On Thursday, April 11, a group of 54 MTA talmidim and faculty headed to Washington, DC, for MTA Israel Advocacy Club Hatzioni’s annual lobbying mission, known as MTAPAC. The group was also joined by alumni, including Josh Appel (’17), who is currently in Shanah Bet at Yeshivat HaKolel, and felt it was important to spend part of his Pesach break accompanying his MTA family on the trip, and Seth Jacobs (’17), who completed Shanah Bet at HaKolel in January and is currently attending Yeshiva University.
After weeks of preparation, including a training session led by Israel advocacy group StandWithUs, the “Lobbying Lions” were ready to take on Capitol Hill. On the Hill, they divided into six groups and visited the offices of different members of the Senate. The boys articulated their arguments about the value of the American-Israeli relationship, and enjoyed lively discussions with Senate staffers. The day culminated with a visit to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, considered part of the White House Complex. Talmidim were privileged to hear presentations from President Trump’s Special Representative for International Negotiations and MTA alumnus Jason Dov Greenblatt (’85) and others, which was the perfect way to end the successful trip. On the bus ride home, the boys reflected on a productive day and how privileged they are to be active participants in our democracy and to lobby for Israel.