‘Sorry ma’am is this bag? We need to search this section of the plane...’
Perhaps this was not the best thing for a nervous flyer like Carly McKenzie to hear as the plane taxied down the runway (at least we got to this stage Natalie Samuel!) Thankfully we arrived in Washington terror and trouble free, clearly Mossad had informed AIPAC and Carly McKenzie of their plans to disrupt the weather around the UK. Like the shark, the reach of their tentacles knows no bounds.
Our mission was clear from the outset. Show the Americans how campus politics works. Our task began at the state department. Passing the memorial to Richard Holbrooke and the Palestinian ICT initiative we were greeted by Hannah Rosenthal, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. Discussions centred around everything from fighting BDS campaigns to how antisemitism still manifests in the Arab world, in the media and for us on campus.
What followed was a walking tour of the city’s sites, led by our resident tour guide, who managed to get us lost on no fewer than 4 occasions. Taking in the Lincoln Memorial, The Washington Monument, the White House and a pretty Christmas tree, we felt surrounded by power, awe struck; this is where it all happens. Rebecca went weak at the knees, Carly strained, trying to get a peak inside the white house (they clearly don’t know who she is), Goodman was trying to work out which angle a map should be read, Joseph was still being questioned at the airport and Alex was trying to see if there were presents under said tree .
We then went to the quaint district of Georgetown, the real reason we had schlepped all the way to D.C... shopping. Friday afternoon, Saturday night, Sunday morning, even Monday night, UJS’s top political activists could not get enough. Obama has been trying for months to stimulate the US economy out of recession, all he needed to do was ask us!
A memorable Shabbat saw the group hosted on Friday night in the Georgetown Condo of some DC Grad- Students. Well fed and slightly tipsy we walked home to our hotel, past the magnificent sight of the White House. Saturday afternoon saw the Brits take a gentle stroll through Washington to the cirty’s Chabad House, where Carly reeled off her (by now word perfect) rendition of what UJS is, and why we were here. Less experienced but just as competently, she then tried her hand at match – making over lunch, seeking to pair a nice Jewish boy who worked at the Department of Defense with one of her friends from back home. Chances of success? Get saving for that hat...
Prior to the start of the Conference, we headed down to the Holocaust Museum, the memorial to the 6million Jewish victims of the Nazi regime. The features on Nazi propaganda and Anti-Semitism today were particularly poignant. The horrors of the Holocaust are deeply shocking and thought provoking, but we came to the conclusion that we should use its messages, and be inspired from this evil to strive to protect our community, and with this in mind we were ready for the Saban Winter Leadership Conference 2010 to begin.
Newly suited and booted, the conference began. Four British students feeling slightly out of place. Surrounded by (don’t say it too loudly) ...Republicans, we started to miss our Trots and Socialists back home. It was a political culture shock, but a refreshing one at that. Talks focused on the strategic US- Israel Alliance and how to strengthen this vital partnership. Valuable facts and insights were available in each session from the professionals. It was good to liaise and coordinate strategy with our American counterparts, who, when not talking about Israel and Zionism, were keen to know about our meetings with the Queen, just how long the journey is from Kings Cross on the Hogwarts Express and precisely which one of us attacked the Royal Car during the student protests.
Above all, we took from the conference the importance of staying on message. Getting distracted by Israel’s haters is counterproductive. We must continue to educate others about the complexities of the Middle East, build relationships and encourage unity and activism within our own community. We left DC in heated discussions about the direction of Anglo Jewry with the determination to come up with new ways to engage students. It was inspiring to be at a conference with over 400 students who passionately cared about Israel, and this has reignited and refuelled our commitment to the work we do on campuses around the UK.
