The IAI Experiences Southern Hospitality While Training Pro-Israel Advocates
I traveled down south to Birmingham, AL with Stephanie Hausner, our Campus and Programs Coordinator to lead several Israel advocacy workshops. It was my third time in the south (or so I thought). I’d been to Houston and New Orleans but according to one of the lay leaders who I trained at the IAI “Hope for Peace” speakers bureau workshop, Texas and New Orleans are not really the south. But Birmingham truly is.I quickly learned two things about this truly southern Jewish community of Birmingham: 1) they are small in number but large in their dedication to their many causes, including Israel and 2) the famous cliché about the south that “everyone is related” proved to be true, even in the Jewish community. Here is why… Stephanie and I led three different Israel advocacy programs for all different age groups – adults, college students, and 7th and 8th graders. And the schedule went as follows: in the afternoon, I conducted a speakers’ bureau training and worked with the adults; in the evening, Stephanie led a program for college kids, many of whom were the children of the adults we met in the afternoon. And then, the next day, we worked with the middle school kids and already knew who was going to Israel and who was traveling to Africa over winter vacation, their parents and siblings had already told us.
It was a perfect example of a small, yet involved and dedicated, Jewish community.
Birmingham is planning to implement their own “Hope for Peace” speakers’ bureau, which allows lay leaders to effectively engage their non-Jewish friends about Israel . And after being with these volunteers, I know that this community has what it takes – a group of dedicated advocates – to make their speakers’ bureau a successful one. Throughout the two training sessions, great conversations ensued; people faced their own tough questions about Israel, and learned the best method for advocating for Israel – making connections with their audience by speaking to them in their language.
Below is an excerpt from the Birmingham Update highlighting the IAI “Hope for Peace” speakers’ bureau training session:
The purpose was to train community members to become more effective speakers for Israel, whether to speak publicly, or simply to feel more comfortable talking about Israel in "water cooler" settings with friends or co-workers.
Over 25 people attended one of the two opportunities offered. Jessica Horne, Outreach Coordinator for the JCPA/UJC Israel Advocacy Initiative, facilitated each session.
Emphasis was placed on telling your audience why Israel is important to you personally, tailoring your Israel message for the group you are addressing and knowing when to walk away from a hostile situation.
Crucial to our Israel messaging is our hope for peace in the region and desire for Israelis to live securely, free from terror, missiles and suicide bombings.
Implementing an IAI “Hope for Peace” speakers’ bureau in a community is not an easy undertaking, but if a community understands the benefits and has the dedication to put in the hours of preparation – like Birmingham is planning to do – they will see that in the end, the rewards are infinite.
