Where did you grow up? What motivates you to volunteer with JVP? What is your personal story as it relates to who you are as an organizer to the extent you want to share it? 

I grew up in Brooklyn and central New Jersey as the child of Soviet Jewish immigrants. An antizionist since becoming informed about the true history of Palestine in the late 90's and a supporter of JVP since its inception. Zionism kept me away from Judaism because of the contradictions I couldn't integrate, but finding other anti-zionist Jews allowed me an entry back into Judaism. I'm driven to support and create a vibrant political home for other anti-zionist Jews and allies so that we may fulfill our responsibility to Free Palestine in the broader Palestine Liberation movement and create more space for a Judaism beyond Zionism.

Since becoming an active member in the local chapter in February of 2024, I've witnessed many of my comrades struggle with how to work together in the most effective ways possible. I've seen people leave due to feeling disenfranchised, unsupported and confused about changing processes, unproductive communication and clashing personalities. I want to serve on the CC because I want to help the organization with big picture goals. Analyze our successes and failures and thoughtfully engage with the membership to be able to leverage our strengths and achieve more, and ultimately grow our capacity and leadership so we can win.

During my time with JVP, I've worked on the MAPS, Base-building, and Community working groups, served on the community care team, helped adopt the current community values, took leadership roles during Shabbat and Pesach Ritual Actions and offered training within the organization and as a representative of the organization. I'm also affiliated with Havurah Shalom and am on the organizing committee for the Solidary Shabbat monthly services. From 2016-2020 I organized with SURJ PDX, began the SURJ families action group, facilitated Pods, and organized actions. In 2015 I organized "renters assemblies" which led to the formation of the group Portland Tenants United.

The way I embody our points of unity and community values is by reminding myself and others that these ideological foundations are at the root of our praxis. We keep these alive by engaging in generative conflict. When needed, we call people in who exhibit chauvinism in any form. When we begin to overly center our Jewish experience and forget that Palestinian lives are at the center of our struggle, when we engage in decision making rooted in classism, we can catch ourselves and remember we are an anti-imperialist organization and imperialism is the end stage of global capitalism. Our lane is specific and we have a clear goal to break the US/Israel alliance, but within that work we also recognize that our collective liberation is at stake. By centering Palestinians, communities of color, poor and working class, queer and disabled folx, we can do our part to build the world we want through our everyday decisions while fighting strategically for Free Palestine.

I want to shout out all the childcare volunteers, the zoom/AV hosts, facilitators, note takers, and all the folx who show up to take on these types roles so that we can have an organization where different kinds of people can participate in ways that feel. If elected, my focus will be on supporting our current and new campaigns by connecting people, both within the org and with our many community partners with whom we need stronger alliances. I will be keeping an eye out for political alignment and trust building opportunities among our membership and partners. When we work well together and trust each other, we can take escalated risks and make stronger impacts to chip away at the current hegemonies that perpetuate genocide and other horrors.