Program

March 16 - 18, 2025
Washington, DC

Register

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
Dive into actionable strategies for growing your J Street community and responding effectively to local challenges in this dynamic session. Featuring a panel of experienced chapter leaders sharing success stories and lessons learned, followed by interactive breakout discussions on engagement, defense of local endorsees and handling attacks, this session is designed to equip you with tools for building stronger, more connected chapters. Leave with practical takeaways, new connections and a clear roadmap for chapter growth in 2025.

Looking Back and Looking Forward: Political Lessons Taken from 2024 into 2026
The 2024 campaign cycle is well over – but the consequences of the results will be felt throughout the 119th Congress and for years to come. Before the 2026 cycle heats up, we will take the time to discuss the dynamics of the new Congress on our issues over the next two years. We will explore how the wins and losses of the 2024 elections could play into legislative and political decisions made over the cycle. Will it be possible to get good bills through the House or Senate? How can the Democrats rebuild to retake the majority? What lessons did winning candidates learn from the 2024 election?

3:15 – 4:45pm Political Chairs Meeting

Synagogue Liaison Meeting

The Policy Center Presents: The State of Palestinian Governance
Palestinian governance is in disarray in both the West Bank and Gaza. In the West Bank, support for Hamas is skyrocketing due to the failures of PA governance, and Palestinian militant groups are emerging there, too. In Gaza, Hamas has been considerably weakened by the IDF, leaving a power vacuum while the postwar governance structure remains uncertain. Meanwhile, the US-Palestinian relationship has been strained, especially after the first Trump Administration cut diplomatic ties and aid to Palestinians. Our expert panelists will analyze the state of Palestinian governance by tackling the following questions: Can the PA return to and govern in Gaza? What will be the postwar role of Hamas in Gaza? What will be required of Israel to facilitate effective Palestinian governance in the Strip? What does the reelection of President Trump mean for the future of US-Palestinian relations?

Open Forum with Jeremy Ben-Ami on Strategy in an Era of Fascism Rising
American democracy is facing the gravest challenge of our lifetimes. The US is abandoning the role it has played defending the rules-based international order since World War II. J Street remains focused on establishing ours as the mainstream political voice of the American Jewish community so that US policy in the Middle East isn’t hijacked by the far right. Defending democracy in Israel and at home has become increasingly central to our message and mission in recent years. With the Democratic Party grasping for answers and many in J Street deeply anxious about the future, the Summit is a great time for an open discussion of these and other vital questions with J Street’s President.

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
Advocacy is one of the main spokes of our work at J Street, and each region and each chapter engages and builds relationships with their local target Members of Congress through district meetings, Advocacy Day and activations. This is a great opportunity to hear about how those actions affect Members of Congress and their staff over time. How do Members decide to shift their positions? How long does it take for advocacy to make an impact? What is the staff’s role? What creates watershed moments? We will ask former senior Congressional staffers to discuss how they receive, process and react to J Street’s advocacy.

J Street U’s Growth and Theory of Change in this Political Moment
This session will provide an update on J Street U’s activities and achievements so far during the 2024-2025 academic year. Join us to learn about what’s happening on our campuses, from enhanced educational programming, speaking events and the strengthened support systems we’ve been able to provide for students since our program expansion began. We’ll examine how our student leaders have navigated challenging conversations and built meaningful coalitions with their peers. Lastly, this session will discuss the political challenges we face on campuses during the Trump Administration and J Street U’s strategic approach for meeting this moment.

Coming Together for Humanitarian Aid in Gaza
Rebuilding Gaza will require extensive collaboration between Palestinians, Israelis and regional partners. With over half of all buildings in Gaza damaged or destroyed, and critical infrastructure severely damaged, rebuilding efforts must go beyond short-term humanitarian relief. Sustainable solutions will cost billions of dollars – money that the Palestinians do not have. NGOs, therefore, have turned their attention to regional partners, such as Jordan, Egypt and the Gulf states, who they hope will help provide the resources required to undertake these projects. Our panel of experts will present NGOs’ ongoing efforts to rebuild Gaza, focusing on the following questions: How can regional partnerships contribute to rebuilding Gaza’s infrastructure and economy? What are the primary political and logistical challenges to collaboration? Can reconstruction efforts lay the groundwork for greater regional stability and peace?

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
Does fundraising sound hard? Think again! Anyone can help create a community culture that supports fundraising. And donor support is the lifeblood of J Street. Join this session to hear how anyone can contribute to a culture of fundraising within your chapter. If you’re a development chair, this is a great session to join and hear how you can help motivate leaders to contribute to the art of fundraising. If you’ve never fundraised but are fundraising-curious, this is a great opportunity to learn how you can get started.

Setting the Political Stage for 2026
The 2024 map was a brutal one for Democrats – even before we knew the strength of the red wave, Democrats were on defense in a majority of Senate races. That all changes in 2026 with Trump in office for his second term. With a map nearly as bad for Republicans in the Senate as it was for Democrats in 2024, and a razor-thin House majority, the time has come for us to go on the offensive. In this session, we will discuss the 2026 electoral map and strategies to regain the majority in both chambers. Where should we start? How can J Street support our champions and bolster exciting challengers to usher in a pro-Israel, pro-peace, and pro-democracy majority?

Building an Inclusive Israeli Opposition in the Shadow of War
In response to the Netanyahu government’s attempts to erode Israeli democracy and promote extremist West Bank and Gaza policies, the Israeli political opposition must broaden its electoral coalition to better include the country’s minorities and present a stronger oppositional force. If Israel’s liberal democratic camp is to present a viable alternative and potentially form the next government, focusing on rebuilding the country’s institutions and working towards a diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it will need a wider base of support to lean on for representation in the Knesset. Our panel of experts will explore strategies to engage Israel’s diverse population, tackling the following questions: What are the greatest threats to Israeli democracy and their impacts on Israelis and minority populations inside Israel? How can the leading opposition parties re-engage diverse segments of society? What are the greatest obstacles to building an inclusive liberal democratic opposition and how can those challenges be overcome?

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)