Obama Campaign Appoints Adviser To Coordinate Jewish Outreach

By Nathan Guttman - Jewish Daily Forward
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 - Web Link
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August 19, 2008

The Obama campaign is beefing up its Jewish outreach operation, adding a senior staff member to oversee ties with the Jewish community.

Daniel Shapiro, who served as an outside advisor to the campaign on Middle East issues, formally joined the campaign as a full-time paid staffer this week and will be in charge of Jewish outreach efforts. He will carry the title of senior policy adviser and Jewish outreach coordinator.

Eric Lynn, who for the last year served as the campaign’s liaison to the Jewish community, will continue his work under Shapiro.

“The Obama campaign is reaching out aggressively to the Jewish community through the creation of Jewish Community Leadership Councils in cities around the country, and Dan joins National Jewish Vote Director Eric Lynn to augment and expand this outreach effort,” an August 19 statement issued by the campaign read.

Shapiro is a well-known figure in the Jewish political scene. He has been working with the Jewish community on behalf of the Obama campaign for the past year and was involved in all major events in which Senator Barack Obama spoke to the Jewish community. Shapiro also participated in Obama’s trip to the Middle East and Israel.

While he served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration, most of his political career was spent working on Capitol Hill. He was deputy chief of staff for Senator Bill Nelson and worked on the staffs of Senator Dianne Feinstein and of Rep. Lee Hamilton, who chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee.