http://www.thejewishadvocate.com/news/2010/0129/local/010.html

J Street opens in Boston Joins Israel roundtable, readies kickoff event

The signpost is up: J Street is in Boston.

The left-of-center group - which bills itself as pro-Israel, pro-peace - has been welcomed with a seat at the Israel roundtable of local Jewish leaders, sponsored monthly by the Jewish Community Relations Council.

And Feb. 4, it will hold a kickoff event at Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline.

Janette Hillis-Jaffe started work as the New England regional political director for J Street on Jan. 1.

"I've met with folks from AIPAC and [the American Jewish Committee], and I felt very welcome," Hillis-Jaffe said. "There are no rivalries, and I don't think there will be any. The Boston Jewish community is known for being able to embrace a lot of different perspectives."

Founded in April 2008, J Street (the name comes from the one "letter" street missing from the Washington, D.C., grid) was primarily focused on congressional lobbying until it teamed up with the grassroots group Brit Tzedek late last year.

J Street Boston's kickoff event next Thursday will coincide with chapter openings across the country and feature, via Web cast, remarks by Jeremy Ben-Ami, the executive director.

The "goal is to introduce the community to J Street Boston as a grassroots organization and to mobilize people to get involved," said Beth Wasserman of Somerville, a community liaison for J Street Boston and a former member of Brit Tzedek. "While we have a strong base of people who did work with Brit Tzedek, I think there's a much larger group of people who have connected to J Street in the past."

Hillis-Jaffe, 41, worked as a consultant for various nonprofits in Israel and as the director of the Massachusetts Child Hunger Initiative before accepting her position with J Street. Until J Street Boston sets up an office, Hillis-Jaffe will work from her home in Cambridge.

"Last year, if someone in Boston had wanted to get involved in J Street, all they could do is sign up online to get updates," said Hillis-Jaffe.

Now, people can choose among three ways to become involved: J Street U, which so far has a presence at Harvard, Brandeis and Tufts universities; J Street Local, for grassroots organizing and education; and J Street PAC, established as a separate entity to allow for political contributions.

Hillis-Jaffe said she would be working mainly with J Street PAC, which requires a minimum annual donation of $1,800 for membership.

"We get involved and take positions on political races," said Hillis- Jaffe. "A group like AIPAC doesn't."

She said J Street provides an alternative voice for Jews who want to promote peace in Israel, but may feel left out of the current dialogue. "J Street and AIPAC share the same goals, a two-state solution and a secure future for Israel," she said. "We provide a place for people to voice opinions they might not have been comfortable voicing at AIPAC."

Nadav Tamir, the consul general of Israel to New England, said that while he might disagree with some of J Street's positions, he welcomed a new vehicle for Israel advocacy.

"We all know that for every two Jews, we have 11 opinions," said Tamir. "Everybody who cares about Israel should feel they have a way to articulate that voice."

Hillis-Jaffe, who is Modern Orthodox, lived in Jerusalem from 1999 to 2004 while her husband was studying in yeshiva. They and their two children endured the Second Intifada.

"I heard bombs go off in cafes and buses near my house," said Hillis-Jaffe. "For me this is very personal. I've experienced first-hand what terrorism is like, and I believe the only way to create a stable and safe Israel is to have a stable Palestine alongside."

She said that many people on the staff of J Street have either lived in Israel for an extended period or are married to Israelis.