JLC Regrets Conference of Presidents Rejection of J Street Membership Application
May 1st, 2014: New York, NY -- "The Jewish Labor Committee voted in favor of J Street's application for membership in the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Wednesday evening, and we are disappointed that J Street was not approved for membership," stated Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Jewish Labor Committee. The JLC is a founding member of the Conference of Presidents.
"The Conference of Presidents has a diverse membership that holds a variety of views representing those in the wider Jewish community in the United States," Appelbaum noted. "That should allow for healthy discussion within the Presidents' Conference of the range of issues that the group addresses. The admission of J Street to that membership would have added to that discussion in significant ways. At the same time, it would have demonstrated that the Conference member agencies were not afraid of a healthy level of diversity of opinion on the key issues that the Conference addresses, and that it truly wanted to represent the sentiment of the majority of American Jews."
Bearing in mind that a significant number of current organizations affiliated with the Conference of Presidents did not initially have their memberships accepted, and had to reapply, Appelbaum encouraged J Street to reapply. "We are hopeful that it will be admitted for membership at a future meeting, and will support it if and when it does in fact reapply."