JFGS Jewish Community Lobby Day

With everything going on in the other Washington, it’s easy to forget about what’s happening outside our front door. But state government has the most tangible impact on our daily lives.

Join your friends, neighbors, congregants, and fellow engaged citizens in Olympia for Jewish Community Lobby Day! We’ll do all the prep work for you; no prior experience necessary. We’ll have a fun morning together at Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia – learning about the issues, practicing our lobbying, and getting fueled (yes, that means food!) for our afternoon on the hill. During lunch, we’ll caucus by individual legislative district and discuss stragegy for our meetings. And after lunch, each group will walk a few short blocks up to the Capitol to meet with our legislators on the issues most important to you – like supporting quality Holocaust education, protecting immigrants and refugees, preventing gun violence, supporting vulnerable families, and much more!

This is a great opportunity to live out your Jewish values both for those who have never done advocacy or lobbying and those who have experience to share!
We know getting to and from Olympia can be a challenge, so this year, we will be running two buses for participants. One bus will leave from Congregation Beth Shalom in the north end; the other will leave from Sephardic Bikur Holim in south Seattle and make a stop in Tacoma. The cost for the bus is an additional $18.

We would love to welcome high school students participate in Lobby Day — after all, children are often the most effective advocates! All students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian or a chaperone who signs a liability waiver for them.

Event Details:
Date: March 26, 2019
Time: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Cost: Adult – $18, Seniors/Students – $10, Optional Bus ticket – $18, RSVP Mandatory by March 24, 2019
Location: State Capitol – Meet at Temple Beth Hatfiloh (201 8th Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501)
Food: Kosher light breakfast and lunch will be provided

Bus Locations and Timing
North End Bus Drop Off and Pick up Location – Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115
South End Bus Drop Off and Pick up Location – Sephardic Bikur Holim, 6500 52nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118 – This bus will make an additional stop in Tacoma
Both buses will load between 6:55-7:10 am and depart promptly at 7:15 am – no exceptions.

Timeline and Logistics

8:30 – 9:00 Check-in, Packet Review,and Breakfast
9:00 – 9:10 Welcome and mapping of the day – Program will begin promptly at 9:00
9:10 – 11:00 Speakers, legislative issue briefings and training (more details TBA)
11:00 – 11:45 Lunch and Caucusing (by legislative district)
11:45 Legislative groups begin departing to Capitol Campus (five blocks away) as needed for meetings. The first meetings begin at noon.
12:00 – 3:00 Meetings with legislatures
3:00 – 3:20 Concluding meeting on front steps of the Legislative Building (capitol steps)
3:20 – 3:30 Debrief, wrap-up, return to cars and/or bus and depart!

RSVP Mandatory by March 24