Annapolis woman is tireless advocate for Israel

They succeeded, she told her, not by weapons but by great public relations. The propaganda machine driven by Joseph Goebbels made it acceptable to kill Jews, her aunt Ella Laszlo Bache Brummer said.

This lesson was in the back of her mind seven years ago when Mizrahi saw images of Jews being blown up in Israel and then being blamed for their own woes, instead of being recognized as victims, she said.

"I knew what Israel was," said Mizrahi, who has been to the country many times and spent a year at Hebrew University. "(And) I knew what people saw on TV wasn't what Israel was."

Shocked and frustrated, Mizrahi decided to do something about it. The Annapolis resident put her professional experience to use and started to wage her own PR campaign in the form of The Israel Project. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization's central mission is to educate journalists and the public about Israel.

Sixty-two percent of reporters who cover Israel have never been there, she said, and her job is bring the country to them through facts and access to sources. A total of 76,000 reporters from 53 countries now receive material from The Israel Project.

Her dedication to that mission has made both the organization and Mizrahi herself players on the national and international stage.

"Oh, the woman's a force of nature," said Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Rockville, which serves Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

"I mean, she's just an amazing individual. She has bundles of energy, she's laser-focused and extraordinarily capable. She built an organization from the ground up and in six years made it one of the most important organizations in the U.S. with guts, determination and intelligence."

At one point in her life, Mizrahi, who considers herself "very religious but not very observant," considered becoming a rabbi. The 45-year-old mother of two also considered a career in politics and made an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 1994. In a way, The Israel Project blends both of her ambitions.

"I always say I never want to be an old person sitting in a rocking chair saying I wish I had tried," said Mizrahi, who cites Israeli President Shimon Peres as a role model.

"I believe every person is on Earth for a reason and every person has the chance to make a difference. So, I don't want to miss my opportunity."

Mizrahi has never considered backing off, either, despite Israel's many enemies and the fact she said she's been threatened. Current circumstances, with the development of Iran's nuclear program, make her mission more vital than ever, she explained.

Nevertheless, she remains hopeful. "I'm very optimistic about the future of Israel, because the people have good values and are hard workers," she said. "One thing about Jewish people ... we know how to survive."

Distance learning

The home with a water view that Mizrahi shares with her husband and children is a long way from the hustle and bustle of Washington, and even farther away from Israel.

But Mizrahi is constantly linked to both, rising at about 5 a.m. daily to read the latest news from the Middle East to prepare for work. Her days, which are filled with conference calls, briefings and meetings with top officials, often run long, as friends report receiving e-mails from her in the wee hours of the morning.

"I just would love to know how I could bundle up just half of her energy and accomplish half of what she does in one day," said Arlene Bearman, a Baltimore area resident who heads the board of directors for The Israel Project. "It's truly, truly amazing. Anybody who meets her and sees her in action is always impressed."

Of course, Mizrahi's frenetic schedule doesn't leave much time to relax, but that's OK with her. "In a perfect world, I'd work myself out of a job," she quipped.

Before founding The Israel Project, Mizrahi had her own communications company, so she had plenty of experience in public relations. She's also worked on Capitol Hill and had a weekly newspaper column on public policy in her home state of North Carolina.

Though she said she loves being in Washington in the epicenter of politics, she also enjoys her life in Annapolis. She wound up in this area through her husband, Victor Mizrahi, the former chief scientist at Linthicum-based Ciena Corp. He's now the CEO of a biotech company.

Although she prefers to stay under the radar in Annapolis, she admits it can be tough given her international reputation. For instance, she's convinced that white supremacist propaganda left on her property a few years ago can be traced to alleged Holocaust Museum shooter James W. von Brunn.

"Here in Annapolis, I just want to get groceries, be a mom, be a wife, and go boating," she said.

But Rabbi Ari Goldstein of Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold said she does a lot for the Jewish community in this area, as well as internationally. When asked about this, Mizrahi rattled off a list of local activities she'd organized, then said, "Not so under the radar, maybe."

Goldstein, like many others, also praised the zeal and wisdom with which Mizrahi operates The Israel Project. "Her work and the contributions she's made with her work have been extremely valuable," he said. "I have a lot of respect for her; what she does, how she does it, and who she is."

For more information about The Israel Project, visit the Web site at www.theisraelproject.org.