AJC Advocacy Anywhere Offers Robust Online Education, Diplomacy Programs

NEW YORK, March 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of individuals worldwide watching American Jewish Committee (AJC) Advocacy Anywhere programming is growing as the Coronavirus pandemic compels many across the United States and in countries around the world to stay in their homes.

The new online initiative, accessible via Zoom and Facebook, has so far attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers in just the first 10 days alone.

"Continuing to engage people across the United States and around the world is vital to AJC's mission. With considerable experience in utilizing communications technologies and a social media platform of 2.3 million followers, AJC was able to pivot quickly from traditional in-person diplomacy and educational advocacy work to online interaction," said AJC CEO David Harris.

The public AJC Advocacy Anywhere programs, all available for viewing on the AJC Facebook page, are:

Israeli Response to the Coronavirus, March 19, featuring Dr. Daniel Landsberg, Regional Medical Director, Maccabi Health Services, and Dr. Kira Radinsky, Chair and Chief Technology Officer, Diagnostic Robotics, in conversation with AJC Jerusalem Director Avital Leibovich, has been viewed on Facebook in full by more than 7,000, and a shorter version by more than 69,000.

Insights from Around the World: On the Front Lines of the Coronavirus, March 24, featuring Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, AJC Europe Director; Muriel Asseraf, AJC Representative in Sao Paulo; and James Kim, AJC Asia Pacific Institute Advisor and Research Fellow, Asan Institute for Policy Studies, in conversation with AJC Chief Advocacy Officer Daniel Elbaum, has been viewed by more than 63,000 on Facebook.

Soviet Jewry Movement (Part 1), March 25, with AJC CEO David Harris, a leading activist in the movement in the 1970s and 1980s, speaking about the history of Jews in the USSR, garnered more than 123,000 views on Facebook.

Israel-Diaspora Relations, March 26, with Steven Bayme, AJC Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, examining four points of tension in the relationship over the years and how they were dealt with, has been seen by more than 27,000 on Facebook.

Italy and the Coronavirus: Italy's Ambassador to the U.S. Armando Varricchio, in conversation with AJC CEO David Harris, March 27. Italy, where AJC has long had an office, has been the hardest hit country to date by the pandemic. More than 61,000 have watched the episode on Facebook.

Registration for AJC Advocacy Anywhere programs is free. Programs scheduled for this week include:

An Overview of the Global Interreligious Scene Today, with Rabbi David Rosen, AJC Director of International Interreligious Relations on Tuesday, March 31, at 1 PM (EST).  Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qTY2-chkTEK-Q0pXU7zuTw

The Soviet Jewry Movement (Part 2), with AJC CEO David Harris on Wednesday April 1, at 12 pm (EST). This session will focus on the exodus of Soviet Jews and their resettlement, principally in Israel and the U.S. Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bF6wIwlrTAOXChvDoq5HpA

Recorded programs also are available on the AJC website. New programs will be announced each week.

In addition to the public Advocacy Anywhere programs, AJC is providing webinars and interactive sessions for AJC lay leaders and staff to ensure the agency's trademark diplomacy and political advocacy work continues for combating antisemitism, support for Israel, and ensuring the well-being of Jews worldwide.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee