There are Agudah events, and there was the Agudah Federal Advocacy Summit, which was held this Wednesday and Thursday in the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., a historic landmark a stone’s throw from the White House and a few short blocks from the United States Capitol. Over 24 high-impact hours, the Agudah Summit brought together lawmakers and community leaders to advance a focused, high-level agenda.

The Agudah centered the Summit around three core priorities: promoting federal school choice, strengthening bipartisan support for Israel, and confronting antisemitism at the highest levels of government. The Summit was powerful, and unscripted honesty defined nearly every session.

The opening session was led by Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, Director of Government Affairs for Agudath Israel of Illinois, and Mordy Herzog, CEO of Royal Wine Corp. It featured John Schilling of the American Federation for Children — one of the key strategists behind the scholarship tax credit included in the One Big Beautiful Bill. He walked participants through the coalition-building that made the tax credit possible and credited Agudah’s 200-person mission to D.C in April as a turning point. Back then, Agudah delegations representing communities from across the country held over 100 in person meetings with legislators and staff. That massive effort generated momentum on Capitol Hill for the cause. “I’d walk into congressional offices to discuss the bill,” he said, “and they’d say, ‘the rabbis were just here about this!’”

Later that afternoon, Howard Tzvi Friedman asked pointed questions to Democrat Representatives Josh Gottheimer, Ritchie Torres, and Jared Moskowitz in an extraordinarily candid conversation about support for Israel within the Democratic Party. With few cameras, the Congressmen spoke openly about being in a party whose base is being dragged left by the rising influence of anti-Israel rhetoric among younger, online-driven progressives. They urged attendees to more fully engage with staffers and second-tier officials who shape long-term political culture and warned against letting Israel become a partisan issue.

At a packed cocktail reception later that evening, dozens of lawmakers and senior staffers joined Summit participants to build relationships and cultivate the kind of trust and familiarity that so often turns advocacy into action.

At that evening’s dinner, Rabbi A.D. Motzen, National Director of Government Affairs, presented an award to Senator Ted Cruz, who arrived directly from the Senate floor, stepping out during a break in the “Vote-a-Rama” that lasted until 2 AM. The Senator gave an unvarnished, play-by-play account of the battle to preserve the scholarship tax credit in the face of last-minute attempts to strike it from the bill. “We worked hand in hand with you,” said the Senator. “Thank you for your advice, your counsel, your guidance, your manpower, and your wisdom.” The Board of Trustees then presented a visibly moved Cruz with a $36,000 donation for the victims of the Texas floods.

Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, the organization’s Executive Vice President, publicly thanked the participants and elected officials – including those not present at the dinner. In fact, earlier that day, a smaller Agudah delegation presented plaques to the sponsors and champions of the effort to include the federal scholarship credit in the reconciliation bill. Rabbi Zwiebel singled out President Donald J. Trump for special praise for his relentless support for Israel and his decision to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Special Assistant to the President and White House Jewish liaison, Martin Marks conveyed the President’s greetings. He also commended Agudah’s professionalism, thanking them for being an effective and meaningful advocate for the community.

Rabbi Avi Schnall, Agudah’s Director of Federal Education Affairs, also announced that Agudah’s Washington Office will be moving to Capitol Hill. The relocation reflects the organization’s increasingly proactive, hands-on approach to advocacy and the growing impact of its presence in the nation’s capital.

Thursday morning began with remarks from Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. She outlined her team’s expanded efforts to combat antisemitism across institutions and jurisdictions. Dhillon was followed by Judge Jeanine Pirro, Interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. Reputed for her tenacious and outspoken legal advocacy, she pledged in no uncertain terms to hold individuals and institutions accountable for anti-Semitic actions. The Summit’s final speech was a fiery, no holds-barred address from Leo Terrell, senior counsel to the Assistant AG and chair of the DOJ’s Antisemitism Task Force. He wore a cap with “Hadar Goldin” – the name of an IDF soldier that was abducted murdered by Hamas – and whose body still languishes in the clutches of the terror group – embroidered across the top and pledged to eliminate anti-Semitism.

In a town known for talking points and posturing, the Agudah Summit stood out for its candor and level of engagement, bringing the community’s most pressing priorities to the highest echelons in government with professionalism, dignity and an unmistakable energy.