Jewish establishment heavy hitters are joining J Street in sign of changing times

J Street announces the formation of a Jewish Community Advisory Council featuring past leaders of major establishment organizations, including the Conference of Presidents, AJC, Jewish Agency, and UJA-Federation of New York. The move signals a shift in the American Jewish community's approach to Israel advocacy, as J Street seeks mainstream acceptance for its critical stance on Israeli policy.

J Street, the liberal Jewish advocacy group that calls itself pro-Israel and pro-peace, is forming a Jewish Community Advisory Council that includes past leaders of major establishment organizations. The council, announced on Monday, features Bob Goodkind (former AJC president), John Ruskay (former CEO of UJA-Federation of New York), Alan Solow and Seymour Reich (past chairmen of the Conference of Presidents), Charles Ratner (past chair of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors), Rabbi Eric Yoffie (former president of the Union for Reform Judaism), Nancy Kaufman (former CEO of NCJW), and Rabbi Ismar Schorsch (former chancellor of JTS). Rabbi David Saperstein is also joining J Street's Board of Directors. The move comes three years after Hamas' deadly raids inside Israel and amid shifting attitudes among American Jews, particularly younger ones, toward Israel. J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami said the group is well-positioned to ensure the Democratic Party adheres to a line that does not negate Israel's right to exist but opposes its current policies. Critics, including Jason Shames of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, argue that differing perspectives on Israel's security benefit its enemies in the social media era.

Jewish establishment heavy hitters are joining J Street in sign of changing times