Why Pride and Courage are the Keys to the Jewish People’s Future

Original article featured in The Jerusalem Post “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” This quote, attributed to Winston Churchill, has been a secret of the Jewish people for 5,000 years. Through ups and downs, through unbelievable triumph and unimaginable persecution, Jewish men and women in each generation have found the courage and strength to continue our traditions, protect our values and keep our faith. Alarm bells have been ringing in Jewish communities about rising antisemitism throughout the US and Europe. In academia, radical left-wing organizations have launched a vicious campaign  Read More…

How to Make Jewish Philanthropy Go Further

Article appeared in The Algemeiner Jewish leaders and philanthropists are currently engaged in an intense and crucial debate. There is growing concern that Jews, particularly the next generation, are disconnecting from their Jewish heritage and from the state of Israel. The now infamous Pew Study, titled “A Portrait of Jewish Americans,” found that approximately two-thirds of American Jewish millennials do not feel a strong connection to Israel. In another recent study, published by Brandeis University, fewer than half of Jewish college students could correctly answer even the most basic questions about Israel. In the face of these trends, how can we  Read More…

The New Israeli Americans

FEATURED IN MOMENT MAG THE DAYS OF SHAME ABOUT LIVING IN AMERICA ARE OVER. BUT CAN THIS DIVERSE GROUP OF IMMIGRANTS HOLD ONTO THEIR CULTURE? AND IS THERE A CHANCE THAT THEY CAN BECOME A UNIFIED POLITICAL VOICE? By Ellen Wexler  When she moved to New York in 2003, Shelly Oria did her best to imitate Americans. She learned to hold doors, to be less aggressive in conversation, to smile at people she passed on the street. The rhythms of American life were new and lovely, but they did not come naturally. Then there were the day-to-day challenges: opening a bank account,  Read More…

Investing Jewish Philanthropic Dollars, More Effectively and Wisely

Original Post: The Jerusalem Post The return on our investment will be nothing less than a vibrant Jewish future. Jewish leaders and philanthropists are now engaged in an intense and crucial conversation. There is growing concern that Jews – particularly the next generation – are disconnecting from their Jewish heritage and from the State of Israel. The now infamous Pew Study “A Portrait of Jewish Americans” found that approximately two-thirds of American Jewish millennials report that they do not feel a strong connection to Israel. In a recent study published by Brandeis University, fewer than half of Jewish college students  Read More…

JNF-USA’s ‘Caravan for Democracy’ brings dozens of non-Jewish college students to Israel

Although we are less than 0.2 percent of mankind, the Jewish People have been able to accomplish extraordinary things because of our belief that the impossible could be achieved. Hanukkah, our Festival of Lights, is fast approaching. In recounting the heroic story of the Maccabees, the Jewish rebel group that lived in the Land of Israel in the second century BCE, we are reminded that our freedom isn’t guaranteed. And as we look out at a world filled with serious challenges facing the Jewish People, the lessons of history call us to action. During the time of the Maccabees, the  Read More…

Instilling Jewish pride, building courage and fostering brotherhood

Originally featured in The Jerusalem Post Although we are less than 0.2 percent of mankind, the Jewish People have been able to accomplish extraordinary things because of our belief that the impossible could be achieved. Hanukkah, our Festival of Lights, is fast approaching. In recounting the heroic story of the Maccabees, the Jewish rebel group that lived in the Land of Israel in the second century BCE, we are reminded that our freedom isn’t guaranteed. And as we look out at a world filled with serious challenges facing the Jewish People, the lessons of history call us to action. During  Read More…

Transforming a Complicated Past to A Promising Future: Why Christians and Jews Must Come Together to Battle Surging Anti-Semitism

By Pastor Samuel Rodriguez and Adam Milstein Originally featured in The Huffington Post Christianity and Judaism are different branches on the same family tree. Built on the teachings of Jesus Christ – a Jew living in the land of Israel – Christianity shares with Judaism the sacred text of the old testament, a set of values rooted in ethical monotheism, and a belief in the infinite value of every human life. Despite these commonalities, the historic relationship between Christianity and Judaism has been marked by conflict, prejudice, persecution and tragedy. For centuries, many parts of Christendom rejected Jews and perpetuated  Read More…

Antisemitism in America is rising on the Right and the Left

Written by Adam Milstein, as featured in the Jerusalem Post ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVES OF THEIR CAMPAIGNS, BUT IT’S MORE CONVENIENT FOR THEM TO START WITH THE JEWS. For thousands of years Jews have been targeted, persecuted and hated for a range of irrational and paradoxical reasons. We have been blamed for the crucifixion and killing of Jesus, even though Jesus was a Jew. We have been hated for maintaining our distinct Jewish identity – and, when we do assimilate, for threatening the racial purity of the society where we live. We have  Read More…

Being ourselves: How Israeli-Americans have cultivated a new movement

Originally featured in the Times of Israel. By, Adam Milstein Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” It is a sentiment that I have taken to heart over the past decade, as I have worked to cultivate an Israeli-American identity for myself, my family, and my community. The process of building this identity as a co-founder and, for the past year, as Chairman of the Israeli-American Council (IAC) has been empowering, inspiring, and perhaps most of all, revealing, illuminating the vast possibilities that emerge when you proudly embrace who you are. For many years, Israeli-Americans couldn’t figure  Read More…

The IAC’s Third Annual Conference: Embracing a New Identity, Building a Movement and Changing Jewish Future

Orignial post can be found on the Huffington Post By: Adam Milstein Last month, in our nation’s capital, the Israeli-American Council (IAC) hosted the largest gathering of the Israeli-American community in history. The IAC’s Third Annual National conference brought together more than 2,100 Israeli-Americans and Jewish-Americans of all ages and backgrounds, alongside dynamic leaders from Israel and the Jewish American community, lawmakers from across the entire political spectrum and thinkers changing the conversation about Jewish life. The remarkable three-day gathering made it clear that the Israeli-American community is stronger than ever before. In 2014, the first year the IAC held a  Read More…