Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day: An important date with the state

Wednesday, January 29, 7 am – 4 pm, Sandler Family Campus to Richmond

Date with the State, also known as Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day, provides an opportunity for the statewide Jewish community to raise awareness around topics of importance such as countering antisemitism, maintaining funding for Jewish institutions, and ensuring that the Virginia Israel Advisory Board continues to have the funding to help Israeli companies build and grow their operations in the Commonwealth, providing tax revenue and jobs across the state, etc.

Advocacy Day is important because it gives the Jewish community the opportunity to:

• Develop skills. Participants learn and practice advocacy skills that can be useful throughout their lives.
• Learn about policies. Participants are informed about the latest laws and policies that affect the Jewish community.
• Advocate for their causes. Participants speak up for the issues they care about and ensure that their voices are heard by elected officials.
• Educate lawmakers. Participants provide lawmakers with information about the issues important to the Jewish community, which can help shape policy and other important areas.
• Build relationships. Participants meet with elected officials and their staff to build or grow relationships and learn how best to connect with them.
  
  Join members of the Tidewater Jewish community for a day of advocacy with elected officials. Each person’s presence demonstrates the strength and significance of Jewish Tidewater’s collective voice.
  
  A bus leaves from the Sandler Family Campus at 7 am. $54 includes kosher lunch and helps defray the cost of transportation.
  
  For more information about how to join this year’s delegation or to register, visit JewishVA.org/DWTS or contact Julie Kievit, JCRC program coordinator, at jkievit@ujft.org.

Barbara Dudley is chair, Jewish Community Relations Council of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.