Israeli Lawmakers To Visit Brandeis
BOSTON (AP) - Six Israeli lawmakers are headed to the United States this weekend for an intense study of American Jewish life amid concerns about a growing gap between American and Israeli Jews.
The members of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, arrive Sunday at Brandeis University, near Boston, then head to New York City mid-week as part of the inaugural Ruderman Fellows Program.
The six-day program aims to give the legislators a detailed understanding of the structure and history of the American Jewish community. Each day is devoted to a single aspect of it, such as "How the Case for Israel is Made in United States," and includes lectures and meetings with American Jewish leaders in academics, business, philanthropy, even entertainment (at a Broadway play).
Avi Dichter, one of the fellows, said he hopes the group returns to Israel as "ambassadors ... about what it means to be a Jew overseas in general and in the United States in particular.
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