Michael Kassen Takes the Helm
As we gather in Washington, D.C. to celebrate Israel and the U.S.-Israel relationship, we have another reason for celebration. This year’s Policy Conference marks the beginning of Michael Kassen’s term as AIPAC president.
Like so many of us, Michael’s life changed on Sept. 11, 2001. Sitting in his office in Manhattan that morning, he saw a huge ball of flame erupt from the World Trade Center and realized that something unbelievable was happening.
Michael then decided to walk away from his lucrative Wall Street career and devote much of his time to non-profit endeavors. “I grew up in a family where the idea of service to the community, of giving to the community, of involvement in the community, was very important,” he says.
Michael was particularly interested in combining two passions of his—politics and Israel—and determined that AIPAC was the best way to do so.
Michael remembers being interested in politics from a young age. As a high school student in Cleveland, he worked for the Senate campaign of Howard Metzenbaum, and later took a year off from college to follow Senator Metzenbaum to Capitol Hill.
He also has early memories of a profound connection to Israel, distilled in him by his parents. His grandfather served in the Jewish legion in Palestine during World War I and carried a scar from a bullet that grazed his palm. This left a lasting impression on Michael.
He began attending AIPAC events at the suggestion of a friend who had become an AIPAC staff member and quickly made the organization a central part of his life. “I’m a product of AIPAC,” he says. “AIPAC helped me to be effective in pro-Israel politics, and now I have the chance to help other people do that too.”
Michael already has a proven record of results as an advocate for Israel and the U.S.-Israel relationship. “He has been responsible more than anyone else in educating me about the issues that affect the U.S.-Israel relationship,” says Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
Engaging with AIPAC members and policymakers on the Hill, Michael has embodied the AIPAC theme “Relationships Matter.” “Michael has the unique ability to build relationships in a multi-partisan fashion,” says AIPAC Executive Director Howard Kohr. “He has friends and acquaintances that are liberals and conservatives; these are the people that make up his life and it’s a natural extension of who he is.”
And now, as AIPAC president, Michael’s leadership skills are exactly what the organization needs, particularly at such a critical time for Israel. “He’s one of those people who believes that everything we do we can do better, and you want to have that quality in a leader,” says Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), a leading member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
With an increasingly partisan atmosphere in Washington, presidential and congressional elections fast approaching, and turmoil engulfing the Middle East, this is undoubtedly a challenging time to become AIPAC’s president. But Michael is keenly aware of the historic responsibility he is taking on. “I’d like people to say down the road that under my presidency AIPAC went from strength to strength,” he says.