2008 UJC GENERAL ASSEMBLY  PROGRAM
November 16-19, 2008

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16

Next Generation Day
The GA will be preceded by a full-day program devoted to the Next Generation, sponsored by the Samuel Bronfman Foundation. For the first time, approximately 700 young people under 45 from Israel and North America will spend the day together learning and exchanging ideas. Click here for program schedule.

8:00 am 
Registration, Information and Hospitality Desks Open
On-site registration will be open at this time, and will remain open during the GA. These stations at the Binyanei Ha'umah convention center are open on Nov. 16 from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm, on Monday from 7:00 am to 8:30 pm, and on Wednesday from 7:15 am to 1:00 pm. On Tuesday, due to the day-long Seminar on Wheels outings across Israel, these desks may not be staffed. GA Hospitality desks will also be available at most GA hotels; hours for these desks can be found at the hotels. 

5:00 pm
GA Exhibit Hall Opens
The GA proudly presents its largest exhibition ever, displaying the activities and accomplishments of almost 100 sponsors from Israel and North America. Enjoy an opportunity to learn about their work, network and socialize. 

5:00 pm
Prime Minister's Council/Star of David Society Dinner
The Prime Minister's Council, a society for donors who give at least $100,000 to the Annual Campaign each year; and the Star of David Society, donors who have endowed their annual gifts or created other major community endowments at a minimum of $200,000, will gather for a private dinner. ThePrime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, will meet with Prime Minister's Council and Star of David Society donors prior to the opening of the GA.
Venue: Teddy Hall, Binyanei Ha'umah, Jerusalem
By Invitation only  
Contact:  Arlene Berland,  arlene.berland@ujc.org  212-284-6533 and Beverly Woznica, beverly.woznica@ujc.org  818-386-0100  ext 238

8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Gala Opening: Celebration of Partnership
The opening plenary commemorates 60 years of partnership between the State of Israel and the Federations of North America. The dynamic programs features Israel’s Prime Minister, the top leadership of UJC and our primary overseas partners, the 2008 GA chairs, and inspiring performances by accomplished young people who are shaping Israel's culture.
Keynote: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
Speakers: Steve Schwager, Executive Vice President, JDC; Ze'ev Bielski, Chairman, the Jewish Agency; Shari Arison, GA Israel Chair;  Mark and Jane Wilf, North American Chairs; Lori Klinghoffer, Chair, UJC National Women's Philanthropy 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17

6:00 - 7:00 am 
Good Morning Jerusalem
Witness Jerusalem as it awakens while jogging around the historic walls of our beautiful Old City. Meet for an early morning run led by Avraham Burg, former Speaker of the Knesset and former Chairman of the Jewish Agency. Open to all. Special arrangements for people with disabilities to participate.
Meeting point: Windmill on King David St.

7:30 am
Mission Department Breakfast Meeting
Hall B
Special Guest Speaker: Professor Israel (Izzy) Borovich, Chairman of the Board, El Al Airlines
By Invitation Only

7:30 am
Israel Project Breakfast
King David Hotel
The Israel Project (TIP) staff and board members cordially invite you to join us for an update on TIP’s critical work as the go-to resource for accurate and up-to-date information about Israel and the Middle East. TIP Founder and President Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi will speak about Israel, Iran, and the media. Special guests to be announced.

7:30 am
Young Leadership Awards Breakfast
Hall C
By registration only

9:00 - 10:00 am
Plenary: A Vision of Israel's Future
President Shimon Peres will address the GA about the common future of the global Jewish community, with Israel at its center. Adam Bronfman, Managing Director of The Samuel Bronfman Foundation, will share his prospective on the next generation  of the Jewish people. We’ll see the riveting Jerusalem dance company “Ora” and salute the communities that have earned the Sapir Award for Campaign Excellence.
Chair: Kathy Manning, Chair, UJC Executive Committee

10:15 - 11:30 am
Breakout Sessions

The Impact of a Turbulent Economy on Israeli Society
Hall A

The global economy is undergoing a severe crisis, and although Israel’s economy has been strong, we need to be prepared. In a recession, the most vulnerable populations are the first to suffer and the hardest hit. How will the Government of Israel handle a widening socio-economic gap and cope with the needs of one third of the population, who are projected to be below the poverty line?

Moderator: Ruth Sinai, Social Affairs Correspondent, Haaretz

Panelists: Yarom Ariav, Director General, Ministry of Finance; MK Isaac Herzog, Minister of Welfare and Social Services; Professor Leo Leiderman, Chief Economist, Bank Hapoalim; Professor Rafi Melnik, Provost, Inter-Disciplinary Center, Herzliya

Thinking Inside the Box: Engaging the Next Generation in Our Work

Hall B

A dialogue on the challenges and opportunities our system faces in engaging the Next Generation. What are their barriers to involvement – and how can we listen to their voices and lower the barriers? This session will be an opportunity to engage in a discussion with our system’s leading thinkers and strategize with them about addressing the challenges.

Moderator: Bobbie Higer, Past Co-chair, UJC National Young Leadership

Panelists: Jeff Kaye, Director General, Resource Development, Jewish Agency; Joanne Moore, Co-chair Designate, UJC National Young Leadership; Marc Terrill, President, THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore

Education in Israel: Restoring the Qualitative Edge
Hall C

From pre-school through university, the standard of education in Israel, once a source of pride to the State of Israel and the Jewish people, is in crisis. Although education has the second largest budget in Israel, classes are too large, the status of teachers has declined, and we’re losing our brightest students to other countries.  Hear about efforts to improve Israeli education on all fronts.

Moderator: Professor Moshe Kaveh, President, Bar Ilan University

Panelists: Professor Zvi Galil, President, Tel Aviv University; Dov Lautman, Chairman of Hakol Chinuch & Chairman of the Lautman Foundation; MK Rabbi Michael Melchior, Chair, Knesset Education Committee

Broadening Our Impact through Supplemental Giving

Hall D

The opportunity to match programs with funders presents a broad spectrum of possibilities to Federations. This in-depth look at supplemental giving will examine the entire process, from identifying, marketing and funding projects to measuring their impact.  Examples from communities will reinforce the potential these initiatives provide and the breadth of concerns they address.

Moderator: Lee Wunsch, Chief Executive Officer, the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston
Panelists: Judie Fein-Helfman, Chief Planning Officer,  Jewish Federation of Greater Washington; Ken Heyman, FRD Chair, United Jewish Communities of Metrowest, NJ;  Jeff Korbman, Assistant Executive Vice President, United Jewish Communities of Metrowest, NJ; Jocelyn Krifcher, Chair, Supplemental Giving, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

The Emerging Phenomenon of Jewish Service Learning
Hall E

A recent study of American Jews found that making the world a better place ranked as their personally most meaningful activity. Organizations and prominent philanthropists have begun investing in the field and working to build the capacity of Jewish service programs. We’ll examine the recent explosion in popularity of Jewish service learning programs and the powerful impact of these experiences. Featuring the international launch of the new study by UJC’s Jewish Peoplehood and Identity Department of service learning participants, “Young, Jewish and Working for Change.” 
Moderator: Danny Krifcher, Interim CEO, Jewish Coalition for Service

Panelists:  Barbara Bedney, Assistant Director, Domestic Affairs, United Jewish Communities; Eli Fried, Policy Researcher and Projects Director, Harold Hartog School of Government and Policy at Tel Aviv University; Yonatan Glaser, Founding Director, B’Tzedek; Dganit Jenshil, Israel Director, OTZMA 

Building, Strengthening, and Investing in the Negev
Hall FG

Always a national priority, strengthening the Negev has been identified by Israel’s leaders as one of the most important Zionist goals of the 21st century.  While the government moves forward with infrastructure improvements, Federations are collaborating with government bodies and NGOs on a variety of social welfare, education, community capacity, and economic development projects.  Hear from experts in the field about new initiatives and opportunities for meaningful participation.

Moderator: Toni Young, Chair, UJC Global Operations: Israel & Overseas; Vice Chair, UJC Board of Trustees
Panelists: Kher Albaz, Director of Social Services for Negev Bedouins, Segev-Shalom Regional Council and Academic Advisor for Arab Students, Sami Shamoon Engineering College; Leah Golan, Director General, Israel Department of the Jewish Agency for Israel; Roni Flamer, CEO, OR Movement; Moti Hershkowitz, Vice President and Dean for Research & Development, Ben Gurion University; Daphna Murvitz , Director of Economic Development Initiatives, Israel Venture Network

Tools to Empower the Ethiopian Community

Hall H

Israel’s Ethiopian community now numbers close to 120,000. Programs to equip this population with skills and resources they need to integrate fully into Israeli society – many of them funded by the Federation system – have seen notable success, but there’s still substantial work to be done. We’ll review the lessons learned from our efforts and discuss the implications for future action.

Moderator: Bruce Sholk, Chair, Ethiopian Israeli Work Group

Panelists:  Danny Admasu, Executive Director, Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews; Arnon Mantver, Director General, JDC Israel; Dr. Negist Mengeshe, Director General, Ethiopian National Project; Shmuel Sisso, Mayor of Kiryat Yam; Moshe Vigdor, Director General, Jewish Agency

The Drama of Holocaust Survivors in Israel
Hall I

Over 250,000 elderly Holocaust survivors live in Israel, and most of them have been scarred – psychologically and physically – by the trauma of their experiences. Witness Theater brings elderly survivors and Israeli youth together to develop and perform skits that bring the survivors’ experiences to life. The performance will be followed by a discussion on meeting the needs of Holocaust survivors in Israel. 
Performance: Witness Theater, introduced by Michael Horowitz, Past President, Minneapolis Jewish Federation and Chair, JDC-Israel's Programs for Elderly

Moderator: Ruth Eglash, Social Affairs Reporter, Jerusalem Post

Panelists: Reuven Merhav, Chairman of the Executive Committee, The Claims Conference; Dr. David Silberklang, Editor-in-Chief, Yad Vashem Publications, and  Editor, Yad Vashem Studies

Education Toward a Global Perspective

Hall K

Preparing the next generation of Jews to embrace a strong, meaningful Jewish identity is a shared challenge in North America, in Israel and around the world.  And connecting young Jews in far-flung communities not only to Jewish life but to each other is an additional challenge. A variety of innovative efforts are underway to strengthen the sense of meaningful Jewish identity and connectedness for both youth and adults. 

Moderator: Jon Woocher, Chief Ideas Officer and Director of the Lippman Kanfer Institute, JESNA

Panelists: Esther Abramowitz, Director of Student Life in Israel, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life; Alan Hoffmann, Director General, Education Department, Jewish Agency for Israel; Gidi Mark, International CEO, Taglit-Birthright Israel; Gideon Shavit, Chief Executive Officer, Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education

Election 2008: Opportunities and Challenges for Jews and Israel
Hall M

What will a new US President and Congress, as well as upcoming elections in Israel, mean for the United States, Israel and the Mideast region? The panel will discuss these important issues and share their insights into the implications of the evolving political realities.
Moderator:  Steve Gutow, Executive Director, JCPA

Panelists: Professor Moshe Arens, Former Defense Minister; Colette Avital, Member of Knesset; William Daroff, Vice President, Public Policy and Director, UJC Washington
Resource: UJC presents downloadable JTA Election Special Section

Building a Shared Israeli Society: Challenges and Responses from Jewish and Arab Citizens
Hall N
“Arab Labor,” the first Arab-language sitcom to become a top-ten hit in Israel, uses satire to portray the discomfort between Israeli Jews and the Arabs. Using clips from the sitcom on topics like education, leadership development, women's empowerment, and employment, this session’s expert panelists will engage participants in a serious discussion of these issues.
Moderators: Brian Lurie and Steve Schwager, Co-Chairs, Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues
Panelists:  Amal Elsana Alhjooj, Director, AJEEC; Nadia Hilo, Member of Knesset;  Mike Prashker, Founder and Director, Merchavim, the Institute for the Advancement of Shared Citizenship in Israel; operation; Yossi Tamir, Director, JDC's Tevet Employment Initiative

11:45 - 1:00 pm
Breakout Sessions

6:00 - 8:00 pm
A Taste of Israel
Exhibit Hall
Join us for a reception in the Binyanei Ha’umah exhibit hall, with special guest the newly elected mayor of Jerusalem. Sample the unique foods and exceptional wines of Israel including Israeli grown and cultivated olives, oil, tomatoes and spreads , enjoy Israeli entertainment, and visit with our Israeli sponsors, who have supported this GA in unprecedented, historic proportions. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet the new mayor of Jerusalem in his first public appearance.

7:00 pm
UIA Board Meeting
Crowne Plaza Hotel

7:45 pm
Reception for Sapir Award Winners
Hall E

7:45 pm
GA Cinema: “Zerubbavel”
Hall I
Attend the world premiere of the first Ethiopian movie produced in Israel, which just won first place in the Haifa Film Festival It’s the fascinating story of an Ethiopian boy who aspires to be the Spike Lee of Israel and documents his own family’s struggle to assimilate into Israeli culture while preserving their heritage.  After the screening, participate in a discussion with Director Shmuel Beru, Producer Mark Rosenboim and Katriel Schory, Managing Director of the Israel Film Fund

7:45 pm
Jewish Agency Aliyah Department Reception
Hall G

8:00 pm
Dance Performance
Colban Dance presents "Gate of Jerusalem" (Entrance fee)
Beit Shmuel - See GA Information Desk for more information

8:00 pm
Sponsors Reception
Venue TBA

9:00 pm
National Young Leadership Cabinet and Cabinet Alumni Gathering 
Location: The King David Hotel's Lobby lounge, 23 King David St., Downtown Jerusalem

9:30 pm
Party with the Next Gen, hosted by the Jewish Agency for Israel
We are very grateful to the 17 Club (formerly Hauman 17) for sponsoring this event and to world-renowned singer David Da'or for donating his performance in honor of the GA Next Generation participants. Buses will depart from Binyanei Ha’umah.

9:30 pm
AJCOP, JCSA & WCJCS Recognition of Professional Leadership Awards Reception
Weizmann Hall, Jewish Agency for Israel, 48 King George Street, Jerusalem 

Tuesday, November 18

8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Seminars on Wheels
The GA leaves the convention center and participants fan out to explore Jerusalem, the Galilee and the Negev from Karmiel to Yeruham, for an up-close look at life in modern Israel. Each group will visit federation-funded projects as well as sites that highlight Israel's cultural, historical, military, high-tech, academic and business accomplishments. The event will focus on the work of JAFI, JDC, ENP and other partner organizations. NOTE: If you have not pre-registered for a track, please visit the GA Information Desk. Click here for track descriptions.

6:00 pm
Tel Aviv Café
In the evening, all will gather in historical Sarona Gardens in Tel Aviv to celebrate the city's upcoming centennial, hosted by the city's mayor. Once a German Templar colony and then occupied by the army, this renovated site has become a focus of the new Tel Aviv. Throughout the gardens, we’ll enjoy entertainment, food, and exhibits highlight facets of modern Tel Aviv and moments in its history. Ron Huldai, the Mayor of Tel Aviv and MK Isaac Herzog, Minister of Welfare and Social Services, will be on hand to offer greetings. Transportation to Jerusalem provided. Sponsored by the Municipality of Tel Aviv and its mayor.  

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 

7:30 – 9:00 am
UJC Board/Delegate Assembly Annual Meeting 
Hall A
By Invitation Only

9:15 – 10:15 am
Plenary
Professor Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank of Israel and world renowned expert economist, will share his views on the global financial crisis. Then we'll hear from Benjamin Netanyahu, former Prime Minister and head of the Likud Party. Regarded as the architect of the new Israeli economy, he will offer his perspective on the state of the country’s economy today as well as his political views in light of upcoming elections.
Chair: Toni Young, Vice Chair, UJC Board of Trustees

10:15 – 11:00 am
Stretch your legs and grab a coffee during this intermission before the closing plenary.

11:00 - 12:30 pm
Plenary
Tikkun Olam: Israel and the World
We’ll highlight Israel’s centrality in the Jewish global community through three different points of view on the theme of Tikkun Olam: Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will address the national perspective; GA Chair Shari Arison will speak from a personal point of view and UJC President and CEO Howard Rieger will present the federation movement perspective. We conclude the GA with a lively performance by the young talented members of the Israel Youth Movements Ensemble.
Chair: Joe Kanfer, Chair, UJC Board of Trustees

12:30 – 5:00 pm
Open House at the Israel Museum
Guided tours every 30 minutes beginning at 1pm. In addition to free entrance, GA participants receive a 15% discount at the café and the Israel Museum Store. Buses will depart from Binyanei Ha’umah.