Shalom ZOA Members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,

Whatever the weather was outside yesterday evening, inside the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue there was great warmth; whatever amount of electricity flowed through the circuits throughout the hotel, it was surpassed by the electricity that flowed through the air inside two ballrooms there as we held our 2016 Gala, honoring Andrew C. McCarthy, Rabbi Steven Saks, Amy and Eric Clayman and Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick.

It truly was as billed: an evening of uplifting and enlightening speeches and great Patriotism, Zionism, and an outpouring of love for America and Israel from our honorees, and other Gala participants Morton Klein, Dom Giordano, Allen L. Rothenberg and Cantor Adam Gilbert, plus Rabbi Aaron Krupnick and Rabbi Isaac Entin, and Lee Bender and Kevin Ross.

Enjoy some photos below courtesy of Richard Chaitt below. In about a week we hope to have video of the award presentations and acceptance speeches available, as well as more photos.

We are extremely grateful to the businesses, professionals and service-providers, and foundations, families and individuals who supported the Gala and our organization via our Tribute Book and Ad Journal, and to all who purchased tickets and attended the Gala. Please patronize our advertisers. We will email and have on our Web site shortly a copy of the Gala Tribute Book and Ad Journal.

Special thanks are in order to those who were an integral part of the event: Office staff Linda Rosen and Beth-Ellen Kroope, lay leaders Lee Bender, Heather Berman, Howard Katzoff and Len Getz, and the many, many volunteers who worked diligently in the months and weeks leading up the Gala, and throughout the day yesterday.

Coming Up Soon: Greater Philadelphia ZOA’s Next Event:

Save the Date:

We Never Left: The Jews’ Continuous Presence in the Land of Israel

By Lee S. Bender and Jerome R. Verlin

Early in his first term, President Obama told the whole world in his speech from Cairo: “It is easy to point fingers — for Palestinians to point to the displacement brought by Israel’s founding.”

This was gravely misleading.

Israel was not “created and founded,” artificially and out-of-the-blue, in 1948 — but rather, Israel re-attained its independence that year as the natural fruition into statehood of the once-sovereign homeland of the Jewish people, who — over almost two millennia of continuous foreign invader and empire rule — never deserted that home, despite all attempts to eradicate them.

And that is the case we must make.

The argument for Israel is typically made on the legal side — the Balfour Declaration, the San Remo Conference of 1920, the Palestine Mandate, UN Security Council Resolution 242. These are critical, yes, but not enough to counter the pervasive, but wholly false, sentiment that Jews stole Arab land.

Many Americans, both hostile and friendly to the Jewish homeland, wrongly believe that “the Romans exiled the Jews.” This shows how deep-seated and widespread this vast misperception of an almost-2,000-year separation of Jews from the land of Israel is among the American public.

For example, former President Carter in the “Historical Chronology” of his book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, writes: “135 [CE]: Romans suppress a Jewish revolt, killing or forcing almost all Jews of Judaea into exile.” President Carter’s introductory “Palestine Historical Chronology” doesn’t mention Jews again until 1917, suggesting a Jewish absence of 1,782 years.

Read the remainder of the article at: https://www.algemeiner.com/2016/09/11/we-never-left-the-jews-continuous-presence-in-the-land-of-israel/

Shalom ZOA Members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,

Join the region’s leading pro-Israel advocates, Patriots and Zionists for an inspiring and wonderful evening at the 2016 Greater Philadelphia ZOA Gala on Thursday, September 15, at the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue. The evening will include glatt-kosher food, an opportunity to meet and mingle with our honorees and like-minded others from throughout the tri-state area, and music and a sumptuous dessert buffet.

Our keynote speaker will be Andrew C. “Andy” McCarthy, who will receive our Ben Hecht Award for Outstanding Journalism. McCarthy is one of America’s most popular pundits and commentators, a best-selling author, a writer for National Review and one of the nation’s leading authorities on radical Islam and that movement’s efforts to try to destroy America. He prosecuted the “blind sheik” and others involved in the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. McCarthy frequently writes about and speaks about the Middle East and always supports Israel’s positions in his words.

Also to receive awards and speak at our Gala will be:

Amy and Eric Clayman, who will receive our Pillars of the Community Award, are Jewish communal leaders in South Jersey. Amy is president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Southern New Jersey and she is the principal of Financial Fluency, LLC. Eric is immediate past president of Congregation Beth El Voorhees and he is a partner in the law firm of Jenkins & Clayman. Both Amy and Eric have made sure that the respective institutions they have led have consistently had pro-Israel programs.

Rabbi Steven Saks, who will receive our Guardian of Israel Award, is religious leader of Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth Congregation in Wilmington. Rabbi Saks formerly was the pulpit rabbi at Adath Zion Congregation in Philadelphia. Under Rabbi Saks’ leadership, love for Israel and an understanding of Israel’s just cause is an integral part of AKSE.

Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, who will receive our Friend of Zion Award, is a Republican representing Bucks County. He has served four terms and is not seeking reelection. Not only has Congressman Fitzpatrick been a solid co-sponsor of bills and resolutions to benefit Israel and the U.S.-Israel relationship – he has also introduced legislation to directly help Israel. He understands Israel’s value to America as an important ally.

Also making brief remarks will be ZOA National President Morton Klein.

Our Master-of-Ceremonies this year will be Dom Giordano, host of “The Dom Giordano Show” on 1210 AM WPHT Radio, newspaper columnist and a past recipient of our Ben Hecht Award for Outstanding Journalism.

Invitations were mailed out earlier this month. If you did not receive one, please see a copy of the invitation and response card below. If you did not receive an invitation in the mail, print out the return card, fill it out and return it with your check. Or you can purchase Gala tickets via Eventbrite. (There is a small processing fee.)

The link to our Eventbrite site: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/greater-philadelphia-zoa-2016-gala-tickets-26452924409

ZOA Needs Volunteers

We are looking for several volunteers to make calls on behalf of Greater Philadelphia ZOA during the next two weeks.

Calls can be made from the comfort of your home or office – or even from pool-side or the beach.

If you are able to help with this project, please phone our Office at 610-660-9466.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Shalom ZOA Members, Friends and Supporters of Israel,

On the evening of Thursday, September 15 at our Annual Gala, Greater Philadelphia ZOA will honor three individuals and a couple who each in their own way not only cares about Israel, but who also takes that caring and puts it into action. While we are thanking them collectively as an organization during the Gala award ceremony, each of you has an opportunity to personally thank them in the pages of our Gala Tribute Book and Ad Journal for their pro-Israel activities, and to congratulate them for the awards they will receive at our Gala.

Andrew C. “Andy” McCarthy is an author, columnist and commentator who understands the historical and contemporary importance of Israel to America, and he frequently incorporates these into his work. McCarthy will receive our Ben Hecht Award for Outstanding Journalism.

McCarthy will also be our keynote speaker at the Gala.

In addition to his bestselling books, Andy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute and a contributing editor at National Review. He is a frequent guest on both TV and radio programs. McCarthy perhaps first rose to prominence while leading the prosecution against the Blind Sheik and other jihadists for waging a terrorist war against the United States – including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Rabbi Steven Saks is the religious leader of a congregation, Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth in Wilmington, that is Delaware’s pro-Israel anchor.

Rabbi Saks will receive our  Guardian of Israel Award. Under Rabbi Saks’ leadership, Adas Kodesch regularly has pro-Israel educational and advocacy programs, and he has participated in Volunteers for Israel – serving on military bases to supplement the non-military work of the men and women of the Israel Defense Forces.

Rabbi Saks formerly was the pulpit rabbi at Adath Zion Congregation in Philadelphia.

He heads the Delaware Association of Rabbis and Cantors.

Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick realizes that not only is Israel a key ally of America’s, but also that a strong and secure Israel helps strengthen the United States in the Middle East – particularly in the war against Islamic terrorists.

Representative Fitzpatrick will receive our Friend of Zion Award.

Through the legislative process — including introducing legislation, co-sponsoring legislation and voting for bills and resolutions — Representative Fitzpatrick has shown himself to indeed be a friend of Israel’s and the Jewish people’s. The Bucks County native is not seeking re-election.

Eric and Amy Clayman are a husband and wife who have made sure that the Jewish institutions that they have led as volunteers are pro-Israel, and that those institutions instill in the communities they serve a deep understanding of Israel and the issues the Jewish State faces. The couple will receive our Pillars of the Community Award.

Eric is the immediate past president of Congregation Beth El Voorhees. He is a partner in the law firm of Jenkins & Clayman.

Amy is the current president of the Jewish Community Relations Counsel of Southern New Jersey and serves on both the Executive Board and Finance Committee for the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey. She is the principal of Financial Fluency, LLC.

Amy is the daughter of longtime ZOA members Barbara and Bill Hoffman, while Eric’s maternal grandfather was a ZOA member during the pivotal period immediately after Israel was re-established.

For all details and to place a notice or ad in our Gala Tribute Book and Ad Journal, please see copies of the reservation form below.

You can purchase the ad by check or via our Eventbrite site. Go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/greater-philadelphia-zoa-2016-gala-tickets-26452924409

Deadline for our Gala Tribute Book and Ad Journal is August 8.

 At the Eventbrite site, you can also purchase tickets to the Gala.

 Save money: Some ads include two or more Gala tickets.

 For more information, please call the Greater Philadelphia ZOA Office at 610-660-9466.

Thank ZOA’s Honorees, Promote Your Business in Our Gala Book

Do you have a business or would you like to help a business owner that you know, while also helping ZOA?

We are now working on Greater Philadelphia ZOA’s 2016 Gala Tribute Book and Ad Journal, which will be published shortly and distributed at our Sept. 15 Gala, plus emailed to our members, supporters and friends, and also made available on the Web.

The book is a great opportunity to promote a business or service to upscale, educated, potential new clients and customers. Our Gala attendees, ZOA members and friends are Zionists and Patriots who will appreciate that the business or professional supports our work to help Israel.

Our Gala Tribute Book and Ad Journal is Greater Philadelphia ZOA’s biggest fundraising initiative of the year. Each ad enables us to do more of the educational, advocacy and outreach activities and initiatives for which Greater Philadelphia ZOA is known.

Please see the images of our Gala ad form below as well as sample ads. The actual ad form attached to this email. Our deadline is August 8.

You can reserve your ad now electronically at our Eventbrite page. Go to:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/greater-philadelphia-zoa-2016-gala-tickets-26452924409

For details or more information, call 610-660-9466.

Consider thanking our honorees for all of their pro-Israel activities!

Whether it is Andrew McCarthy’s frequent and longstanding support of Israel in the media, Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick’s support for pro-Israel legislation in the U.S. House, the Claymans’ support for Israel with programs and activities via the Jewish Community Relations Counsel of Southern New Jersey and at Congregation Beth El, or Rabbi  Steven Saks’ promotion of Israel among his congregation and throughout Delaware — our Gala honorees are working for the Land and People of Israel. While they certainly do not do it for the “thanks,”

Everyone deserves “thanks” and recognition from time-to-time. A notice in our Tribute Book and Ad Journal is a great way to publicly show your appreciation for what they do regularly.

You can reserve your congratulatory notice now electronically at our Eventbrite page. Go to:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/greater-philadelphia-zoa-2016-gala-tickets-26452924409

For details or more information, call 610-660-9466.

Our Gala features a great lineup of honorees and speakers, an evening filled with warm Zionism and American patriotism, an opportunity to network and mingle with like-minded others, and of course delicious food! Dietary laws observed.

You can buy Gala tickets now as well at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/greater-philadelphia-zoa-2016-gala-tickets-26452924409

Remember: Some ads include two or more Gala tickets.
Promote your business or service with an ad in our Tribute Book and Ad Journal!
Congratulate our honorees with a notice in our Tribute Book and Ad Journal!

Copy/paste the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/greater-philadelphia-zoa-2016-gala-tickets-26452924409