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Monday, January 12
AJC Energy Forum
10:15 am to 1:30 pm
Past President's Council
meetings
Jan. 22 and May 14
Tuesday, January 27
at 11 am
UN Holocaust Victim Remembrance
with
Hon. Bill White
Mayor of Houston
Fred Zeidman, Chair, US Holocaust Memorial Council and Houston diplomatic corps
Wed., January 28
at 7:30 am at AJC office
Mexican-American emerging leaders workshop follow up breakfast
Wed., Feb. 4 at 11:30 am
Consular Corps Luncheon
featuring
Amb. Martin Indyk
Omni Hotel
Monthly briefings with Israel Consul General to start again in December on the third Tuesday.
Crucial Issues Series
in collaboration with
World Affairs Council Houston:
 Tues., Feb. 3
Amb. Martin Indyk
Registration 6 pm
Program 6:30 pm
at the
Omni Houston Hotel
Board Meetings
DECEMBER 18, January 15, February 19 and April 23
Executive Committee January 8 and
March 5
AJC ANNUAL MEETING
May 6-8, 2009
Washington, DC
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Mideast Briefing: Where to in Gaza?
The situation of escalating tensions between Hamas in Gaza and Israel "is eerily reminiscent of the days in May 1967, when the IDF, and the country at large, were increasingly organized for battle and expected action, but Levi Eshkol's Cabinet held back, vainly looking for a diplomatic solution," writes Eran Lerman, director of AJC's Israel/Middle East office.READ BRIEFING
Iranian Obstacle Course
Emanuele Ottolenghi, director of AJC's Transatlantic Institute, on the dilemma for the Obama administration in dealing with Iran.
President-elect Barack Obama intends to engage Iran in "direct but tough diplomacy." It's an ambitious plan, given Iran's absolute refusal to suspend uranium enrichment. But one that makes sense. Obama's campaign record on Iran's nuclear program, after all, is unequivocal: His policy will be one of prevention, not deterrence. For Obama, a nuclear Iran would be a "game changer," and is "unacceptable." READ OP ED
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Responsible choices for your charity contributions
There's a well-known clothing store chain that we have all heard or seen its advertisment. Its motto is: "An educated consumer is our best customer." At AJC, we believe an educated donor is our best supporter.
The educated donor asks two basic questions. First, does the organization fulfill its mission? Second, is the organization fiscally responsible?
Rather than answer those questions ourselves, we'd prefer to let others do it for us.
Does AJC fulfill its mission?
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said: "The American Jewish Committee is the most effective, most influential, and most respected of American Jewish groups."
The New York Times has called AJC "the dean of American Jewish organizations."
And a senior Israeli official commented: "If Israel had to privatize its foreign policy, AJC would be the first choice."
Is AJC fiscally responsible?
Charity Navigator, a top watchdog, has given us four stars, its highest rating for cost efficiency, for several years in a row.
AJC is the only Jewish advocacy organization to be awarded an 'A' grade by the American Institute of Philanthropy.
And when New York magazine listed just seven national and local charitable "Best Bets" (among more than one million registered groups!), AJC made the grade.
These plaudits reflect AJC's determination to make a difference, day in and day out, here at home and around the world. And equally, they underscore our commitment to the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and cost-effectiveness.
Berzin to present at Chapter energy forum
 Isaac Berzin, Time magazine's most influential person for 2008, will participate in the Chapter's energy forum on Monday, Jan. 12 from 10:15 am to 1:30 pm at the Omni Houston Hotel.
Thanks to a little green vision in the form of algae, Berzin, the founder of GreenFuel Technologies in Cambridge MA, has returned to Israel to help turn Israeli ingenuity into action. Now a senior fellow at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya, Berzin has plans to build a new Institute for Alternative Energy Policy in Israel under the IDC.
Berzin received the TIME honor for his important scientific contribution to the development of alternative fuels and for his leadership role in the global movement to end the world's oil dependence."
Berzin looks to collect the best-fit alternative energy solutions from across academia and the industry in Israel - about 10 different technology platforms - to build a center of excellence.
Berzin has a kind of rock star popularity in the US for his work with GreenFuel. Continuing on as an advisor in the company, he says, "GreenFuel is doing great, the baby is walking now."
The father of three, who now lives in Jerusalem, sees the importance of creating a real solution to end the world's dependence on oil within the next few years. If it's not found, in 10 years he says, the planet will have "reached the point of no return."
AJC's energy task force is planning the forum and includes: Green home builder David Ronn, Max Blankfeld, Leonard Goldstein, Shrub Kempner, Richard Sherry and Allan Van Fleet.
Greenberg Traurig LLP is underwriting the energy forum. Reservations for the forum, which are $25/person and includes lunch, may be made by calling AJC, 713 439 1202.
Project Interchange Bringing Campus Editors to Israel
A group of student newspaper editors from colleges and universities across the U.S. will visit Israel next week on an AJC Project Interchange educational seminar. Editors from The Hoya, Georgetown University's paper, and The Daily Californian, University of California at Berkeley, are among the participants. This is an annual seminar.
Paying Tribute to Conor Cruise O'Brien
AJC was deeply saddened by the death of Conor Cruise O'Brien, the distinguished Irish diplomat, scholar and author who was a staunch supporter of Israel and the Jewish people. His book, The Siege: The Story of Israel and Zionism, compellingly spoke of the Jewish people's age-old and unique connection with the land. "Israel's fiercest critics faced a formidable and unflinching foe in Conor Cruise O'Brien," said David A. Harris. "We will miss his voice, his courage, his principle, and his friendship."
Welcoming Presidential Pardon of Charles Winters
AJC welcomed President Bush's posthumous pardon of Charles Winters, "an American hero and a true friend of Israel, who risked his own life to help establish the Jewish State simply because it was the right thing to do." Last August, AJC sent letters to President Bush and Attorney General Michael Mukasey, supporting a posthumous pardon.
Hailing Conviction of Col. Bagosora for Rwanda Genocide
AJC's Africa Institute and Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights hailed the conviction of Col. Theoneste Bagosora by the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Bagosora, often described as the mastermind behind the Rwandan genocide, was sentenced to life in prison on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes for his role in the 1994 genocide. AJC presented its 2008 Moral Courage Award to two Rwandan survivors of the genocide.
Multimedia on AJC Website
AJC's homepage has a new multimedia feature. The TV box has a brief video of Jason Isaacson discussing AJC's humanitarian relief efforts. It is the first in a series of short video messages that will be placed in the homepage box in the coming weeks. All videos are produced in the AJC Studio. VIEW.
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Behind the Scenes
AJC is actively engaged in the domestic and international scene as an advocacy organization.
The Chapter's Israel Library Project will donate copies of Ambassador Martin Indyk's new book, Innocent Abroad, when he visits Houston in February for our Consular Corps luncheon on Feb. 4 and our Crucial Issues Series with World Affairs Council Houston the evening of Feb. 3. Helene Zadok chairs the Israel Library Project, which donates new Middle East related books to area libraries. Recent surveys of area libraries should a dramatic shortage of Middle East books and those in the libraries were biased against Israel. Contributions to the library project provide funds to purchase the books at cost.
Thank you for your support of AJC.
Best wishes for a joyous new year.
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December 26, 2008
