Institute for Public Affairs - IPA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As the public policy arm of the nation's largest representative Orthodox Jewish organization -- with over 1,000 member synagogues nationwide -- the IPA works to protect Jewish interests and freedoms by providing government officials with informative policy briefings, advocating legislative and regulatory initiatives, and coordinating our constituency's grass-roots political activities.
Importantly, the IPA works to bring the unique perspective of Jewish law and tradition to bear upon the widest range of public policy issues confronting American society at-large, thus seeking to fulfill our mission to work for the betterment of the world -- tikkun olam -- for all of humankind.
Within the Jewish community, the IPA serves as the Orthodox community's link to the Conference of President's of Major American Jewish Organizations, the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council, the World Jewish Congress, the International Committee on Free Trade with Israel, and other umbrella entities. The IPA also serves as the Orthodox Union's link to the broader international community through its recognized non-governmental organization (NGO) observer status at the United Nations.
In addition to its day-to-day activities, the IPA sponsors an annual National Leadership Mission to Washington, D.C., an annual Conference on Law and Public Policy, the IPA Summer Internship Program -- placing Orthodox Jewish college students in key governmental offices, and the publication of Nexus -- a series of occasional scholarly papers on Jewish law and public policy. The IPA also coordinates the IPA Pro Bono Network -- a network of attorneys who dedicate a portion of their time and services to serving the needs of Jewish causes.
