Samantha Golden, Leslie Siegel, Alyssa Muhlendorf, Megan Zuckerman, Delegate Ron Villanueva, Andy Fox, Eileen Colton, and Louis Miller during Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day 2015.
Tuesday, Feb. 2, 7 am–4 pm
The Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is busy preparing for the annual Jewish Advocacy Day, otherwise known as Date With the State.
The annual event brings more than 150 Jews from around the Commonwealth to the capital to lobby legislators on issues important to the statewide Jewish community. Expected to be on the agenda this year are church-state issues, anti-bias concerns, appreciation for the Education Tax Credit program that benefits Toras Chaim and Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, support for Jewish Family Service, which serves clients around the state, and more.
A change in the schedule this year, with hopes of meeting with more state legislators directly versus their legislative aides, means an earlier departure and return. The bus for Richmond will leave the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus at 7 am on February 2 and is expected to return by 4 pm.
In order to encourage more participation two accommodations are being offered, one for those who attend morning Minyan and one for HAT parents.
“In conjunction with this years’ Date with the State, there will be a Minyan for morning prayers held at 6:30 am at the Simon Family JCC,” says Rabbi Sender Haber of B’nai Israel, who will lead the services.
The Hebrew Academy of Tidewater is offering an early drop off option to parents wishing to attend Date With the State.
Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg of Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk, and the president of the Hampton Roads Board of Rabbis and Cantors, will deliver the invocation at the start of the session in the House that day. A cantor from Northern Virginia will deliver the invocation in the Senate. For the first time in recent history, the delegations from around the Commonwealth will be able to watch the invocations from the gallery and be recognized as participants of Jewish Advocacy Day from the House floor.
As in years past, the Tidewater delegation will join the other delegations from around the state to hear from Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, and Att. General Mark Herring, as they’ve all been invited to speak to the gathering over lunch.
The community is encouraged to participate, as a strong turnout from Tidewater is needed to demonstrate support of Jewish communal positions and remind the legislators that many voters are engaged in the conversation.
The cost is $36 to participate and includes a seat on the bus, helps to defray the cost of transportation, and a kosher lunch.
For more information, or to RSVP (required by Jan. 28) for Date With the State, visit www.JewishVA.org/CRCDateWithTheState or call 965-6107.