The election on November 8 will give the United States a new president and Congress. Jeff Mendelsohn, a former outreach director for AIPAC and a 25-year veteran of Capitol Hill politics, will offer his reflections on what the results mean to all Americans and particularly to the Jewish community, at a post-election forum Wednesday, November 16, 7:30 p.m. at Temple Emeth in Teaneck.
In a pre-election interview with The Jewish Link, Mendelsohn said, “No matter who wins, we have work to do.” Mendelsohn is the consummate Beltway insider. He served as chief of staff to two U.S. Congressmen: Frank Tejeda and Ciro D. Rodriguez. He has worked with pollsters and campaign staffers. He is in a unique position to talk about the impact of a new administration, what it means to Israel and what concerns we should have. Perhaps most importantly, he will share ideas for improving Israel’s relationship with the White House and Congress.
Mendelsohn’s key strategy is to build coalitions with other groups to support Israel. “The Jewish community in America is small. Most members of Congress don’t represent many Jews. It’s valuable for Jews to find natural partners and build a consensus,” Mendelsohn said. Most Americans want to fight anti-Semitism, he noted, and building coalitions with other groups helps strengthen that objective.
As the national outreach director at AIPAC, he brought in many diverse groups including Hispanics, African Americans and Catholics to support Israel. Lori Fein, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the JFNNJ, sponsor of the event, said Mendelsohn works with communities who are inspired by Israel. “Jeff can communicate why Israel is important. People are inspired by Jews having a dream for a long time, how they made the desert bloom. It resonates with self-starters who want to make a difference.” She said Mendelsohn can show others how Israel deals with issues many countries are struggling with, like how to handle and absorb immigrants, helping them succeed in society. “People go to Israel expecting it to look like Eastern Europe. It’s very diverse,” Fein said.
Mendelsohn is currently involved in two new ventures. He is the executive director of the Foundation Stone Institute, a new non-profit dedicated to strengthening the relationship of Catholics to Israel. His second venture is opening the U.S. office of Israel Seminar, an Israeli tour company that develops customized itineraries and content for groups—families, churches, synagogues, organizations and businesses.
The post-election forum is free and open to the community. For more information, contact Natalya Taleysnik at 201/820-3944 or [email protected].
By Bracha Schwartz
