Presented by Adam Odesser
Director, Dr. Stuart Lessans Israel Action Center, JCRC of Greater Washington
Israel’s 2026 elections will shape the country’s political landscape at a consequential moment for Israel and its relationship with the United States. Join us for a timely conversation exploring the the key issues shaping the campaign. We will examine the latest polling and what it can, and cannot, tell us about the election ahead. What issues are most important to Israeli voters, and how are current events influencing the political conversation?
We will also delve into the connections between Israeli and American politics, including how developments in each country may shape the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Whether you closely follow Israeli politics or are simply looking to better understand this important moment, this program will give you the context and perspective you need to understand this election and the issues at stake.
Adam Odesser has served as Director of the Dr. Stuart Lessans Israel Action Center at the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington since 2021, after joining the organization in 2019. A native of Jerusalem, Israel, Adam relocated to the Washington, DC area with his family in 2019.
Prior to joining the JCRC, Adam worked for Gesher, an Israeli nonprofit focused on dialogue and education, facilitating workshops for high school students and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers on issues of Jewish identity and social diversity. He also worked at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Business School and served in the IDF Home Front Command as a Reserves Recruitment and Training Officer. Adam holds degrees from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an MBA from the University of Maryland.
We extend a special thank you to Andrew R. Ammerman for sponsoring our 2026 program lineup. He dedicates the semester’s learning in loving memory of Josephine and H. Max Ammerman and Stephen C. Ammerman.