American Jewish Committee Exceeds 2.5 Million Viewers in Online Programs

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Jun 01, 2020, 09:25 ET

NEW YORK, June 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten weeks after American Jewish Committee launched its pioneering online series AJC Advocacy Anywhere, more than 2.5 million people have logged on to view the almost daily offerings.

"AJC has not missed a beat during the pandemic in our educational and advocacy work in the U.S and around the world," said AJC CEO David Harris. "AJC Advocacy Anywhere is delivering probing, thoughtful conversations on the most topical issues of the day."

Registration for AJC Advocacy Anywhere is free and programs can be viewed via Zoom and Facebook. Previous programs are available for viewing on AJC.org.

Programs last week included:

A Conversation with H.E. Jusuf Kalla, Vice President of Indonesia (2004-2009) (2014-2019), May 26, has been seen by more than 27,000 on Facebook. Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is current Chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross, has been courageous and outspoken in his appeal for Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, to engage in dialogue with Israel. In a wide-ranging conversation with Shira Loewenberg, Director, AJC Asia Pacific Institute, Kalla discussed Indonesia's response to COVID-19, Indonesia's relations with the United States, China, and Australia, and the challenges and opportunities for progress in Indonesian-Israeli relations. Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) Executive Director Colin Rubenstein gave introductory remarks. AIJAC is an AJC partner organization.

On the Frontlines of America's Cities: A Conversation with Mayor Eric Garcetti and Mayor Betsy Price, May 27, has garnered more than 28,000 views on Facebook. Mayors across the country and around the world are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response, making critical decisions every day about how to protect their communities, while also working to restart their cities' economic engines. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Ft. Worth Mayor Betsy Price discussed the impact of the coronavirus crisis on their cities; the integral relationship between cities and the Federal government; the role of political leadership in a time of crisis; and the lessons they've learned about community resilience. The conversation was moderated by Melanie Maron Pell, AJC Managing Director, Regional Offices, who accompanied the mayors on their recent trip to Israel with AJC Project Interchange.

Communities Under Quarantine: The Impact of the Coronavirus on Muslim and Jewish Life in America, May 26. The pandemic has shut down mosques and synagogues, bringing about a boom in digital gatherings, virtual prayer spaces, and online learning. Rabbi Dr. Josh Feigelson, Executive Director, Institute for Jewish Spirituality, and Maggie Siddiqi, Director of the Faith and Public Policy Initiative, Center for American Progress, discussed the impact of the coronavirus on religion, public life, and Muslim-Jewish relations in the United States. Dr. Ari Gordon, AJC Director of U.S. Muslim-Jewish Relations, was the moderator.

A Conversation with Dr. Richard Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations, May 28, has more than 46,000 views on Facebook. A veteran diplomat, respected voice on foreign policy, and frequent guest on news shows, Richard Haass has served as Director of Policy Planning for the State Department (2001-2003); Special Assistant to President George H.W. Bush (1989-1993); and Senior Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs on the staff of the National Security Council. He discussed with AJC CEO David Harris his new book, The World: A Brief Introduction, a primer written for experts and non-experts alike that, in the words of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, "explains how the world really works, how it is changing, and why it matters."

AJC Advocacy Anywhere programs for this week include:

Monday, June 1, 400 PM (ET) – Why Are Student Governments Obsessed with Israel? Student government should be an opportunity to develop leadership skills, work with diverse groups of student leaders to improve campus life, and plan fulfilling programs for one's peers. So why does it seem like many student governments have become little more than a platform for constant vilification of Israel, and of Jews for supporting the Jewish state? Featuring Mara Davis, New York University '19; Zachary Kimmel, Columbia University '21; and Jack Langen, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign '20. Moderated by Jackie Subar, AJC Assistant Director, Political Outreach.

Tuesday, June 2, 12:00 PM (ET) – Israel-Diaspora Relations: Past, Present, and Future with Isaac Herzog. Israeli and American Jews have long enjoyed a special relationship. While this relationship remains strong, there are challenges facing the two largest Jewish communities in the world. Join Isaac 'Bougie' Herzog, Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel and former head of Israel's Labor Party, for a probing discussion on Israel-Diaspora relations -- where we are, how we got there, and the future we need to build together.

Wednesday, June 3, 12:00 PM (ET) – The Ongoing Struggle for Racial Justice in America: A Conversation with Lonnie G. Bunch III. Protests have have erupted in over 30 cities across the United States following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Join Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Founding Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and AJC Project Interchange alumnus for a comprehensive discussion on race relations in the United States.

Thursday, June 4, 12:00 PM (ET) – Journalism and Politics in the Age of COVID-19: A Conversation with Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor in Chief, The Atlantic. Even before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) deemed it a "massive infodemic." This proliferation of misinformation has led to the spread of conspiracy theories and hate. How will this impact the United States, the world, and the fate of our democracies? What will be the geopolitical implications of this pandemic? Jeffrey Goldberg, acclaimed journalist and Editor in Chief of The Atlantic, will be in conversation with Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, Director of AJC Europe, to answer these questions and more.

Friday, June 5, 12:00 PM (ET) – The Six-Day War: Why It Still Matters 53 Years Later with AJC CEO David Harris. "Without an understanding of what happened in the past, it's impossible to grasp where we are today — and where we are has profound relevance for the region and the world," Harris has written about the June 1967 Arab-Israeli war. He will review the lead-up to, and aftermath of, those six fateful days, when Israel was threatened with destruction by an alliance of Arab countries led by Egypt and Syria, and why the history still matters.

To date, the three most viewed programs in AJC's Advocacy Anywhere series are:

AJC CEO David Harris: An Improbable Jewish Journey, with more than 196,000 Facebook views.

David Harris on the Soviet Jewry Movement (Part 1), with more than 136,000 views on Facebook.

From Tragedy to Triumph with AJC CEO David Harris, with more than 96,000 views on Facebook.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee