David Olesker has three decades of practical experience training advocates for Israel. He can help you develop the skills necessary to run a successful campaign, communicate effectively and take back control of the discourse about the Middle East.
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tours1
Upcoming Trips
2018-19
North America, Winter 2017
If you are already planning your activities for after the summer, you should know that David Olesker plans to be in the US and Canada in the winter of 2018. Dates are not yet finalized, but please be in touch if you are interested in bringing Mr. Olesker to you community, campus or organization during that period.
UK, 2019
We are also working on a followup tour of grassroots pro-Israel groups in Britain further to the successful one in April and May of 2018. Dates are not yet set and will depend upon the response to a crowdfunding campaign we are going to be re-launching soon. I’ll post details here as more information becomes available.
Recent Trips
2017-18
On November 11, 2017 David Olesker was in Walnut Creek, CA, working with Bay Area grassroots activists to help them improve their Israel advocacy skills.
From April 23 through May 2, 2017 David Olesker was in the UK working with a number of grassroots activist groups on Israel advocacy skills and strategies. He spoke for:
- North West Friends of Israel
- CUFI-UK (Christians United for Israel)
- Stand With Us – UK
- North London Friends of Israel
- COFIS (Confederation of Friends of Israel Scotland) Aberdeen
- Glasgow Friends of Israel
We would particularly like to express our thanks to all the generous donors who’s contributions made this trip possible.
Recent Trips
2016-17
From February 5 through February 8, 2017 David Olesker was on a flying trip to the UK. He spoke for:
- The JLE in London.
- The Loughton Synagogue.
Recent Trips
2015-16
From May 11 through 25, 2016 David Olesker was in North America as one of a team of speakers for Yeshivah Ohr Somayach who toured Jewish communities addressing the issue of Israel in the Crosshairs: How the New Antisemitism Affects Us & What We Can Do About It.
He spoke in:
From April 3 through 13, 2016 David Olesker was in the UK and North America.
In the UK he spoke in:
- London: for the staff of the United Synagogue.
- Also for high school students, university students and young professionals under the auspices of Tribe.
In North America he spoke in:
- Detroit MI for the local branch of the Zionist Organization of America.
- Des Moins IA for members of the Beth El Jacob congregation and the Jewish student club at Drake University.
Recent Trips
2014-15
Aug 16 through 27, ’15 South Africa: In cooperation with the South African Zionist Federation David Olesker was in:
Johannesburg; where he spoke for:
- Students at the King David Schools
- Christian Leaders
- Torah Academy pupils
- Members of Zionist youth movements and the Media Team
- Yeshiva College students and staff
- Communal leadership
- Members of the Sydenham, Yeshiva College and Sunny Road Synagogues
Capetown; where he spoke for:
- Members of the Marais Road Synagogue
- Students of the Herzelia school
- Leaders of the Cape branches of the South African Zionist Federation and Board of Deputies
- Members of Habonim
- Christian leaders in the colored community
- Christian members of Bridges for Peace
Apr 20 through 29, ’15 North America: David Olesker was in:
- Pittsburgh, PA for the staff and lay activists of the JCRC.
- Denver and Boulder, CO for in depth training sessions for the local Jewish Federations.
- Skokie, IL for a range of educational events in schools and in the community organized by the Religious Zionists of Chicago.
Mar 8 through 19, ’15 UK:
Working in cooperation with Stand With Us UK, David Olesker ran training workshops for sixth form and university students in the UK. He taught youthful supporters of Israel the skills they need to be effective advocates in
- London
- Leeds
- Bristol
- Exeter
In addition, he ran training workshops for off campus groups;
- the Hale Jewish community,
- parents of Jewish pupils in non-Jewish schools and
- supporters of Magen David Adom in the UK.
Nov 16 through 26, ’14 North America:
David Olesker was in
- Washington, DC where he spoke at AIPAC’s annual Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit
- Miami, FL where he was sponsored by the Zionist Organization of America to speak for Florida International University’s pro-Israel group, Shalom FIU.
- Kitchener, London and Toronto ON where The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center in Canada brought him to three Canadian campuses (Laurier University, University of Western Ontario and York University).
He was scheduled to speak at Canada Christian College in Toronto, but the event was preempted by a candlelit vigil in memory of the four Jewish worshipers murdered in Jerusalem as well as Druze policeman who died defending them. As a personal friend of two of the victims, David Olesker was invited to light one of the five candles.
Oct 12, ’14 Greece:
A lightening trip across the Mediterranean brought David Olesker to the Athens Jewish community for a presentation on Israel advocacy skills.
Recent Trips
2013-14
Jan 26 – 31, ’14 UK:
David Olesker was on campus in:
- York and Greenwich University
- and with the students of Hasmonean Girls high school.
Feb 2 – Feb 12, ’14 North America:
David Olesker was in:
- Elizabeth, NJ for the students of RTMA and Bruria high schools.
- State College, PA for students from around the region for an Israel Leadership Shabbaton at Penn State.
- Nashville, TN for a range of events for students and community members organized by the JCRC.
- Seattle, WA to speak to Jewish teens at the NYHS and through NCSY.
Feb 14 – 16, ’14 Germany:
David Olesker spoke to German Jewish students at the Jugendkongress “Must Go” organized by the Zentralwohlfahrtsstelle der Juden in Deutshland.
Recent Trips
2012-13
April 8 – 25 North America and UK:
David Olesker was in:
- San Antonio, TX for the local Jewish Community Relations Council
- Kent OH for Golden Flashes for Israel, the pro Israel group at Kent State University
- Monsey, NY for the young ladies of the Ateres Bais Yaakov high school
- Los Angeles CA for a special training session with a select group of community activists.
- In the UK he spoke to Jewish student societies at St. Andrew’s University and Edinburgh University in Scotland.
April 8 – 25 North America and UK:
David Olesker was in:
- San Antonio, TX for the local Jewish Community Relations Council
- Kent OH for Golden Flashes for Israel, the pro Israel group at Kent State University
- Monsey, NY for the young ladies of the Ateres Bais Yaakov high school
- Los Angeles CA for a special training session with a select group of community activists.
- In the UK he spoke to Jewish student societies at St. Andrew’s University and Edinburgh University in Scotland.
January 14 – 30 North America and UK:
David Olesker was in:
- Miami, FL for the local Jewish Community Relations Council
- Skokie, Il for the Hebrew Theological College (Skokie Yeshivah)
- Atlanta, GA for Emory Students for Israel
- Toronto, ON for Bnai Brith and
- London, UK for students at Yevneh and Hasmonean Girls high schools.
November 2012 – UK:
David Olesker was in:
- London on October 30 at the Bushey United Hebrew Congregation. You can see what he had to say here.
- Belfast, Northern Ireland on November 4 to run an Israel advocacy masterclass for Northern Ireland Friends of Israel.
Recent Trips
2011-12
April 2012 –North America:
From April 19 through 26 David Olesker was in North America speaking in Washington DC and San Francisco.
March 2012 –North America:
From March 15 through 26 David Olesker was in North America speaking in New York and Flint MI.
January 2012 –North America:
A lightning visit to Cornell.
November 2011 – North America:
From November 6 through November 21, David Olesker was in North America speaking in Ithaca NY, Austin TX, Champaign IL, Toronto Ontario, New York NY (at YU and Baruch College), Boca Raton FL, Gainesville FL, and Santa Cruz CA.
August-September 2011 – South Africa:
From August 29 through September 6, David Olesker was in South Africa speaking in Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
Recent Trips
2010-11
Tours for 2010 to 2011 included:
- October 5 – October 21 Australia and New Zealand
- November 19 – November 17 North America
- February 6 – February 17 North America
- February 27 – March 16 UK
- April 3 – April 12 North America
Resources
Resources
Successful advocacy for Israel requires three things:
- Information
- Skills
- A forum to advocate in.
Information Sources on Israel and the Middle East
Here are some links to websites that will keep you up to date on the information you need.
- Arutz Sheva Israel Broadcasting Network
- Israel Radio (Audio news three times a day in English. Other languages also available.)
- Globes (Israel’s answer to the Financial Times or the Wall Street Journal)
- Jerusalem Post
- Ha’Aretz English
- Jewish Telegraphic Agency
- News From Israel (Clearing house for Israel news from the Israel Information Office in Scotland)
- IDF (News & analysis of all IDF operations and activities, special events, dealing with terrorism, IDF training, military cooperation, myth busting and more.)
- Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (detailed information on Israel’s foreign relations, International law and much more.)
- World Zionist Organization Hasbara page has news and resources on countering anti-Jewish bias.
- Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Bland title masks unexcelled site for in-depth briefing papers. The pro-Israel policy wonk’s dream! (JCPA)
- The Middle East Media and Research Institute (monitors Palestinian and other Arab Media) (MEMRI):
- Palestine Media Watch Translations and access to video and text material from the Palestinian Authority
- Independent Media Review and Analysis (interviews and surveys take you behind the headlines) (IMRA)
- Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA)
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee
- Anti-Defamation League (One of the oldest human rights organization in the world also supports the rights of the Jewish people to national self-determination
- CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy on Mid-East Reporting in America holds the media to account in their coverage of Israel and the region)
- Honest Reporting media monitoring group with an international perspective
- AICE (American-Israel Cooperative Enterprise) Home of the online Jewish Virtual Library, a wide-ranging resource on Israel, the Middle East and antisemitism
- The David Project grassroots pro-Israel advocacy with an accent on the broader issues of the conflict.
- Mid-east Truth Cartoons collection of editorial cartoons about Israel and the middle-east (not all are subtle!) with links to even more.
Organizations Working with Students on Israel Advocacy
- Hasbara Fellowships Offers high-level training missions to Israel, activism conferences in North America, speaker and trainers for your campus, films, advice and other resources.
- Stand with Us (in addition to the “adult” site listed above, the campus department offers specialized guidance, ideas and materials for the student advocate.
- Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) Source for grants and support from an organization that seeks to mobilize students and faculty in support of Israel.
Clients-Australasia
AUSTRALASIA 
- NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (Australia)
- UIA Australia
- Jewish Community Council of Western Australia (Perth)
- State Zionist Council of Victoria (Melbourne)
- Zionist Federation of Australia
- Zionist Federation of New Zealand
Clients-South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA
- South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD)
- I.U.A.-U.C.F (Keren HaYesod)
- Zionist Federation
- SAUJS (South African Union of Jewish Students)
Clients-Europe
EUROPE
- Board of Deputies of British Jews
- Zionist Federation (UK)
- Zionist Central Council of Greater Manchester (UK)
- UJS (Union of Jewish Students of the UK and Republic of Ireland)
- Israel Information Centre (UK)
- Jewish communities of Copenhagen (Denmark) Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo (Sweden), Helsinki (Finland).
Clients-America
NORTH AMERICA 
- ADL (Anti-Defamation League of B’nai Brith)
- CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Mid-East Reporting in America)
- Hasbara Fellowships
- JCRCs (Jewish Community Relations Councils)
- Jewish Federations
- JNF (the Jewish National Fund)
- Stand With Us
- State of Israel Bonds
- USD-Hagshama (University Services Department of World Zionist Organization)
- Students on more than 500 campuses
Clients-Israel
ISRAEL
- International Institute of the Histadrut
- The IDF Spokesman’s Office
- The Foreign Ministry
- Ministry of Defense
- Ministry of Police
- Ministry of Tourism
- Schools, Universities, and Yeshivot
- UJC and KHY missions
- WZO Course for schlichim
- WZO Information Department
- WZO Hagshama Department
- WZO Education Department
- Hundreds of youth and adult groups visiting Israel
- UJC and Keren HaYesod Missions visiting Israel
About David Olesker
ABOUT DAVID OLESKER
David is the founder and director of JCCAT: Jerusalem Center for Communication and Advocacy Training. A former student leader in the UK, David has become one of the world’s top advocacy trainers. He works with students, community activists and the staff of professional Israel advocacy organizations around the world. His clients have included major organizations such as the ADL, as well as grassroots groups. Based in Jerusalem, David Olesker travels often to North America and other countries.
What Is Advocacy
WHAT IS ADVOCACY?
Advocacy is the art of presenting a case—in a court of law, in the media, or just to a friend or colleague. Lawyers, journalists, and other effective advocates are trained in specialized communications skills, and advocates for Israel also need specialized skills in order to defend Israel’s image and promote the truth about the Middle East.
The Jerusalem Center for Communication and Advocacy Training (JCCAT) is a communications training and consulting service that specializes in serving the pro-Israel community. Under its director, David Olesker, its workshops have assisted a wide range of groups, including Israel’s Foreign Ministry and major Jewish Organizations on five continents.
J.C.C.A.T’s advocacy training workshops teach supporters of Israel how to:
- understand how perceptions of Israel are formed
- appreciate the problem of negative perceptions
- present a new, positive image
We achieve these goals by teaching the most advanced forms of:
- media relations
- debate skills
- counter propaganda techniques
