June 6, 2024
Amid Israel’s defensive war against Hamas, skyrocketing antisemitism, and the upcoming U.S. election, American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, is bringing AJC Global Forum back to Washington, D.C. after five years.
Over 2,000 participants from more than 50 countries, including hundreds of young Jewish leaders, will attend the global Jewish advocacy conference of the year in our nation’s capital from June 9-11. Not registered? You can watch the livestream here.
Here are five highlights to look for on the AJC Global Forum stage.
1) Putting the Global in Global Forum
It’s not called AJC Global Forum for nothing. People will travel to Washington, D.C. from more than 50 countries to participate in the conference. Professor Karen Milner, National Chairperson of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, will speak on the heels of that country’s recent election, which dealt a blow to the African National Congress, the political party responsible for accusing Israel of genocide and filing a claim with the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Ahead of the election, the ANC tried to distract voters from persistent unemployment, inequality, and poverty with the false genocide case at the ICJ. Ariela Agosin, president of Chile’s Jewish community, will also address the Global Forum audience following her country’s decision to join South Africa’s ICJ claim.
Also speaking to audiences will be Amos Linetzky and Daniel Pomerantz, president and executive director, respectively, of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), the Jewish community center bombed by Hezbollah terrorists, another Iranian terror proxy, nearly 30 years ago.
2) Online Frontline: Fighting Antisemitism Virtually
AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2023 Report found that antisemitism online and on social media continues to be the place where American Jews experience antisemitism the most. At AJC Global Forum, we will tackle anti-Jewish hate online with notable Jewish influencers Michael Rapaport and Aviva Klompas.
3) Power of Music
On Sunday, June 9, cellist Sarah Fredrick will open Global Forum for a collective and poignant moment of mourning. Led by Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC's Director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations, we will remember the victims of the Hamas terror attacks on October 7 and the hundreds more who have given their lives defending the State of Israel since that darkest of days.
Later, audience members will have a chance to hear the anthems of Jewish American reggae and rap star Matisyahu. The Grammy-nominated artist will perform Jerusalem and One Day. Listen to Matisyahu explain how he is pushing back against antisemitism through music on AJC’s People of the Pod.
4) No Greater Debate Than U.S. Election
As President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump gear up for their first campaign debate later this month, AJC Global Forum’s signature event, the Great Debate, will focus on what’s at stake for the Jewish community in the upcoming election.
Where do the candidates stand on combating rising antisemitism in the U.S. and confronting Iran and its terror proxies? How will the election impact the U.S. Israel relationship?
Answering those questions will be Halie Soifer, a former senior policy adviser during the Obama administration who now serves as CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), and Morgan Ortagus, a former spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department during the Trump administration who now hosts her own show on SiriusXM and works as an American television commentator, financial analyst, and political advisor.
5) Teaching Jewish Pride
Since October 7, at schools across the U.S. and around the world, anti-Israel protesters have harassed Jewish students with praise for the Hamas terrorists who carried out the horrific massacre, antisemitic signs, slogans, taunts, and, in some cases, physical violence. At Columbia University, pro-Hamas, antisemitic, and anti-Israel demonstrators occupied academic buildings and set up overnight tent encampments.
At Global Forum, Columbia student leader Noa Fay will receive the AJC Sharon Greene Award for Campus Advocacy and share her first-hand perspective on how the campus tumult has bolstered her Jewish identity and taught her some valuable lessons. Listen to Noa discuss the chaos at Columbia on AJC’s People of the Pod. AJC Sharon Greene Awards also will go to Micah Gritz of Tufts University and Hanna Veiler of the German Union of Jewish Students.
In addition, Brandeis University President Ron Liebowitz will share the measures Brandeis put in place to protect students and help his campus community comprehend the difference between free speech and hate speech.
