Rabbi Aron Margolin, Chabad of Tidewater director, Neil Lazarus, Rabbi Levi Brashevitsky, Chabad assistant director.
Neil Lazarus barely uttered the word “diplomacy” during his whirlwind two-day visit to Tidewater on Feb. 13 and 14. Yet the prolific speaker demonstrated diplomacy in a variety of ways, through his informational discussions at area schools and a church, in his meetings with different groups at the Simon Family JCC and the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, and in his presentation to the general community at the Sandler Family Campus.
As the second featured presenter in the popular Israel Today Forum, sponsored by the Community Relations Council of the UJFT and a variety of community partners, Lazarus was tasked with engaging his audiences on the topic of diplomacy. The subject, never far from his mind, or his computer, or smart phone, or notepad, was addressed in a variety of ways during Lazarus’ appearances.
Kicking off his 2013 Tidewater visit, Lazarus spoke to about 30 students and professors at Old Dominion University. Hosted by the Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding, he talked about the challenges of reporting from the front line.
Back row: Dara Pomerantz, Sydney Bernstein, Shelley Smith, Ben Klebanoff, Ben Feigenbaum; Front row: Ben Laderberg, Neil Lazarus, Madeline Budman, Jordan Simon, Carly Roesen, Andie Eichelbaum, Ellie Friedman, and Jamie Katz.
At Tallwood High School, speaking to 120 students in the school’s Global Studies and World Languages Academy, Lazarus spoke about media manipulation and bias against Israel.
He spoke about recent elections and Israeli politics with 50 members and guests of the Women’s Cabinet of the UJFT.
Over a kosher pizza dinner, Lazarus met with teens from Ohef Sholom Temple’s youth group and BBYO, and discussed the problems Israelis face and the efforts toward peace many of them are making.
Immediately after the dinner, Lazarus delved further into those subjects with the Israel Today Forum audience, and emphasized the need for attendees to learn and implement the effective advocacy tips he shared with them.
“You have to empower people,” says Lazarus. “And you must speak up for Israel and call yourself a Jew—not Jewish. There should be no “ish” at the end of that word. You are a Jew. Period.”
This is the second trip Lazarus has made to Tidewater. As part of last year’s Israel Today Forum, Lazarus’ messages of becoming digital diplomats and advocates for Israel resonated with the CRC and its partners strongly enough to schedule him to return.
“He can get his message across to young people—and not so young people—in a way that makes a lasting impression,” says Robin Mancoll, director of the CRC. “This year, he spoke to more than 450 people in eight different venues. Add that to the numbers he reached last year—and we’re building a community of more than a thousand motivated and educated advocates for Israel and Jews everywhere.”
Lazarus is the director of an Israel advocacy website, AwesomeSeminars. com, which partners with the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Jewish Agency for Israel to increase the ability of students to engage in hasbara— public relations efforts to disseminate information about Israel. Lazarus says that “hasbara is not just the role of government spokespeople. It’s the role of the Jewish people.”
To learn more about the CRC, its upcoming events including the third and final Israel Today presentation, visit www.jewishva.org/crc. Click here to see these photos and more. Want more Neil? Download his free smartphone app, Neil Lazarus.
article and photos by Laine Mednick Rutherford