Growing up in North Jersey’s MetroWest Jewish community, Hilary Levine was involved in synagogue life, JCC camp and Jewish leadership and volunteer programs. Through these activities, Levine developed an affinity for connecting with Israel and Jewish peoplehood.

Then, at Elmira College in upstate New York, and later the City College of New York, Levine studied foreign policy and international relations. These studies cultivated an interest in the news of the day.

At some point, especially as she started following the Jewish advocacy space, Levine recognized that the American Jewish Committee was “this really interesting compilation of everything I cared about,” she said.

She’s now been working at AJC Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey for 11 years.

“I really never looked back,” she said.

Levine, 38, is currently the associate director of AJC Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey, a role she’s held since January 2020. From 2014 to 2020, she served as assistant regional director.

In her time at AJC, Levine has been involved in diplomacy, legislative advocacy and coalition-building. A few years ago, she organized a visit from Ted Deutch — AJC’s national CEO — to City Hall in Philadelphia.

“Oftentimes, my day-to-day work is hugely dependent on what’s happening in the community, what’s happening in our state, what’s happening in Israel, what’s happening around the world,” she said. “I focus on our region’s advocacy work. I work closely with our area’s diplomatic community. I manage and lead our programmatic initiatives.”

In this time of rising antisemitism and war in the Middle East, Levine explained that maintaining bipartisan support for the Jewish community is essential. The associate director attended the recent conversation between Pennsylvania’s Democratic senator, John Fetterman, and the state’s Republican senator, Dave McCormick, during the AJC Global Forum in Washington, D.C. She called it a highlight of the forum.

“They said, ‘We don’t always agree. We both tend to vote with our parties. But we can sit down with each other,’” Levine recalled.

AJC has always been fiercely and proudly “bipartisan and nonpartisan,” as Levine put it. The organization maintains this stance because it helps “move the needle” on Jewish issues. A great example was the recent introduction of the Jewish American Security Act. The act was introduced by a Democratic senator, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and a Republican senator, James Lankford of Oklahoma.

But that is also why the recent Democratic drift when it comes to support for Israel is concerning to Levine. In the last vote on weapons sales to Israel, 40 of 47 Democratic senators voted against at least one resolution.

“It’s concerning, for sure,” Levine said. “But I think that’s why organizations like AJC and our partner organizations almost play a more important role right now.”

It’s OK to have disagreements with the current Israeli government, but support for Israel must be unambiguous, according to Levine.

“We can be here for the harder conversations. We have to be louder and clearer about the continued strength and relationship between the United States and Israel,” she said.

Levine finds this work to be challenging and interesting. She has wanted to do it even before she got the job at AJC.

Out of college, some connections in her local Jewish community in North Jersey helped her land a position at the Jewish Community Relations Council within the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ. It was the perfect starting point, as it allowed her to connect and build coalitions on local issues with advocates from the AJC, Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish organizations.

When she got the opportunity to interview with AJC in Philadelphia, however, she was considering a massive life change. Levine had been living with her parents for two years, and she had only been to Philadelphia once, for a school field trip.

But she came down to interview with the local branch’s regional director, Marcia Bronstein, and they “had this amazing conversation,” Levine recalled. Levine also found Center City to be beautiful as she walked around.

“I could live here?” she remembered thinking.

She took the job.

Today, she still lives in the city and is a member of Society Hill Synagogue. She even roots for Philadelphia sports teams, even though she said she was “never a sports person” before.

“I was also a young professional living at home and looking to start my own kind of life,” Levine said. “I love Philly. I could never imagine being anywhere else.”

jsaffren@midatlanticmedia.com