RJC in the News

JNS reports on the RJC’s efforts to get out the Jewish vote in Georgia: 

The Republican Jewish Coalition, which endorsed [Kelly] Loeffler and [David] Perdue, has been doing targeted Jewish outreach in Georgia since the runoffs were declared shortly after the Nov. 3 election, the organization’s national political director, Sam Markstein, told JNS. The campaign strategy has included sending 25,000 text messages, 100,000 phone calls and canvassing by knocking on thousands of doors in the Atlanta suburban countries including Fulton, Cobb and DeKalb.  

The RJC plans to do tens of thousands of text messages and phone calls every day until Jan. 5, added Markstein

…“We’re going to be focusing on is to turn out the Jewish vote is to hyper-targeting grassroots ground game in Georgia, whether it’s in-person canvassing, virtually through phones or texts as well as raising money directly for the campaigns from our generous supporters from across the country.”  

The RJC’s political action committee, RJCPAC, has raised around $700,000, while RJC national chairman and former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) raised around $1 million, according to Markstein. RJCPAC has a portal through which RJC members can donate to the candidates in accordance with campaign finance laws.  

At The Algemeiner, Larry Brook looks at how the Senate runoff elections in Georgia have affected the local Jewish community:   

The only shot for the Democrats to wrest control [of the US Senate] is by winning both Georgia seats and having 50-50 ties broken by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, while for Republicans, retaining at least one seat is vital to keeping control of the Senate.

That has made Georgia the national focal point in the political world with contributions and volunteer labor pouring in from around the country. Issues such as Israel and antisemitism have made prominent appearances in both races.  

…“What you have is Trump and the Republicans being so strong in their support for Israel,” countered Chuck Berk, a local chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition. “Democrats need to look in the mirror and ask themselves what they haven’t done to support Israel.”  

A commitment to Israel, he adds, “is not making statements. It is action. I would love to see the Democratic Party be as strong for Israel as the Trump administration has been.”  

The political climate in Atlanta’s Jewish community is challenging these days, Berk acknowledges. “With some of my golfing friends, who are more liberal, I can’t even bring up politics. They get so emotional. If I try to express my views, then I am one of those ‘deplorables’,” he says.