Steve Grossman, former head of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and chair of the Democratic National Committee during the 1990s, delivered a speech titled "Democrats and Israel: An Historic Partnership, A Committed Future" on the Great Lawn last Thursday.
About 40 students attended the event, which was sponsored by the Brandeis Democrats, Hillel and the Brandeis-Israel Public Affairs Committee, the campus chapter of AIPAC.
Much of the speech was devoted to discussing presidential candidate John Kerry's position on the issue in Israel and the Middle East.
Grossman, who has previously served as chairman of the board of trustees here, said he has known Kerry for 35 years. He talked about Kerry's plan for energy independence and criticized Bush for exempting sports utility vehicles from gas laws.
"I think it is crucial to emphasize that John Kerry, and the Democrats in general, provide support for Israel in a holistic way, meaning they will fight terrorists funded by Saudi Arabia which Bush has supported politically and economically. They will fight for energy independence so terrorist-sponsored groups won't use our money from oil purchases." Amy Schiller '06 said.
Other topics Grossman touched on included his defense of reproductive rights for women. He also said that health care needs are John Kerry's principles of concern. Grossman said that Bush's greatest failure was being absent for the first 18 months of his term.
"There is more unity in the Democratic Party now than there has been in my adult lifetime," said Grossman.
He said that the Republican Party platform called the United States "a Christian nation" and that this was eating away at the separation of church and state.
"A secular country this must remain," Grossman said.
Grossman said that fewer people are voting than ever before. He said that people shouldn't have to vote on a Tuesday, but rather over the weekend. And he said that citizens should be able to go and vote with their driver's licenses without the hassle of registering. Grossman thanks students for registering people in their communities. The student vote is better than it has ever been.
Daniel Linver, the Jewish Campus Service Core fellow, contacted the Brandeis Democrats and Republicans in the beginning of the school year to invite speakers onto campus to speak about this year's election and each candidate's stand on the situation in Israel. This Wednesday, a Republican speaker will come to Brandeis to give his opinion.
"My idea was to try to use [these speakers] to rally some support just to vote," said Linver.
Larry Sternberg, the executive director of Hillel at Brandeis, described Grossman as having a character of leadership. He also said that Grossman is committed to improving the world through organizations and politics.
"For us at Hillel, being involved with bringing [Grossman] to campus gives us the opportunity to remind people of their opportunity to remind people of their opportunity for civic engagement," said Sternberg.
"This is going to be a very close election and the grassroots efforts by students in key battleground states like New Hampshire may very well determine who the next president will be," said Grossman. "[I want to thank] the students who believe that grassroots organizing is both fun and part of their responsibility as citizens.