JGA July-August 09 - The Jewish Georgian

July-August 2009 THE JEWISH GEORGIAN Page 13
Why I missed my best friend’s birthday and went to Washington, D.C., with AIPAC
I
missed my best friend’s 60th birthday
party on the West Coast to be at AIPAC’s
Policy Conference in Washington D.C. I
called her when I returned home and told her
why.
I began with how it felt to hear African-
American leaders from across our nation
speak before 6,500 pro-Israel activists and
name the Jewish Americans who lost their
lives in the Civil Rights Movement. These
leaders, who aim to bring back the principals
of Martin Luther King’s road to freedom,
declared they stand with Israel.
I told her about the Honorable Anthony
Villaraigosa, a Hispanic high school dropout
who was taken in by Jewish educators, mentored,
and sent to college. He is now the
mayor of Los Angeles, and he stands with
Israel.
I told her about the Jewish-American
citizen whose company has the TV rights to
the Woman’s Tennis Championship in
Dubai. Upon finding out that Dubai officials
banned a ranking Israel player, he knew
something had to be done. Despite the
prospect of substantial financial losses and
negative PR, he decided that the network
would not broadcast the tournament. To his
astonishment, his actions inspired others,
including Andy Roddick, who pulled out of
the tournament, and The Wall Street Journal,
which withdrew its sponsorship. In addition,
the World Tennis Association fined the tournament
$300,000. I cried and remembered
how one person can make a difference. At
that point, my husband turned to me—when
the lights dimmed upon 6,500 Americans
who share our core beliefs, and you could
feel the full strength and force of the pride to
be an American Jew in the land of the free—
and he whispered in my ear, “Next year, both
our boys will be here with us.” Never mind
that their exams and college commitments
prohibited their attendance. I knew what he
O
n a Sunday in the middle of May, I
set out to see my business partner’s
new baby, who was born a few days
before. I did not know it was raining until I
pulled out of my garage. Oh, well, I thought,
what is a little rain? However, the more I
drove, the less I could see, because it was
one of those downpours that does make it
hard to see. Even with the defroster going. I
kept wondering if this trip was really necessary.
I kept at it and was very proud when I
got to the right street and the right subdivision
in one piece. I parked my car, ran up to
the front door, and rang the doorbell. No one
answered. I then realized I was supposed to
be at #110 and not #1101. You are probably
feeling all wet just reading this. I was cer-
BY Renee
Brody Levow
meant. They’ll be here soon enough, I said to
myself, as I held dear his hidden tears of
emotion.
I told her about the talent and strength of
this organization, which has existed for over
50 years, that attracts the best and the brightest
Ph.D.s, present and former government
officials, and experts from around the world,
who brief us on a wide range of topics, from
energy independence to world politics.
I told her about the evening Sir Nigel
Sheinwald, the British ambassador to the
U.S.; Kay Hagan, the freshman Senator from
North Carolina; and Kip Holden, the
African-American mayor of Baton Rouge,
who all stand with Israel, were at my dinner
table. The British ambassador had to step
away several times to chat with the British
minister for the Middle East, who, because
of AIPAC’s reputation, flew in on a “red eye”
to be with us for dinner.
Then, Vice President Joe Biden spoke.
He spoke movingly to all 6,500 of us, including
over 1,000 college students and almost
200 student body presidents. He told a story
about being a freshman senator and having
the opportunity to visit Israel and meet privately
with then-Prime Minister Golda Meir.
“She painted a detailed and dire picture of
the constant struggle for survival for a country
surrounded by enemies,” said the vice
president. As they walked down the hallway
from her office, shoulder-to-shoulder, the
prime minister turned to him and said,
“Don’t look so worried. We’ll be fine.” And
the young senator said, “But I have reason to
BY
Marice
Katz
tainly drenched. I slushed my way back to
my car and finally arrived at the right house.
The minute I walked in and was given
a towel to dry off, I immediately fell in love.
This little baby boy was beautiful. The
father had told me that, but I thought that
was just daddy talk.
However, this baby was, indeed, really
gorgeous, and I now knew my trip had been
worthwhile. I held him for about an hour. I
did not move. He peacefully slept, and I was
in seventh heaven.
Just one more thing. Every time
Mozart, the family’s little dog, came up to
me and the baby and put his little paw on
my knee, I fell in love with him, too. I might
not get a baby, but this doggie was so very,
very cute, that maybe....
Maybe....
Alan Levow, AIPAC’s Atlanta
Campaign Chair
be worried. Your enemies are real and
strong.” And Meir replied, “But senator, we
have a secret weapon. We have nowhere else
to go!” Again, I cried.
I told my friend how we went to Capitol
Hill with two other couples and their son,
who are close friends. Both couples became
involved in AIPAC as a result of a parlor
meeting at our home. I shared with her how
moving it was to lobby with them. We took
pictures as a group before the majestic capital
buildings that bright sunny day. I cried
again when I told their 22-year-old son that
this is democracy at its finest, a government
for the people and by people. And that this
precious freedom can never be taken for
granted. Just as we would fight to our last
dying breath to save America, our home, we
would do the same for Israel’s precious
democracy and land of the free, for Jews all
over the world. Later that day, our friends
sent us an e-mail: “We have never felt closer
to you than when we spoke our minds,
together, to urge two senators and two congressmen
on the Hill to take specific steps to
insure the survival of Israel.” The wife is a
child of Holocaust survivors.
Finally, I urged my best friend to meet
me next year at AIPAC’s 2010 Policy
Conference in our nation’s capital—to experience
with me the high that rocks my world
each time I go, to fight for what I cherish. I
told her what our friend Seth Cohen, who
also just returned from the conference, told
my husband and me when we saw him the
next weekend at the movies, “If you don’t
go, you don’t get it.”
So, I say to all of you who have never
been or who missed this year: If you don’t go,
you don’t get it. Join Alan, me, and 6,500 of
your closest friends at the next Policy
Conference, March 21-23, 2010. To make
reservations and take advantage of the earlybird
special, call 770-541-7610, or visit
www.aipac.org.
Renee Brody Levow is a retired senior vice
president and corporate client group director
at Smith Barney, has been an Atlanta resident
for 25 years, and is a member of
AIPAC. Her husband, Atlanta Native Alan
Levow, is managing director of Crowne
Partners, a real estate company, and is currently
serving as the Atlanta campaign chair
for AIPAC. They have two sons, one in college
and one in graduate school.
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weddings • bar/bat mitzvah • corporate
275 Spalding Springs Lane
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
itsmypartyinc@hotmail.com
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Ann Davis, AIPAC Atlanta Co-Chair
and AIPAC National Board Member
tel. 770.395.1094
cell 678.637.2030
fax 770.396.8844