Alabama communities plan Israel rallies
A former president of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee will speak at a Mobile event, while the brother of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will address an Israel rally in Birmingham.
On Aug. 4, the Mobile Jewish community will come together at Ahavas Chesed for a Shabbat evening service in support of Israel. Mobilian Mayer Mitchell, who served two terms as AIPAC president, will assess the current situation in the Middle East.
Carrie Voit will provide Israelli music, and the oneg afterwards will feature Israeli foods. The entire community is invited to the 6 p.m. service.
On Aug. 14, Yossi Olmert, brother of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and a former government official and political commentator, will address a Stand with Israel rally.
The rally will begin at 7 p.m., at the Wright Center at Samford University.
Olmert was director of Israel’s Government Press Office and an advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir during the first Gulf War in 1991. Today he is a well-known political commentator.
Members of the Jewish and non-Jewish communities are invited to attend.
As of July 31, the Birmingham Jewish Federation had raised $520,000 in the “Freedom from Terror” emergency campaign. What began nationally as an $18 million United Jewish Communities campaign has grown into one estimated at $250 million to $300 million as the fighting continued. The BJF estimates that it will be asked to raise about $900,000 as its share of the national effort.
Montgomery’s Jewish community is gearing up for a city-wide celebrations of Israel, to be held Aug. 27 at the Train Shed, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
