at 3:24am

Dear friend
"Vasudev kutukbkam" entire world is a family, this was a teaching of our indian culture and traditional.
we created countries, boundaries,religions,cast,race for a genuine reason or a false reasons for any reason.but this the time to realize that we are one and we naturally interconnected with each other ,which we can just realize by watching inhale and exhale of breaths the source is same ,without any discrimination,religion, boundaries, equally for all living life of universe .When we understand this simple thing then we must understand how our and other's life is equally important, valuable ,respectable .we should follow the nature's rule ,non violence .peace ,god has given us a human life not for destruction but for look after the wellbeing of all living life.
shyam

Comment by Narda Azaria Dalgleish on November 3, 2009 at 8:07pm

CONFERENCE VIDEOS
target="_blank">http://vimeo.com/user2538150/videos/sort:date

Comment by Narda Azaria Dalgleish on November 3, 2009 at 7:48pm

Driving Change, Securing Peace


J Street's First National Conference

October 25-28 2009


Conference 2009 Online Now

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25

Join J Street and Theater J for an exciting pre-conference event at the DCJCC, "Arts and Activism in Troubled Times: Can Culture Effect Change?"

5:00pm - Registration Opens

7:00pm - PLENARY SESSION: Israel and 21st Century American Jewry
Speakers:
Jeremy Ben-Ami, Executive Director, J Street
Daniel Sokatch, CEO, New Israel Fund
Respondents:
Ronit Avni, Founder and Executive Director, Just Vision
Rabbi Andy Bachman, Rabbi, Congregation Beth Elohim, Brooklyn, NY
Jim Gerstein, Principal, Gerstein Agne Strategic Communications
Rabbi Melissa Weintraub, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Encounter

9:00pm - Dessert Reception



MONDAY, OCTOBER 26

8:00am - Briefing for Hill Team Leaders

9:00am to 10:30am - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1. AMERICANS FOR PEACE NOW PRESENTS: West Bank Settlements: Obstacles on the Road to Peace - A View From the Ground and From the Diplomatic Arena
Akiva Eldar, Chief Political Columnist and Editorial Writer, Ha'aretz
Scott Lasensky, Senior Research Associate, Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, United States Institute of Peace
Hagit Ofran, Director, Settlement Watch, a project of Peace Now
Moderator: Ori Nir, Spokesman, Americans For Peace Now
2. The Maze: Navigating Foreign and National Security Policy Through the Knesset
Ami Ayalon, Former Member of Knesset; Former Head of the Shin Bet
Shlomo Molla, Member of Knesset (Kadima)
Yuli Tamir, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset (Labor); Former Minister of Immigrant Absorption
Moderator: Colette Avital, Former Israeli Consul General in New York; Former Member of Knesset (Labor)
3. The Need for a Regional Comprehensive Approach to the Israeli Palestinian Conflict
Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein, Ambassador of Jordan
Shlomo Ben Ami, Former Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Security
Alvaro de Soto, Former Chief Middle East Envoy, United Nations
Moderator: Ambassador Phillip Wilcox, President, Foundation for Middle East Peace; former U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem
4. Examining the Jewish Social Justice/Israel Divide
Alana Alpert, Rabbinical student, Hebrew College; Former Recipient, 2008 AJWS Dvar Tzedek Torah Commentary: Lisa Goldberg Memorial Writers' Fellowship
Elissa Barrett, Executive Director, Progressive Jewish Alliance
Jacob Feinspan, Executive Director, Jews United for Justice
Moderator: Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Program Director, The Nathan Cummings Foundation
5. THEATER J AND J STREET PRESENT: Culture as a Tool For Change - Theater
Ari Roth, Artistic Director, Theater J
Actors from Theater J

10:45am to 12:15pm - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1. The American Left and Israel
J.J. Goldberg, Editorial Director, The Forward
Michelle Goldberg, Author, Kingdom Coming
Ezra Klein, Staff Reporter, The Washington Post
Moderator: Katrina vanden Heuvel, Editor, The Nation
2. Where Has Israeli Peace Activism Gone?
Dana Agmon, Director of Major Gifts, OneVoice
Ronit Avni, Founder and Executive Director, Just Vision
Hagit Ofran, Director, Settlement Watch, a project of Peace Now
Moderator: Didi Remez, Senior Partner, BenOr Consulting
3. Israel's Social and Domestic Challenges - Yes, They Also Exist
Nitzan Horowitz, Member of Knesset (New Movement - Meretz)
Amir Peretz, Member of Knesset (Labor); Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense
Meir Sheetrit, Member of Knesset (Kadima); Former Finance Minister; Former Interior Minister
Moderator: Avshalom Vilan, Former Member of Knesset (Meretz)
4. How Jews, Christians and Muslims Can Work Together For Peace
Greg Khalil, President and Co-Founder, The Kairos Project
Salam Al-Marayati, Executive Director, Muslim Public Affairs Council
Mark Pelavin, Associate Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
Maureen Shea, Former Director, Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations; Former Churches For Middle East Peace Chair
Moderator: Ron Young, Co-Founder, National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace
5. NEW ISRAEL FUND PRESENTS: Setting the Stage for Peace: The Fight for Democratic Values
Hagai El-Ad, Executive Director, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI)
Akiva Eldar, Chief Political Columnist and Editorial Writer, Ha'aretz
Rachel Liel, Executive Director, New Israel Fund Israel
Moderator: Larry Garber, Former CEO, New Israel Fund
6. THEATER J AND J STREET PRESENT: Culture as a Tool for Change - Popular Media
John Marks, President and Founder, Search for Common Ground

12:30pm to 1:30pm - LUNCH

1:45pm to 3:15pm - PLENARY SESSION: Jewish Community Town Hall
Jeremy Ben-Ami, Executive Director, J Street
Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President, The Union for Reform Judaism
Moderator: Jane Eisner, Editor, The Forward

3:30pm to 4:45pm - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1. Iran: Is Diplomacy Working?
Hillary Mann Leverett, CEO, STRATEGA
Trita Parsi, Founder and President, National Iranian American Council
Brian Finlay, Senior Associate, The Henry L. Stimson Center
Moderator: Toni G. Verstandig, Director of Middle East Programs, The Aspen Institute
2. Human Rights in Israel
Rabbi Arik Ascherman, Executive Director, Rabbis for Human Rights
Oded Na'aman, Breaking the Silence
Uri Zaki, USA Representative, B'tselem
Professor David Kretzmer, Emeritus Professor of International Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Co-Chair, Executive Board, B'Tselem, The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
Moderator: Aaron Back, Director, Ford Israel Fund
3. How We Stop Talking to Ourselves: Innovative Ways to Broaden the Conversation
Ronit Avni, Founder and Executive Director, Just Vision
Malka Fenyvesi, Director of Interfaith Programming/NewGround Co-Director, Progressive Jewish Alliance
Rabbi Melissa Weintraub, Co-founder and Co-Executive Director, Encounter
Moderator: Shawn Landres, Co-Founder and CEO, Jumpstart
4. Israel on Campus
Ralph Hexter, President, Hampshire College
Aimee Mayer, Member, J Street U Student Board of Directors; President, University of Maryland J Street U
David Shneer, Associate Professor of History; Director, Program in Jewish Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder
Dr. Bernard Steinberg, President and Executive Director, Harvard Hillel
Moderator: Chaya Rubin, Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Psychology, Yeshiva University
5. Palestinian Economic Development: Path to Peace or Diversion?
C. Ross Anthony, Ph.D., Senior Economist, RAND Corporation
Bassim Khoury, Minister of National Economy, Palestinian Authority
Ron Pundak, Director General, Peres Center for Peace
Douglas Suisman, Principal Architect, Suisman Urban Design
Moderator: Bernard Avishai, Business Consultant; Author
6. THEATER J AND J STREET PRESENT: Culture as a Tool for Change - Storytelling - A Land Twice Promised
Noa Baum, Storyteller

5:00pm to 6:15pm - PLENARY SESSION: View From the Hill: Congress and the US-Israel Relationship
Representative Charles Boustany (LA-07)
Representative Bob Filner (CA-51)
Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
Moderator: Bob Franken, Former CNN Correspondent

8:00pm - Rocking the Status Quo Party
Featuring Music by Soulico
Open to all participants

8:00pm - Reception in Celebration of Brit Tzedek v' Shalom
Open to all participants



TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27

8:00am to 9:00am - Briefing for Hill Team Leaders

9:00am to 10:15am - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1. An Israeli-Palestinian Peace Deal in 24 Months: How to Get it Done
Gadi Batilansky, Director General, Geneva Initiative-Israel; Former Spokesperson for Prime Minister Ehud Barak
Daniel Levy, Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Task Force, New America Foundation; Former Israeli Negotiator
Dr. Ron Pundak, Director General, The Peres Center for Peace
Moderator: MJ Rosenberg, Senior Fellow on Foreign Policy, Media Matters Action Network
2. What Does It Mean To Be Pro-Israel?
Jonathan Chait, Senior Editor, The New Republic
Matt Yglesias, Blogger, ThinkProgress.com
Moderator: J.J. Goldberg, Editorial Director, The Forward
3. BRIT TZEDEK V'SHALOM PRESENTS: Organizing on the Ground - A Political Force for the Pro-Israel/Pro-Peace movement
Carinne Luck, Organizer, Former Director of Grassroots and Chapter Development, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, Former J Street Chief of Staff
Laurie Moskowitz, Founding Partner and Director, FieldWorks
Ari Wallach; Partner, StudioBenZion; Co-founder, The Great Schlep.com, JCER and JewsVote.org
Moderator: Diane Balser, Former Executive Director, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
4. RABBIS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS OF NORTH AMERICA PRESENTS: A Text Study: What's Jewish about J Street?
Rabbi Amy Eilberg, Co-Founder, Yedidya Center for Jewish Spiritual Direction
Rabbi Edward Feld, Rabbi-in-Residence, The Rabbinical School, Jewish Theological Seminary; Former Education Director, Rabbis for Human Rights of North America
Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Spiritual leader, Congregation Nevei Kodesh, Boulder, Colorado
5. THEATER J AND J STREET PRESENT: Culture as a Tool for Change - Short Films presented by The Other Israel Film Festival
6.5 Minutes in Tel Aviv (Director: Mirey Brantz)
Roads (Director: Lior Geller)
Shnaim (Director: Shimon Richik)
Presenter: Isaac Zablocki; Executive Director, Other Israel Film Festival

10:30am to 11:45am - BREAKOUT SESSIONS

1. BRIT TZEDEK RABBINIC CABINET PRESENTS: Dancing on the Head of a Pin: The Role of Rabbis in the Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace Movement
Rabbi David J. Cooper, Kehilla Community Congregation, Piedmont, CA
Rabbi Joshua Levine-Grater, Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, Pasadena, CA
Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller, Congregation Sherith Israel, San Francisco, CA
Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Congregation Dorshei Tzedek, Newton, MA
Moderator: Rabbi John Friedman, Judea Reform Congregation, Durham, North Carolina
2. Palestinian Perspectives: Looking Forward
Ziad Asali, President and Founder, American Task Force on Palestine
Nadia Bilbassy, Correspondent, Middle East Broadcasting Center
Bassim Khoury, Minister of National Economy, Palestinian Authority
Moderator: Amjad Atallah, Co-Director, Middle East Task Force, New America Foundation
3. What Next? Analysis and Advice for the President from Washington Insiders
Jon Alterman, Director and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Lara Friedman, Director of Policy and Government Relations, Americans for Peace Now
Robert Malley, Director, Middle East/North Africa Program, International Crisis Group
Moderator: Morton H. Halperin, Member, J Street Board of Directors
4. Shifting the Conversation: Jewish Community Dynamics and Israel
Shula Bahat, Director, American Friends of Beit Hatfutzot; Former Associate Executive Director, American Jewish Committee
Rabbi Peter Knobel, Beth Emet the Free Synagogue; Former President, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Daniel Sokatch, CEO, New Israel Fund; Former Executive Director, Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sanoma Counties
Moderator: Hannah Rosenthal, Corporate Vice President, Wisconsin Physicians Service; Former Director, Jewish Council for Public Affairs
5. Messaging "Pro-Israel, Pro Peace"
Matt Dorf, Managing Partner, Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications
Jim Gerstein, Principal, Gerstein Agne Strategic Communications
Dr. Calvin Goldscheider, Scholar in Residence, Center for Israel Studies, American University
Moderator: Dahlia Scheindlin, Political Consultant and Public Opinion Analyst
6. THEATER J AND J STREET PRESENT: Culture as a Tool for Change - Documentary - Excerpts of Budrus has a Hammer/2010 (working title)
Julia Bacha, Media Director, Just Vision
Ronit Avni, Executive Director and Founder, Just Vision

12:15pm to 1:00pm - LUNCH

1:00pm to 4:00pm - PLENARY SESSION: Why Two States? Why Now?
Introduction and Response: Representative Robert Wexler (FL-19)
Keynote Speaker: General James L. Jones, United States National Security Advisor

Israeli Interests:
Bernard Avishai, Business Consultant; Author
Ami Ayalon, Former Member of Knesset (Labor); Former Head of the Shin Bet
Haim Ramon, Former Member of Knesset (Kadima); Former Vice Prime Minister

American Interests:
Ambassador Martin Indyk, Vice President and Director of the Foreign Policy Program, The Brookings Institution; Former Ambassador of the Unites States to Israel
Mel Levine, Former Member of Congress (D-CA)

Moderator:
Richard Wolffe, Author, Renegade: The Making of a President; Former Senior White House Correspondent, Newsweek

6:30pm - J Street Gala Dinner Reception
This is a ticketed event

7:30pm- J Street Gala Dinner Honoring Victor A. Kovner
This is a ticketed event
Keynote Address: Former Senator Chuck Hagel



WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28

8:00am-9:00am - Hill Visit Briefing

9:15am to 9:45am - Busses to Capitol Hill

10:00am to 2:00pm - Appointments with Member offices