Your SFGOP Newsletter
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May 2019 Newsletter
The 2019 Leadership Meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition and my Takeaway
By Nicole Garay, 1st Vice Chair
“Back when Israel was cool ...” So began a lecture by my Middle Eastern politics college professor.
In the classroom, fresh from the recent Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) leadership meeting, I interrupted to question what he meant with those words. He claimed he was just reflecting the mood of the campus and climate towards the State of Israel.
No, Professor, you are creating that climate in this very classroom. You are telling every student in this class that Israel is no longer cool. I wasn’t expecting an apology, nor did I receive one.
Needless to say, the RJC was a stark difference from the experience of being Jewish and proud of Israel on Campus in San Francisco. I had an amazing weekend in Las Vegas. Finally, I was in a place where it was cool to be Jewish and it was cool to be conservative. We had a wonderful lineup of speakers who cared about our wellbeing, the wellbeing and strength of the US-Israeli relations, and were excited to be a part of the event. The most notable speaker was President Trump. Regardless of what you think of President Donald Trump, no one can argue with the fact that he has proven himself to be a strong ally and supporter of the State of Israel. The crowd was overjoyed to hear him speak as he shared and reaffirmed his support for Israel and all he has done to support. He discussed the Nuclear Deal, Golan Heights, the Jerusalem Embassy, his strong working relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the support and encouragement he has received from son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump.
The biggest takeaway for me from this weekend is that what the Jewish American community is so excited and appreciative of right now is nothing permanent, and we still have to fight and continue our lobbying and legislative efforts. The Democratic Party, and certain members of Congress, have made their stance on Israel very clear through both direct and indirect actions. With the upcoming election, it is time to begin to remind everyone who has their best interest in mind. For myself, this means reminding the Jewish community that the Republican party has proven its commitment to Israel and the preservation of our Jewish state. Together with Sam Levine of Contra Costa County, we are beginning our get-out-the-vote efforts by organizing a group of Republicans who are Jewish. We hope to bring this group together and formulate a method and talking points for moderate and centrist Jews on why they should be a Republican. If you or anyone you know might be interested in this, or would like to recommend we reach out to someone, please contact me at ViceChair@sfgop.org.
Calendar of Events
For a list of upcoming events, please visit our calendar page.
The 2019 Leadership Meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition and my Takeaway
By Nicole Garay, 1st Vice Chair
“Back when Israel was cool ...” So began a lecture by my Middle Eastern politics college professor.
In the classroom, fresh from the recent Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) leadership meeting, I interrupted to question what he meant with those words. He claimed he was just reflecting the mood of the campus and climate towards the State of Israel.
No, Professor, you are creating that climate in this very classroom. You are telling every student in this class that Israel is no longer cool. I wasn’t expecting an apology, nor did I receive one.
Needless to say, the RJC was a stark difference from the experience of being Jewish and proud of Israel on Campus in San Francisco. I had an amazing weekend in Las Vegas. Finally, I was in a place where it was cool to be Jewish and it was cool to be conservative. We had a wonderful lineup of speakers who cared about our wellbeing, the wellbeing and strength of the US-Israeli relations, and were excited to be a part of the event. The most notable speaker was President Trump. Regardless of what you think of President Donald Trump, no one can argue with the fact that he has proven himself to be a strong ally and supporter of the State of Israel. The crowd was overjoyed to hear him speak as he shared and reaffirmed his support for Israel and all he has done to support. He discussed the Nuclear Deal, Golan Heights, the Jerusalem Embassy, his strong working relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the support and encouragement he has received from son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump.
The biggest takeaway for me from this weekend is that what the Jewish American community is so excited and appreciative of right now is nothing permanent, and we still have to fight and continue our lobbying and legislative efforts. The Democratic Party, and certain members of Congress, have made their stance on Israel very clear through both direct and indirect actions. With the upcoming election, it is time to begin to remind everyone who has their best interest in mind. For myself, this means reminding the Jewish community that the Republican party has proven its commitment to Israel and the preservation of our Jewish state. Together with Sam Levine of Contra Costa County, we are beginning our get-out-the-vote efforts by organizing a group of Republicans who are Jewish. We hope to bring this group together and formulate a method and talking points for moderate and centrist Jews on why they should be a Republican. If you or anyone you know might be interested in this, or would like to recommend we reach out to someone, please contact me at ViceChair@sfgop.org.
Calendar of Events
For a list of upcoming events, please visit our calendar page.