January 17th, 2010
Letter to the editor of the Jerusalem Post
A Hasbara birthright exists (PDF version)
Sir, - Michael Freund’s column “Time for a Hasbara birthright” (January 6) calls for developing a birthright equivalent “geared toward key decision-makers… in the US, Europe, and elsewhere.” In fact, an extraordinarily successful program of this sort already exists.
Project Interchange, an institute of the American Jewish Committee, has brought more than 5,000 leaders to Israel from more than 60 countries to, exactly as Freund suggests, “see and experience Israel beyond the headlines.” During their week-long seminars in Israel, participants receive an in-depth foundation for better understanding Israel’s society, culture, security and strategic realities, and healthy democracy.
Freund proposes potential “programs aimed at clergymen and jurists, prominent doctors, lawyers and scientists… with each one tailored to their specific interests.” In the last two years alone, the organization has developed seminars for influential figures ranging from America’s most prominent African-American and Latino clergy to Muslim leaders from Asia, journalists from Turkey and Latin America, senior advisors of Members of the European Parliament, and counter-terror and security experts from the US and Europe. American Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has participated in two of the seminars. PI alumni author widely-read articles, give sermons, make speeches and more, all to the benefit of enhanced understanding between their audiences and Israel.
RICHARD SCHIFTER
Board member,
Project Interchange
Bethesda, Maryland
