Israel advocacy. Middle East policy updates. Young professionals.

These subjects and much more will all be discussed at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Midwest Diplomatic Conference next month.

The Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest will hold its second ever seminar for young adults, Sept. 10-11 in St. Louis. The conference is aimed at emerging Jewish leaders ages 25-40. About 70 people are expected to attend.

“The main goal of the diplomatic conference is to bring young professional leaders from throughout the Midwest together to learn from diplomats and experts, exchange ideas and increase their advocacy skills pertaining to Israel,” Stacy Rudd, Director of Academic Affairs for the Israeli Consulate, said.

Many prominent diplomats will speak at the conference, including Noam Katz, Haim Koren and Yehuda Yaakov, according to Rudd. Sessions throughout the weekend will focus on topics such as an in-depth look at civil society in Israel, current developments in public diplomacy, the Arab Spring and the Islamic world, combating the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and how to serve as an effective advocate for Israel.

“This conference is a tremendously unique opportunity for those who are interested in Israel to gain an inside perspective and knowledge on the most important issues of the day,” Rudd said.

In addition to these presentations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is including an open forum round table discussion with several diplomats from the Israeli Ministry, where participants can ask questions about topics of their choosing.

“The Q and A session…is something you don’t get very often, where people can discuss questions on Israeli government policies and people can really get questions answered,” said Heather Silverman, Director of International Issues for the Jewish Community Relations Council.

Silverman has been assisting the Israeli Consulate with its logistical preparations in St. Louis and will attend the conference in September. She traveled to Chicago for the first seminar last year and says she is excited to hear the speakers and do more networking.

“I’m most looking forward to meeting other young adults who have a passion about Israel advocacy and want to learn more,” Silverman said.

Another St. Louisan who has signed up to attend the conference is Jeff Glogower, the current chair of Jewish Community and Relations Council’s St. Louis Israel Connection. Like Silverman, this will be his second diplomatic conference, as he too participated in the Chicago seminar.

As chair of the SLIC committee, Glogower runs Israel-related programs to encourage adults in their 20s and 30s to support the Jewish State.

“I think you have to know what’s going on,” Glogower said. “It’s important for anyone who wants to advocate on Israel’s behalf to know the facts and understand how to talk about them.”