I've decided to throw my kipa into the political ring.
About half a year ago I started working with Chagit Moshe, a Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, on matters relating to my Shir Hadash community. I was incredibly impressed by her responsiveness, effectiveness and concern for not only our community, but the English speaking Jerusalem population in general. As a result of the positive working relationship we developed, Chagit asked if I would be interested in joining her list for the upcoming Jerusalem City Council elections.
While I don't consider myself a politician nor a public figure in general (not only am I not a household name in Jerusalem, I'm barely a household name in my own home), I nevertheless decided to accept her invitation. First, after seeing how hard and effectively she worked on behalf of my community, I not only wanted to express my gratitude for that effort, but I also realized her strength and willingness to help other similar communities interested in building up Jerusalem could be invaluable -- to not only these groups in particular, but to the city as a whole.
Second, when she made this offer, she specifically asked that I enter the Council to serve the Anglo community in Jerusalem -- to bring their concerns to the forefront, to make the services of the city more accessible, to solve specific problems ... all with her support and connections behind the scenes. Until now, much of my work at Shir Hadash has been to celebrate, strengthen and serve olim; I see serving in the Council with this specific mandate as a continuation – and expansion – of this role. As you know, I believe the Anglo community has a tremendous amount to offer Israel, and it will be a great honor to be able to assist in some small way the facilitation of these contributions.
Third, for much of my time in Israel I have bemoaned the nature of political debate in Israel. It’s too negative, too divisive, too angry. Perhaps, one of the ways to change that is to enter the fray rather than merely complain about it. And local government is a great place to start. For me, at least, this is an arena where we should not get bogged down on the issues that divide us, but rather should focus on fulfilling the local, apolitical needs of EVERY resident. I’m not so naïve to think that one oleh bumbling in Hebrew amidst a cacophony of hardened politicians can transform the whole system … but I believe a bumbling oleh dedicated to this cause can at least move the needle a bit in the right direction. My focus on the Council, therefore, if lucky enough to earn a seat, will be – in addition to serving the needs of the oleh community – to try and change the tone of debate to be more civilized, respectful and in search of compromise.
If you agree with this outlook and would like to join me in entering the fray, there are a few ways you can help contribute to the effort.
1) Join this whatsapp group to receive updates: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LHfYGQypG798lD2Tai3yCZ
2) Host a Chug Bayit for me to meet your English-speaking friends and present our case for their vote.
3) Volunteer – to pass out flyers, call prospective voters, participate in election events.
4) Hang a sign promoting our campaign in your window.
5) Tell your friends I’m not an ax murderer.
If interested in any of these activities, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/GQzBuyADFYZtdBc56
Wishing you all a Shana Tova,
Ian
(Though for the campaign, it will be Haim
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