Now that I’m back in St. Louis, I have a chance to reflect on AIPAC. Coming in, I didn’t know what to expect. But between the breakout sessions and the lobbying, I found a part of the conference that was just for me.
Yossi attentively listens after asking a question during a breakout session.
During my lobbying appointment with Senator Claire McCaskill, I had the opportunity to have a real, substantial conversation with someone in a position of power. I realized that I can have an impact; I have the ability to influence the opinion of one Congressman or Senator, which in turn helps dictate American foreign policy as a whole. This inspired me to get more involved with my representatives, and more specifically, to regularly lobby their St. Louis offices for pro-Israel legislation.
I was also surprised by the diversity of the delegates. Many of the delegates were black, Christian, or both. Relatively few of the delegates were religious Jews; this surprised me because I had always seen the Modern Orthodox community as being much more involved in pro-Israel politics. The overall diversity of the conference was a pleasant surprise.
But by far, the most powerful and change-inducing part of the conference was the lobbying day. It takes the pro-Israel sentiment that is concentrated in one massive convention center and disperses it throughout Congressional offices, effecting real change. That was what stuck with me the most, and what has inspired me to continue the lobbying back home in St. Louis.
Yossi Katz
Junior, Clayton High School, St. Louis, MO