Cambridge, MA (October 3) – Janette Hillis-Jaffe, An Orthodox Jewish supporter of Senator Barack Obama who lived in Israel for five years, has released a ground-breaking video (www.JewsObamaIsrael.com) encouraging other Jews who love Israel to join her in supporting Obama.
Hillis-Jaffe, who lived in Israel during the Second Intifada and the start of the Iraq War, knows first-hand the existential dangers that Israel faces. Her fond memories of her life in Israel will forever be marred by fear and violence. “I remember the terror of sealing my son Tani's nursery against the threat of nerve gas and practicing strapping Tani into his toddler-sized HazMat suit while praying that it would never be necessary,” Hillis-Jaffe explains. “And there were so many suicide bombings near our home that Tani started asking about the explosions, and I had to lie to him about what they were.”
When Hillis-Jaffe heard the anti-Obama rumors circulating in the Jewish community, she was as concerned as anyone. However, when she researched the claims, she found that they were the exact opposite of the truth. “The material on Web sites like JewsForObama.com and njdc.org, and the substantive endorsements by many long-time supporters of Israel, made it clear to me that Obama has always had close ties to Jews and been a strong supporter of the Jewish state.”
Hillis-Jaffe is convinced of Obama's support for Israel, but that is far from the only reason why she supports him. “Supporting Obama is an obvious choice for someone who lives their life, as I do, according to Jewish values. I see that same ethical code in Obama's message to the American people, particularly in his dedication to social justice issues such as health care, education and civil rights.”
Hillis-Jaffe is no stranger to activism. A graduate of Cornell University and the Harvard School of Public Health, she previously directed the Massachusetts Child Hunger Initiative at Project Bread – The Walk for Hunger, worked for NGOs in Israel, led a nationwide evaluation of U.S. health education materials, and worked for a member of the Japanese Diet (parliament) in Tokyo.
For the past several years, Hillis-Jaffe suffered from Lyme disease and was able to do little more than care for herself and her family. Her condition recently improved, but finding the time and energy to make the video was still a challenge. Nevertheless, she felt that she had to do something. “When I heard about an anti-Obama letter filled with falsehoods being circulated among teachers at a Jewish preschool, I knew I couldn't stay on the sidelines. It made me so angry and determined to fight back,” she said.
To make the video a reality, Hillis-Jaffe reached out to Ellen Krause-Grosman, a long-time friend and former associate producer for acclaimed public-television station WGBH. Krause-Grosman, who lives in nearby Brighton, was enthusiastic. “Everyone I spoke with loved the idea,” she explained. “Within 48 hours I was able to pull together a terrific all-volunteer, Jewish production team.” They put the video together in just over two weeks.
The team included filmmaker Henry Felt (www.feltco.com), associate producer Randi Cohen Coblenz (Arlington, VA), photographer Lloyd Wolf (www.lloydwolf.com), and editorial and publicity consultants Yocheved Seidman (Ithaca, NY) and Jonathan Kamens (Brighton, MA).
UPDATE: Digg it!