Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day is Tuesday, Jan. 22
Program begins at 11 am in Richmond
Bus departs from Simon Family JCC at 8:45 am
Preparations for Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day, or “Date with the State,” when Jews from throughout the Commonwealth descend on the Virginia General Assembly to lobby legislators on issues important to Jewish communities, are now underway.
Over an early lunch, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and Gov. Bob McDonnell (though unconfirmed at press time) will speak. After their talks, while the General Assembly is in session, the group will be briefed on key Jewish issues on which to lobby. Then, as the House of Delegates and the State Senate adjourn for the day, participants will divide into small groups for a series of scheduled, 20-minute meetings with area legislators. Buses are slated to leave Richmond by 4 pm.
In addition to advocating on health care, Medicaid and public guardianship issues important to Beth Sholom Village and Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, participants in Date with the State should expect to lobby to preserve the separation of church and state, support for funding for the Virginia-Israel Advisory Board, and other issues still under consideration.
“As we plan to call on many of the members of our region’s General Assembly delegation to persuade them of the need to support our Jewish communal positions, we need a strong turn-out from Hampton Roads on January 22,” says Robin Mancoll UJFT Community Relations Commission director.
E-mail Mancoll at rmancoll@ujft.org to confirm participation or for more information.