I am filled with optimism and excitement in anticipation of J Street’s upcoming National Conference, “Making History” this weekend in Washington, DC.
Last year’s conference was an extraordinary introduction to J Street, and I returned to Minnesota as part of a nationwide movement. As a local arm of the national pro-Israel, pro-peace organization, J Street Minnesota turned the energy from last year’s conference into major momentum here in our own community.
We partnered with the JCRC to host a conversation with a Knesset champion of the two state solution, Yoel Hasson. Drawing on J Street’s leadership, the JCRC also held a landmark community conversation on the two state solution. And students empowered by last year’s J Street conference have built an amazing J Street U group at Macalester College, recruiting many more students to join them this year as we make history in our nation’s capitol.
“The 2011 J Street conference was my first exposure to the debated issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” said J Street U Macalester co-chair Noah Westreich. “For three straight days I was immersed in the discussion on what seems like the most important Jewish issue of this era. I came back to Macalester carrying an enormous responsibility to use what I had learned to progress the conversation on campus and in my own life.”
J Street is unique among pro-Israel organizations because we are actively redefining what it means to be pro-Israel.
“Making History” refers not only to effectively advancing the cause of peaceful coexistence, but also the way that we advocate for Israel in Washington and in our communities.
At this year’s conference, J Street will develop a “Future of Pro-Israel” vision statement encompassing the multitude of reasons why each of us consider ourselves a part of that future. Following this communal visioning exercise, this spring and summer J Street will bring our vision to living rooms and Jewish community centers all around the country, engaging other Israel supporters and signing people on as the future of pro-Israel.
From sundown March 24 through March 27, J Street will provide extensive coverage of the “Making History” conference at conference.jstreet.org. Tune in to live conference coverage, and make sure to visit conference archives if you miss any of the exciting speakers and events.
We are the future of pro-Israel.
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