RNC following RJC organizing strategy replicated in Maryland BDS tactic to suppress BDS tactic

   Beth Sholom Congregation, on 7 Locks Road in Potomac, Md, has enough wealthy modern Orthodox members to persuade Republican Governor Larry Hogan to appear there with persuasion from the JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council) that sponsored (paid for) the event.  


 In this link, which fails to load its content in Aug 2018 after loading it in Oct 2017, (copy and paste follows)

 http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/news/state/item/5907-gov-hogan-appears-at-jcrc-event


 Gov. Hogan appears at JCRC event
    •    14 Oct 2017
    •    Written by  Suzanne Pollak




Approximately 150 people gathered Sunday evening to thank Gov. Larry Hogan for his support of the Jewish community in an event sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.
Following his remarks at Beth Sholom Congregation in Potomac, dozens of people lined up to thank him for allocating money to area Jewish agencies, strengthening economic ties between Maryland and Israel, opposing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and supporting funds for scholarships to private schools.
But when a few people told Hogan they were disappointed he had moved up the starting date for public schools until after Labor Day, thereby causing County school officials to rework their calendar and possibly eliminate days off for Jewish holidays, Hogan’s demeanor changed.
“I’m outraged by the Montgomery County schools making the suggestion,” he said. “That’s nonsense.”
Hogan then declared, “None of them [school board members] should be re-elected.”
There are still 180 school days on the calendar, he said, noting it would be preferable for members of the school board to look at the nine teacher workshop days and “get rid of two of the nine days” instead of eliminating days off for religious holidays.
Following the one-hour event, Hogan said he believed he had a good relationship with the County.
"We have put more money into transportation in Montgomery County than anywhere in the state, and the overwhelming majority of people love the fact that somebody is finally getting the Purple Line built, and that we are finally doing something about the terrible traffic on 270," he said.
"In both cases, they've been talking about doing something for 20 years. Nobody ever got anything done," he said of previous Democratic administrations.
The event was held on a very hot and humid evening in the synagogue’s sukkah – a temporary structure where observant Jews eat and sleep during a festival honoring the harvest.
“We’ve had a really special relationship with the Jewish community. Some of you may not know this. I am not Jewish,” Hogan jokingly said to an enthusiastic crowd.
However, he added, “It’s an honor to be an honorary member of the Jewish community.”
The Republican governor, who received a standing ovation at the end of his remarks, spoke of his work to bring three Israeli companies to Maryland and reciprocal agreements with three universities that do work in both Maryland and Israel.
As governor, Hogan said his goals were more oriented to the budget than social programs, explaining he was a small businessman. He strives to “help businesses grow, help more citizens and turn our economy around,” he said.
He noted that the state unemployment rate dropped from 8 percent when he took office to about 4 percent now, adding, “We’ve gotten a heck of a lot done” in a state with a Republican governor and an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature.
Judy from Potomac, who asked her last name not be used, agreed. “I like that he wants to work together, and he knows it’s important to work together beyond party lines.”
Michael David Epstein, an active member of the Jewish community who is a friend of Hogan’s, said in his introduction of the governor, “This guy is a broker. He knows how to get people friendly with each other.”
Added Epstein, “He’s good for the state of Maryland. He’s good for the Jewish people.”
Hogan has taken care of Maryland “while keeping the values we care about in mind,” noted Ron Halber, executive director of the JCRC, who has visited Israel with Hogan.
@SuzannePollak
Last modified onSaturday, 14 October 2017 19:27 
  


describing an event held about 2 weeks before Republican Governor Larry Hogan signed an executive order using state of Maryland BDS tactics (a procurement ban on state contracts) against businesses who support using BDS tactics to change Israeli policies. 

   The event at Beth Sholom Congregation helped build relationships with elected officials of both parties that requires drifting right long term as the Republican Party has, while Democratic Party has followed at least on international policy under the meme of 'politics stops at the water's edge.'  The event, inviting a Republican Governor to a Sukkah meal in a Modern Orthodox synagogue to build a good 'working' relationship where 'working' is code for implementing policy demands, described how the Modern Orthodox part of the Maryland Jewish community had reached consensus with a Republican Governor who expressed his desire to meet their demands for keeping Jewish holidays off in public schools and widening I-270 instead of improving public transit to reduce car use.  Social liberalism and fiscal conservatism with support for whatever policies the Israeli government holds regarding a final status negotiated peace with Palestinians that upholds international law and civil legal equality including freedom of movement of people and goods (ending the occupation) is described in the article here.


   High personal income and wealth that buys discretionary time for successful activism in electoral, as well as movement, politics is also described in the same article. 


   They make almost three times the median U.S. household income.
Modern Orthodox Jews are affluent. The study found that the group had a median household income of $158,000, nearly triple the American median  of $59,000 in 2016. The highest earning were the Open Orthodox at $185,000.
A large portion of the income is dedicated to day school tuition, which in some places can top $40,000 per child per year. The survey found that 83 percent of Modern Orthodox parents send their kids to Orthodox day school; 90 percent of respondents called the cost of tuition a “serious problem.”
The group is also highly educated. More than 90 percent attained a bachelor’s degree, and more than 60 percent have a postgraduate or professional degree. And nearly one-fifth attended Yeshiva University, the flagship academic institution of Modern Orthodoxy.
And while Orthodox Jews may have gotten a reputation recently for political conservatism — another study found a majority supports President Donald Trump — this study found that Modern Orthodox Jews are evenly split, 52-48, between Republican and Democrat. The vast majority of non-Orthodox American Jews, by contrast, vote Democrat, and 71 percent of all Jews voted for Hillary Clinton last year, while the Orthodox community leaned toward Trump.
     


   A letter picked for printing referring to this article by the WaPo (Washington Post) opposing the executive order Gov. Hogan signed two weeks after appearing at a Modern Orthodox synagogue with members wealthy enough to donate to both the synagogue and the JCRC event sponsor criticized the role of special interests in political activism:


Hogan demonstrated that caving in to special interests sadly remains the political norm.


      The individuals attending the Sukkah meal with the Republican Governor at Beth Sholom Congregation, on 7 Locks Road in Potomac, showed their complicity with the JCRC special interests sponsoring the event by their attendance.

  The strategy described in the RNC "Growth and Opportunity Project" (Republican autopsy report) in another article where the link has died (copy and paste of what was formerly posted follows)

  Its unyielding approach is not the only RJC tactic. When building support within a minority community, Republicans must “agree to disagree” on secondary issues, said Lee Cowan, a Republican Jewish activist with long involvement in the RJC.
“The RJC focuses on issues that Republicans and Jews agree on,” he said, and named strong U.S. ties to Israel, as well as fiscal conservatism and support for a strong business environment as common ground.
Cowan said other groups can learn from the way Republican Jews reach out to others Jews from within the community, and find leaders from within the community.
“You can expand that to the Hispanic, African-American and Asian communities. There is a ton of common ground.”
He added, “Ronald Reagan said, ‘If you’re 80 percent my friend, that doesn’t mean you’re 20 percent my enemy.’ ” 


was applied at the state of Maryland government level supporting pending, not passed and signed, federal legislation by Ben Cardin, supported here and opposed here, in civic intergovernmental partnership between state and federal governments in support for a Republican Governor in a Democratic-voting state.  Israel's Knesset has already passed anti-boycott legislation allowing targets of boycotts to sue (2011) and banning individuals (2017) in official positions of leadership within organizations supporting the same BDS tactics to change Israeli policy, that Maryland since late 2017 uses to suppress BDS tactic support, from entry to Israel (and the West Bank of the Palestine Authority because of Israeli effective control of freedom of movement of people and goods).


Here is the full text of the article from April 2013 that has been taken offline by 2018.  



Washington Jewish Week • 
April 4, 2013


?GOP looks to emulate Jewish model

by David Holzel

Senior Writer

The Republican National Committee’s report on the state of the party paints a devastating picture of a GOP that Amer- icans think is “scary,” “narrow minded,” “out of touch” and “does not care about people.”
Released a?[ft]er a period of soul searching following Mitt Romney’s loss to President Obama in November, the 100-page “Growth and Opportunity Project” report offered 219 recommendations for how the party can improve election results. One is to emulate the Republican Jewish Coalition.
 
“One outside group that has been particularly successful at engaging its community and increasing its Republican support is the Republican Jewish Coalition,” the report said. “We should incorporate some of its tactics in our efforts.”
Republicans have not been successful in attracting minority voters, an increasing problem for the party as the minority share of the electorate grows. Yet President Obama lost Jewish support between 2008 and 2012 — from between 74 and 78 percent in 2008 to about 69 percent this election. The RJC shares the credit, the report says.
Backed by casino owner Sheldon Adelson, who also sits on its board, the RJC waged an aggressive Israel-centered campaign against Obama in both elections.

After Obama’s victory, the RJC continued the fight as it opposed Chuck Hagel’s nomination for secretary of defense. 
 
Its unyielding approach is not the only RJC tactic. When building support within a minority community, Republicans must “agree to disagree” on secondary issues, said Lee Cowan, a Republican Jewish activist with long involvement in the RJC.

“The RJC focuses on issues that Republicans and Jews agree on,” he said, and named strong U.S. ties to Israel, as well as fiscal conservatism and support for a strong business environment as common ground.
 Cowan said other groups can learn from the way Republican Jews reach out to others Jews from within the community, and find leaders from within the community.


“You can expand that to the Hispanic, African-American and Asian communities. There is a ton of common ground.”


He added, “Ronald Reagan said, ‘If you’re 80 percent my friend, that doesn’t mean you’re 20 percent my enemy.’ ”
RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks wrote on the group’s website following the report’s release, “The RJC believes that our Republican message, coupled with our aggressive and effective outreach and education efforts, will continue to bring the Jewish community into the Republican Party in greater numbers in the future.”

dholzel@washingtonjewishweek.com