Focus Areas > Israel > Become an Advocate

Become an Advocate
The JCRC promotes legislative advocacy in support of Israel on the local, state, and federal levels and coordinates response to media at public events. Below are suggested action steps YOU can take to become an Israel advocate:

1. STAY INFORMED - Sign up for the JCRC Israel e-update for background information, analysis and notice of local Israel-related events. Click here to see a list of news sources.
   
   
2. INFORM OTHERS - Talk to friends, colleagues and neighbors. Send them articles that are short and to the point. Engage them on the issue and explain why it is important to you.
   
   
3. CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS to encourage support for a secure and safe Israel and to thank those who support Israel.
   
   
4. GET INVOLVED LOCALLY – Attend Israel-related events in the St. Louis area. To find out more about upcoming events sign up for JCRC Israel e-update or check our calendar or other local community calendars (Jewish in St. Louis, St. Louis Jewish Light).
   
   
5. RESPOND TO THE MEDIA - If you believe that a local newspaper, radio or TV station reported news about Israelunfairly or incorrectly, call or write the news organization with your feedback. Contact the JCRC if you need assistance. Follow the link to find out how to write a letter to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
   
   
6. SUPPORT THE ISRAELI ECONOMY – Buy Israeli Products, Invest in Israeli companies. Watch Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnpilMYsR0I
   
   
7. KEEP IN TOUCH with friends and family in Israel.
   
   
8. TRAVEL TO ISRAEL - Travel to Israel is important now more then ever. Click here to find more information on upcoming trips to Israel.

For more information on how you can take part, contact the JCRC.

BUYCOTT INFORMATION

JCRC St. Louis teams  up with the Buycott Israel Program to encourage you to take part in Buycott Israel Month, a campaign to  put a special focus on buying  from, investing  in, and celebrating  the State of Israel during the entire month of March.

JCRC always encourages buying Israeli goods. Recently, the call for boycotts of Israeli products has intensified along with the efforts to delegitimize Israel. With “Israel-Apartheid” Week which began March 1, we encourage you to join with JCRC St. Louis as we unite with the hugely successful Buycott Israel program from Canada to introduce Buycott Israel Month. Please visit and contribute your input to the Buycott Month website at www.buycottmonth.com. The site features pictures and stories of people purchasing and enjoying Israeli products and other activities.

Some things you might want to consider buying during your Buycott:

• Israeli wines are an amazing way to support the Buycott. You can get them for your Passover Seder   and,  as a recent blog by one of Wine Enthusiast's editors says, it might be time to consider it other times of years as well. You can buy Israeli wines in St. Louis at Provisions, The Wine Merchant, Simon Kohn’s all year around, and  in  the wine section of Schnucks. 
• For information on where to buy Passover goods in St. Louis from Israel, click here.
• Trader Joes carries a variety of Israeli products including Dorot spices, feta cheese, and Israeli couscous.
• Ahava Products can be bought at the following local stores, Bath and Body Works Beauty First, Ladue Pharmacy, Marshalls, Sephora and Williams Pharmacy.
• Need a new computer? Buycott month is the perfect time. Just make sure to get one with an Intel processor, they are developed in Israel. Then you can install, instant messaging software (the technology for all instant messaging software was developed in Israel) and use Google to search for things (the technology that creates the drop down choices that make it so much easier to search was developed in Israel), and the technology for the Firewall that keeps your new computer safe was also developed in Israel.
• When you use your cell phone, remember that the technology for it was developed in Israel, think about telling the person on the other end of your call about that.
• Don’t want to leave your computer to support the buycott, use http://www.buyisraelgoods.org/

For more Buycott opportunities follow JCRCStLouis on Twitter, join the group Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis on Facebook, or check out next week’s update.