Consulate General of Israel, San Francisco --- Press Release

Michal Kohane
Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region
916.284.2516 or 916.486.0906

Regional Leaders Show Support at Emergency Solidarity Rally for Israel

An Emergency Solidarity Rally for Israel, Tuesday, July 18th, 5:30 pm at the west steps of the State Capitol Building in Sacramento will bring together the Jewish and non-Jewish communities, including Pastor Emeritus Glen Cole from Capital Christian Center and Pastor Frank Robinson from Arcade-Wesleyan Church.

The rally is being held on the same day as a vote on bipartisan resolutions reaffirming Congress’ unwavering support for Israel. The resolutions strongly back the Jewish state’s right to defend itself and to take steps beyond its borders to deter further aggression by the terrorist groups and their state sponsors, Iran and Syria.

Sacramento Vice Mayor Rob Fong will join Michal Kohane, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region, and Omer Caspi, Deputy Consul General at the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco, to show support for Israel during this crucial time. Fong was elected Vice Mayor in 2006 by Mayor Heather Fargo and the Sacramento City Council. Voters elected him to succeed Jimmie Yee as the Sacramento City Council Member for District 4 in November 2004.

Caspi, who began his term at the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco in 2003, will also
address the rally. Prior to his appointment as Consul, he worked as a Projects Manager at the Global Operations Department in one of Israel's largest high-tech companies. From 1998 to 2001, he served as a First Secretary at the North-East Asia Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was responsible for Chinese and Japanese affairs. Between 1995 and 1998 he served as a Second Secretary for Cultural and Academic Affairs at the Embassy of Israel in Bejing, China. He began his career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994. Caspi holds a B.A. in International Relations and Chinese Studies and a Master's degree in Business Administration.

Kohane is a native Israeli from Haifa who has been Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region, the rally's organizing agency, since 2004. Prior to that she was a community leader in Grass Valley and head of the Hebrew Department at Shalom School, the Sacramento region's only Jewish Day School. 

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