Four Programs That Require Your Urgent Attention

Mandatory Funding

A reading of your daily paper will vividly show that the session of the Congress now taking place deals with purely political items with votes that they know may not go through. They accomplish this by introducing legislation on a proposed military draft knowing that it will not pass. Your congressmen, whom you must contact, are aware of this, and, if, as they constantly say in their campaigns, the Congress favors mandatory funding, which, of course, they do not, they can add it on to pending legislation. You must make them favor mandatory funding by indicating that, if they don’t, you will vote for their opponent. That program is entirely within your hands, and, while it may not terminate with Election Day, now is the best time to push and require a vote.

350th Commemoration

The Jewish community starting in September began the commemoration of 350 years of Jewish Life in America. This is a pleasant approach and like most celebrations of this nature it either catches on, or it doesn’t fly at all. However, in this season and for this commemoration it becomes vitally important that we proceed and recognize the 350th and build Jewish pride in Jewish youth. Anti-Semitism is running rampant in Europe and some places in the USA. Israel bashing has become more intensified not merely against Israel but against all Jews. If it becomes necessary, you may procure our 350th booklet with its accompanying teacher’s guide by downloading it and producing it in your own area to present to Hebrew schools. You can find the link to both the booklet and the guide on the home page of our web site http://www.jwv.org. It is intended to provide Jewish youth with the knowledge of Jewish involvement together with other Americans in the defense of our nation. We would have hoped that we would have been able to get a sponsor to fund the production of the booklet, thereby giving it freely to all Hebrew schools throughout the nation. This has not come to fruition. However, although the booklet has our copyright, you and any Hebrew schools or organizations are authorized to download it freely and give it to the schools in your communities and surrounding communities. The only thing that we ask is to advise us that you are doing it and let us know the results. Where possible, be involved in the presentation of the booklet and teacher’s guides to the schools.

Invest In America

Because of its effect on veterans, it becomes very vital that we look to reducing the outsourcing of American jobs overseas. There are some that will tell you that, by outsourcing, we are improving our economy because the product is being produced at a lower cost basis and is available for us to buy it cheaply in the United States. That’s all well and good for those who are employed and able to buy the product at a lower price. For those who have lost their jobs, which includes many veterans, as a result of outsourcing and can not find another comparable job or must now work two or three jobs to get the same income as before, the glory of lower prices is no great deal since there are more important things for them to use their money for, such as a mortgage payment, health insurance and other living expenses. It becomes absolutely necessary for those who are stockholders in corporations that have outsourced their production to submit resolutions, to attend the stock holders’ meetings and to force the corporation to bring back some of their production requirements into the US. It is embarrassing to our Nation to place a call for support or information and find out the person at the other end of the telephone conversation is assisting you from outside of America.

Allied Veterans Mission

The world is now unabashedly engaging in Israel bashing to an extent that it is now used to take everyone’s mind off other conflicts in the world. There is a tendency to blame Israel for creating the US engagement in the Iraqi-Afghanistan conflicts by putting it on the basis of anti-religious war against Islam. It is absolutely necessary therefore that we pursue our Allied Veterans programs by sending Allied Veterans overseas to Israel to see exactly what’s taking place on the ground. Each department can select an Allied Veteran. The department, however, is required to fund the veteran for going overseas to Israel. You can help yourself, the Jewish people, and Israel at the same time by getting your department involved in the Allied Veterans program. It is a win-win situation by providing knowledge and understanding to counter what has become a media-muddled attack on Israeli security and Jewish support for Jewish security.