Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) met with top Jewish lay leaders in New York as part of an outreach to Jews across the country. “He’s reached out to Jewish leaders in major cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York,” said Dan Shapiro, an outside adviser to Obama’s presidential campaign who helped organize the meeting Wednesday but did not attend. “He’ll be doing it in other cities. He would like to expand his ties.” Shapiro said the aim was to reach beyond Obama’s Illinois bas, but acknowledged that the senator lags behind Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in garnering Jewish support. “It’s no surprise that a senator relatively new to the national stage hasn’t yet had the opportunity to build a wide network of supporters,” Shapiro said. The campaign would not name those who attended, noting that the meeting was private and off the record. Sources said the meeting was a success, with 25 leaders attending.
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