er: “Over 100 years ago, United States
s declared that, ‘to be better Americans,
ter Jews, we must become Zionists.’”
In June 2019, ZOA Pittsburgh hosted a
lecture on anti-Semitism presented by Pennsylvania
Supreme Court Justice David N.
Wecht.
The Honorable Justice David Wecht
began by addressing what happened in his
hometown on October 27, 2018, when 11
Jews were murdered at the Tree of Life Synagogue
complex. This was the synagogue in
which he and his wife were married.
Justice Wecht then gave a brief synopsis of
Jewish immigration to the United States over
the last 200 years. He spoke about anti-Semitism
in Europe today, comparing it to the
problem that existed before World War II. He
also described the resurgence of anti-Semitism
in the U.S. today, including on our college
campuses.
Speaking to the packed room of people,
Justice Wecht movingly said: “We live in a
nation governed by the rule of law, affording
unprecedented opportunity for every person,
Jew or gentile, to pursue his or her dreams and
aspirations. I hope you always will encourage
others to join you in making the most of that
opportunity. I have a hope not only for you,
but also for all of those among our Jewish
brothers and sisters that you can reach, and
that you can influence or encourage. For my
fellow Jews, my hope is that you will seek to
ensure that our children and grandchildren
and those who will follow them will enjoy a
future that is not only free but Jewish as well.”
Justice Wecht also issued this reminder:
“Over 100 years ago, United States Supreme
Court Justice Louis Brandeis declared that,
‘to be better Americans, we must be better
Jews. And to be better Jews, we must become
Zionists.’”
WEST COAST
Throughout the spring and summer of
2019, ZOA’s West Coast chapter hosted a
number of educational programs throughout
California to engage with students, elected
officials, and local communities. A major
focus was building relationships in Sacramento,
the state capital, and to organize local
activists for regular outreach to legislators.
ZOA Activism at the State
Level
ZOA West Coast coordinated with a
member of its board, Gail Rubin, Esq., to
organize a parlor meeting for local activists
interested in helping ZOA build a strong
network in the region. The gathering attracted
newcomers from many of the surrounding
cities, including physicians, professors, and
many Christian Zionists. The group decided
that ZOA must prepare local activists to lobby
state representatives on issues important
to the Jewish community and to Israel supporters,
in addition to engaging with college
campuses and hosting educational events for
the legislature.
Preparing trained activists to write, call, and
meet with representatives is essential, given
the persistent lobbying of nefarious, anti-Israel
groups like the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) and the Arab Resource and
Organizing Center (AROC). In May, ZOA
activists met at the State Capitol to canvas the
legislative offices of members of the Jewish
Caucus and members of the education committees
in the Senate and Assembly.
In June, ZOA West Coast was honored to
host the director of ZOA’s Center for Law
and Justice, Susan Tuchman, Esq., for three
important meetings in the region. First, a
dinner was organized to introduce Susan to
members of Davis Faculty for Israel, a group
Around the Country: West Coast 73