1. Expand Birthright
Birthright Israel turned 25 years old last year and its programs have brought hundreds of thousands of young Jews from the Diaspora to Israel who otherwise may have never visited, showing them firsthand the beauty of the modern Jewish State. These trips are wildly popular and succeed in increasing Jewish knowledge and community involvement. Birthright has shown it deserves increased support from all sectors of the Jewish community. Greater support will lead to more participants.
2. Advocate On Social Media And Online
How can the pro-Israel community reach the hundreds of thousands of young Jews who aren't headed on a Birthright trip anytime soon? One answer has to be the pouring of more resources into effective online efforts, especially social media. Israelis need more influencers speaking up for their right to self-defense.
3. Grow Hebrew Ulpans
One way for Zionism to grow and prosper in the US and elsewhere outside of Israel is to offer successful immersive Hebrew seminars. How many more Jews would become more engaged in supporting Israel if they were more comfortable with Hebrew when they attend synagogue services, visit Israel, or try to follow Israeli media.
4. Teach Jabotinsky
The ideas of the late Ze'ev Jabotinsky (1880-1940) were the most powerful influence on the Zionist movement after Herzl's initial reawakening of Jews to the resettlement of the Land of Israel. From economics to self-defense, from foreign policy to Hebrew, from volunteerism to antisemitism, and from aliyah to Zionist education his philosophy is as relevant today as it was when he was alive: his teachings should be part of every Jew's education.
5. Teach Zionist History
We cannot stop at Jabotinsky. More resources should be amassed to teach the authentic history of the founding of the State of Israel, the Zionist response to the Holocaust, and why Zionism is not a dirty word.
6. Recreate the network of Zionist Summer Camps
There was a time when Zionist summer camps were a part of the formative years of thousands of American Jews. Now just a handful are left sponsored by Kibbutz oriented groups on the one hand and Modern Orthodox entities on the other. Organizations like ZOA and Likud closed their movement's camps years ago and we see the effect every day on our college campuses. These groups should be told by their donors to correct their mistakes and now is the time.
7. Stop J Street
J Street has done more to divide American Jews and hurt Israel everywhere from Capitol Hill to college campuses. The time has come for J Street to be relegated to the margins of the Jewish community where it belongs. Its angry attitude towards the Jewish families who live in Judea-Samaria is bigoted and provides cover for Israel's enemies who want to start with Judea-Samaria and then see Tel Aviv become part of "Palestine" next, G-d forbid.
8. Work With CUFI
The Jewish community should work closer with those organizations outside our community who stand up for Israel and Zionism. Christians United For Israel is the largest pro-Zionist organization in America and it must be supported because of this.
9. Embrace Chabad
Chabad has grown into a one stop address for Jews on campus who love Israel and its non-campus based centers and synagogue's are run by rabbis and rebbetzins whose love for fellow Jews and concern for the Jewish future are a standard we should all emulate and support.
10. Make Security A Priority For Jewish Institutions
After the deadly attacks on Chabad on Mumbai, Tree Of Life in Pennsylvania, and Chabad of Poway in California one would have hoped that security systems and procedures would have been overhauled community wide. We must ask ourselves if we have done enough.
11. Fix Hillel
Too many Hillel organizations are run by ineffective staff at best and outright non-Zionists at worst. If a Hillel allows J Streeters to use its facilities then its staff must be replaced.
12. Hold JTS And HUC accountable
Are the flagship professional schools of Reform and Conservative Judaism focused on producing graduates who are Zionists? If not, why not? If it's not a focus for these schools to train pro-Israel educators and leaders than donors need to seriously apply the necessary pressure to correct this.
13. Revitalize the Jewish Day School Movement
Non-Orthodox Jewish day schools are on the decline throughout the US. Jewish establishment leaders must replace these shuttered institutions with schools that non-Orthodox families will want to send their children to so they can learn about Judaism, Zionism, and Israel in a nurturing environment. Hebrew ulpans should be a main part of the day at these schools.
14. Cease Saying East Jerusalem
'East Jerusalem' is just Jerusalem. Every mention of a specific location in Jerusalem in the Bible refers to an area that the UN wants Israel to surrender. The term “East Jerusalem” cannot be found in the Torah because “East Jerusalem” is a mythical creation. When enemies of Israel created this false name for Jerusalem’s Old City and its surrounding neighborhoods, including the Western Wall, it was to make it easier for them to separate Israel from Judaism's holiest heritage sites.
15. Stop Using The Term "West Bank"
The term “West Bank,” is simply inauthentic. Parts of what the Palestinian Arabs, J Street, and the UN call the “West Bank” are more than 40 miles to the west of the Jordan River. Obviously, no river bank in the world is 40 miles wide. The term “West Bank” was invented by journalists after the 1948 war and Arab propagandists gradually saw it as a useful alternative to the term “Judea-Samaria,” which is historically and geographically correct and reminds everybody of the area’s Jewish roots. Almost a year ago the president of the National Religious Broadcasters, Troy Miller, urged Christian news media to use “Judea-Samaria” instead of “West Bank.” Jewish media outlets should do the same.
16. Teach Israeli Geography
Jewish educators, at all levels, should undertake teaching Israeli geography as part of their Israel studies curriculum. How can we expect American Jews to understand the impact of an Arab Palestinian state if they are never educated to see that this would mean a nine mile wide Israel at its strategic midsection.
17. Increase The Nefesh B'Nefesh Budget
Nefesh B'Nefesh, founded in 2001, to facilitate Aliyah has succeeded in ways that its founders should be proud of. It's well past time for the establishment Jewish leaders to better fund it. Nothing increases a family's ties to Israel like having family members making their homes there.
18. Support Expand Jewish communities In Judea-Samaria
Jewish families in Judea-Samaria need more housing. There's no good reason for any area that Israel controls to have its construction of homes for Jews limited in any way. If the Jewish families who live now in cities steeped in Jewish history such as Hebron are universally seen as committing an immoral act by just living in their homes, then the rights of Jews to live anywhere is in jeopardy. It is really that simple.
19. Boycott Countries That Are Anti-Israel
When President Macron of France announced an arms embargo against Israel, at the very moment Israel is fighting for its life against terrorists on multiple fronts, Americans For A Safe Israel (AFSI) and I called his action a "moral disgrace" and I said in a news release that "American Jews should respond by canceling all planned trips to France." Boycotts are effective and Israel's supporters need to use this tool.
20. Expose UNRWA For What It Is
Why didn't the UN shut down UNRWA last year, when it was revealed that hundreds of UNRWA staff members are Hamas terrorists, and some were involved in holding Israeli civilians hostage? The truth about UNRWA must be boldly told by everyone who cares about Israel.
21. Speak To Your Senators And Congressmen
Write, call, and visit. Our elected representatives need to know Israel is an important priority for their constituents.
22. Speak To Your State Legislators
State senators and representatives are often tomorrow's Washington elites and getting them to know the importance of supporting Israel can never start too early but what's more these politicians can do a lot to create state laws to fight antisemitism and its evil twin anti-Zionist extremism.
23. Buy More Israeli Products
Purim and Passover are fantastic opportunities to buy products from Israel. From wine to gifts, from books to clothes, and food to SodaStream please make an effort to "Buy Blue and White." It makes a difference.
24. Expand Local Celebration of Yom Ha'atzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim (Israeli Independence Day and Jerusalem Day)
Not just because these are great educational opportunities and because it is the right thing to do but also because celebrations can build community ties better than other many other events and we need more of that.
25. Expand Local Yom HaZikaron (Israel Memorial Day) Programming
Israeli families are losing the best and brightest young people on the fronts in Gaza and Lebanon. Israelis need to know we mourn with them.
Moshe Phillips is national chairman of Americans For A Safe Israel (www.AFSI.org), a leading pro-Israel advocacy and education organization.