Reform repudiate J Street leader

ny of whom are upset over the selection of a new head of the movement, a rabbi who is a soulmate of the Sheikh Jarrah movement, the New Israel Fund, and J-Street. The group has placed ads in a few Jewish newspapers:


*Subject:* We are Reform Jews Who Want the Reform Movement to


*We are Reform Jews Who Want the Reform Movement to **
*Stand with Israel*
*The Union for Reform Judaism's nominee for President, Rabbi Richard Jacobs, does not
represent the pro‐Israel policies cherished by Reform Jews.
He does not represent us.
Rabbi Jacobs serves on J Street's Rabbinic Cabinet.
He told The Jewish Week, "I support the goals and visions of J Street." J Street
consistently takes positions hostile to
Israel. It opposed Iran sanctions, supported Goldstone and opposed the US veto of the UN
Security Council
condemnation of Israel. Rabbi Eric Yoffie, our current president, called J Street's
position on the Gaza offensive
"morally deficient, profoundly out of touch with Jewish sentiment and also appallingly naive."
Rabbi Jacobs serves on the board of The New Israel Fund.
During the time that Rabbi Jacobs has been on the board of The New Israel Fund, it has
supported organizations that
were loudly critical of Israel, were in the forefront of the lawfare campaign against
Israel and which were involved in the
boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. While not supporting
global BDS against Israel, Rabbi
Jacobs will not exclude supporting BDS selectively.
In contrast, Rabbi Yoffie in criticizing the Ariel boycott, said, "But, please, no
boycotts. Israel's enemies don't need any
help." ARZA, the Zionist arm of the Reform Movement, has started a campaign to educate
Reform Jews about the BDS
movement's attempt to delegitimize and brand Israel an apartheid state.
Rabbi Jacobs joined the Sheikh Jarrah demonstrations in Jerusalem.
We question his judgment in associating himself with a group that the Jewish Agency
condemns for "opposing the idea
of Israel as a Jewish homeland and promoting an anti‐Zionist agenda." The Sheikh Jarrah
Movement describes its own
actions as victories against the "’cowardly Zionists' perpetrating an 'apartheid state'
and 'ethnic cleansing in
Jerusalem'."
We call on the Union for Reform Judaism to reconsider this divisive appointment.
Do not drive mainstream Zionist Jews out of the Reform movement.
Paid for by: JADL, Jews Against Divisive Leadership Contact us at:
JADL@comcast.net

Committee in Formation
Tosia and Don Gringer, Temple Emanu‐El, NY, NY Vic Rosenthal, Temple Beth Israel,
Fresno, CA Rahel Limor, Principal, Congregation
Betenu, Amherst, NH Stuart Weil, Temple Beth Israel, Fresno, CA Sandra Whitman, Etz
Hayim Synagogue, Derry, NH Karin McQuillan,
Congregation Beth Israel, Carmel, CA Dennie Rothschild, Newton, MA Henry Lerner,
Newton, MA Joshua L. Segal, Rabbi, Congregation
Betenu, Amherst, NH Phillip Aronoff, Congregation Emanu El, Houston, Texas Richard
Calmus, Temple Avodah, Newton, MA Sandy
Calmus, Temple Ohabei Shalom, Brookline, MA Margot Einstein, Temple Avodah, Newton
,MA Al Fischer, Mesa, AZ David Ganz, Temple
Beth El, Belmont, MA Edward Schwartz, Pasadena, CA Charles Greenberg, Temple Beth El,
Bloomfield, MI Robert T. Abrams, Temple
Israel, Brookline, MA William K. Travis, Atlanta, GA David & Sharon Goldenson, Temple
Emanu‐El, Utica, NY Judi & Norman Greenberg,
Temple Beth Avodah, Newton, MA Donald Klein, Temple Beth Am, Jupiter, Fl Arnold &
Adrienne Rubin, Sudbury, MA Richard S.
Goldenson, M.D., Temple Beth Elohim, Wellesley, MA Franklyn & Carolyn Silbey, Palm
Beach, Fl Jack & Marian Pachman, Temple Beth
Joseph, Herkimer, NY Harry Onickel, Temple Emanu‐El, Oak Park, MI Alan Bergstein,
Temple Beth El, Boca Raton, FL Richard Salter,
Newton, MA William & Rhoda Sapers, Temple Israel, Boston, MA Rob Vincent, Congregation
Shomer Emunim, Perrysburg, OH Dr. Marvin
& Elaine Pesses, Temple Beth El, Boca Raton, Fl