NJDC: Its Time Has Come

One organization that will hardly be at the fringes of the US Presidential election with Barack Obama leading the ticket is the National Jewish Democratic Council, an organization for whom I managed communications, policy and public relations from 1994 to 1996.

For much of its existence, NJDC had been derided by some within the American Jewish community as being redundant—American Jews vote for Democratic candidates by 3-1 margins with very rare exceptions, and the Democratic Party has long been seen as a reliable supporter both of Israel and of domestic issues like separation of church and state and reproductive choice that most American Jews strongly support.

But the Obama candidacy, as exciting of a prospect as it is for many American Jews like myself, has raised considerable skepticism—particularly among older Jews—that will require a concerted and dedicated effort to overcome. And, as the Obama candidacy has aroused considerable support from Americans who are less-than-favorable towards Israel in particular, an equally concerted effort will need to take place to mobilize Democratic support for Israel and Jewish concerns over the course of an Obama presidency.

While the NJDC is not a campaign organization itself, it has a political action committee that actively supports Democratic candidates. The organization itself, under Executive Director Ira Forman’s determined leadership, actively seeks out opportunities to represent Democratic positions within the Jewish community and Jewish perspectives in Democratic circles. Those who would like to see a successful relationship between Barack Obama and the US Jewish Community would be well served to sign up with the NJDC at this crucial time.