Schedule At A Glance
This is a draft schedule and is subject to change. All times are Eastern.
Sunday, March 16 |
|||
---|---|---|---|
11 – 5pm | Registration Open | ||
12 – 2:30pm | Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum Lunch & Learn Package (575 3rd ST, NW) Separately Ticketed Almost 150 years after the DC area’s first purpose-built synagogue was dedicated, embark on an off-site journey through the Lilian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, connect with the story of Jewish Washington’s past, present and future, and reflect on its relevance today. Lunch will be served at noon, followed by a one-hour private tour of the museum at 1pm. |
||
1:30 – 3pm | Navigating J Street with Jeremy Ben-Ami Join J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami for an engaging introduction to our mission and work. Discover J Street’s impact as the leading pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy organization in the US, driving powerful advocacy, political engagement, community building and development initiatives. This session offers a comprehensive guide to J Street’s work, from advocacy and political strategy to activism and communal engagement. Learn how we build influence, drive change and empower supporters like you to shape a just, democratic future for Israel and Palestine. Unlocking Growth: Building Thriving J Street Chapters for 2025 led by the SWOT Committee & the RAC Looking Back and Looking Forward: Political Lessons Taken from 2024 into 2026 |
||
3:15 – 4:45pm | Political Chairs Meeting
Synagogue Liaison Meeting The Policy Center Presents: The State of Palestinian Governance Open Forum with Jeremy Ben-Ami on Strategy in an Era of Fascism Rising |
||
6 – 7:30pm | Welcome Dinner (Boqueria Penn Quarter, 777 9th St NW) J Street will be hosting a Welcome Dinner to kick off our National Leadership Summit on Sunday, March 16 at 6:00pm. A full reception style dinner will be served. |
||
8:30 – 10:30pm | The Path Forward Film Screen & Popcorn Join us for a special screening of “The Path Forward,” a newly released documentary short that amplifies the voices of both Palestinians and Israeli Jews who are standing up against war, occupation and violence, while advocating for peace, justice, empathy and sanity. We’re thrilled to welcome Julie Cohen, one of the film’s directors, and Rabbi Amy Small, for an engaging screening and discussion. Popcorn on the house included! |
||
Monday, March 17 |
|||
7:30 – 8:30am | Breakfast & Senior Staff Roundtables Join J Street Senior Staff for informal discussions to hear about their work. |
||
8:30 – 10am | Opening Plenary: Intertwined: Israel-Hamas Ceasefire, Looming Annexation and Prospects for Saudi-Israeli Normalization As we find ourselves in Trump-Netanyahu 2.0, three major issues are on the table: 1) Will the US manage to navigate a successful transition to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza; 2) Will the US support further annexationist moves by the Netanyahu government; and 3) Will the US succeed in advancing Saudi-Israeli normalization? But all three questions can’t be asked alone. The prospect of Saudi-Israeli normalization – a top priority for President Trump – will require the balancing of conflicting interests between the Saudis, the Trump Administration, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Netanyahu’s pro-annexation coalition partners. The Saudis have made it clear that normalization with Israel hinges on the Israeli government agreeing to end the war in Gaza and credibly committing to a pathway to Palestinian statehood. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, meanwhile, have continued advancing their annexation agenda, making it equally clear that they would bring down Netanyahu’s government if he commits to ending the war or to Palestinian statehood. In this plenary, we will take a deeper look at all three issues and how they relate to one another all against the backdrop of the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire. |
||
10:15 – 11:30am | Messaging for Impact in the Trump Era Our movement is coming up against loud voices. But we cannot let them drown us out. This session will empower leaders to effectively communicate J Street’s priorities and values in the challenging context of the Trump Administration and a Republican-led Congress. Join J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami and J Street’s Communications Team for a messaging workshop offering leaders practical strategies on how to defend our mission and build support for our priorities. By emphasizing our shared values, attendees will gain the tools they need to inspire action and mobilize stronger, more engaged bases at a time when we need all hands on deck. The Long Game: Insider Stories of Successful Advocacy J Street U’s Growth and Theory of Change in this Political Moment Coming Together for Humanitarian Aid in Gaza |
||
11:45 – 1pm | Lunch | FC Lunch | |
1:15 – 2:30pm | The Policy Center Presents: Syria, Iran & the Axis of Resistance The Iran-led “Axis of Resistance” has been considerably weakened in the post-October 7 regional war. The Iranian proxy regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria has fallen, Hezbollah’s leader in Lebanon was assassinated by Israel, Hamas has been defeated militarily in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic recently suffered the loss of its president and foreign minister in a helicopter crash, the Ayatollah is nearing the end of his life, and the regional coalition of Israel and Arab states against Iran has been strengthened. Our expert panelists will help unpack all of these developments by tackling the questions: What does a post-Assad Syria mean for Israel? What is the future of the Iranian ‘Axis’ after the weakening of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the downfall of Assad in Syria? Does the region see a more direct confrontation between Israel and Iran? Building a Fundraising Culture in Your Chapter Setting the Political Stage for 2026 Building an Inclusive Israeli Opposition in the Shadow of War |
||
2:45 – 4:30pm | Afternoon Plenary: Lessons Learned Under Biden, Facing Challenges Under Trump, and Coalescing Around a New Policy Agenda for the Next Democratic Administration In this plenary we will examine the Biden Administration’s Middle East policy legacy—analyzing successes, failures, and decision-making processes to understand what worked and what didn’t. We’ll explore how advocacy groups influenced policy outcomes and identify key pressure points within the White House. As we navigate the challenging reality of Trump’s second term, which has already seen federal agencies gutted, immigration crackdowns, constitutional norms defied, and pardons for militia leaders, we’ll discuss effective strategies for advancing or defending core democratic values and policy priorities. We’ll evaluate how lessons from previous advocacy work apply during these challenging times and outline a framework for building consensus around sound Middle East policy for the next Democratic administration. Our panels will provide guidance on where to focus resistance efforts, from legal challenges and congressional action to preparing for the 2026 midterms, as we work to protect democratic institutions while developing a forward-looking policy agenda. |
||
4:45 – 5:45pm | Advocacy Day Training | ||
Board Advocacy Day Training | |||
6 – 7:15pm | PAC Event: Building Power for Progress featuring Susan Wild (Separately Ticketed) | ||
Tuesday, March 18 |
|||
8 – 4pm | Advocacy Day (off-site) | ||
Luggage Storage (off-site) |