The Great Schlep: support outreach to Jewish voters in Florida

Half an hour after "Walk the Talk" was sent, this arrived in my inbox (you can find more information and the donor forms/FAQs mentioned below at thegreatschlep.com on 9/19/08):

Dear Family and Friends,

Like many of you, I woke up last May to a New York Times headline that read, "As Obama Heads to Florida, Many of It's Jews Have Doubts." The article reported that it's not all Jews in Florida who have been slow to support Obama - it's the elderly Jews.

The Times article got me thinking about how to change the minds of elderly Floridian Jews - people near and dear to my heart. By the end of the day it had come to me: THEIR GRANDCHILDREN. If there is anyone a Jewish grandparent will listen to it's their (brilliant, gorgeous) grandchild. I wrote up a couple of pages of ideas for a marketing campaign, sent it to everyone I knew, and within a few days I was on the phone with a friend's (Jewish, brilliant, gorgeous, recently engaged) son who has a (big) job at a (big) ad agency in New York City.

My idea is about to become a reality: A campaign is underway to help Senator Barack Obama become president, by educating and changing the minds of Jewish voters in Florida. (I know that I don't have to remind you of the importance of this swing state). Our messengers will be their own beloved grandchildren, who, like us, recognize the importance of an Obama victory. The campaign is called THE GREAT SCHLEP.

TheGreatSchlep.com website will target, engage and activate Jews 18-24 years old - the Facebook generation. A viral internet campaign will allow the Jewish young people, a.k.a. Schleppers, to communicate with and meet other Schleppers. Then, on Columbus Day weekend (October 10-13), Jewish kids from all over the United States will schlep to Florida to spend the weekend with their grandparents, a.k.a. Bubbie and Zadie. Organized dinners at Chinese restaurants, pool parties, rec room discussion groups, etc. will faciliate intergenerational pro-Obama discussions. The kids will arrive in Florida with the facts about Obama-- facts that will counteract the false rumors many of their grandparents have heard.

I'm writing today to ask for your financial support of this project.

So, Marla, WHO is ORGANIZING the GREAT SCHLEP?

The Jewish Council for Education & Research (JCER), a political action committee, was created to develop and disseminate information to voters around the issues of concern to the Jewish community. Its premier initiative is JewsVote.org, a campaign that supports core public values, including cultural liberalism, a strong but not beligerant foreign policy, and support for Israel. The website provides users with a range of tools to increase support of Obama, including personal emails and videos. JewsVote.org is where the iPhone meets the local kosher deli. The target market for the site is middle-aged Jews. JCER was founded by Mik Moore and Ari Wallach, two smart, young movers-and-shakers in the Jewish community.

TheGreatSchlep.com is a JCER initiative that will appeal to younger Jews. Its goal will be to give them the tools they need to persuade their grandparents, both on-line and in person, to support Obama. Because not everyone will be able to make the trip to Florida, the site will allow kids to do "virtual schleps" over the course of the election cycle. They will be able to send their grandparents video-grams, and they'll be asked to sign pledges to call their grandparents frequently during the weeks leading up to the election.

Marla, I'm on Board. Where do I SEND MY CHECK

Click on the attached pdf that says Donor Card. Fill that in, and send your (whopping) check -- campaign laws allow you to give up to $5,000 -- directly to JCER. Remember, JCER is a PAC, which means it is INDEPENDENT of the Obama Campaign. This means that the money you give to the organization will NOT apply towards the maximum contribution you can make to the Obama campaign.

And if I SEND a Check, What Will it be Used for?

The money will pay for the websites, travel scholarships for Schleppers, Florida events (the Early Birds are cheap!), travel for organizers, Schlepper persuasion materials, advertising, marketing, and general Schlepper Support. Donations to JCER are NOT tax-deductable.

Well, Marla, I Still Have a Few Questions. Do you Have Answers?

Of course. I have attached to this email a couple of documents that go into more detail about JCER and its founders. And of course, feel free to call me with any questions or concerns.

Marla, Can I do ANYTHING in ADDITION to DONATING MONEY?

Yes. Forward this email to as many people as possible. The more money JCER brings in for The Great Schlep, the more schleppers and their grandparents we'll reach. And remember:

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE JEWISH TO SUPPORT A SCHLEPPER.

Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

Marla