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Dear Member--
Last week, with J Street's first national conference, we took a major step forward as a movement. Reuters said we had "arrived as a serious participant in the foreign policy debate." [1] The BBC reported that we "filled a gap in the Washington Map." [2] The New York Times headline captured the moment, "A Moderate in America's Jewish Lobby Causes a Stir. [3] It wasn't just the wall-to-wall media coverage -- General Jim Jones, President Obama's National Security Advisor, promised during his keynote that the Administration "will be represented at all future J Street conferences." We've established ourselves on the national political scene, and now it's time to bring J Street -- and the movement we represent - to states and cities around the country. That's why - with the energy from our conference still fresh and in partnership with Brit Tzedek v'Shalom's national grassroots network - we are launching an ambitious new national field operation with staff, activists, and chapters all over the country. Our ability to bring the pro-peace pro-Israel message to your backyard depends on your financial support. Can we count on you to get this program off the ground? Click here to chip in right now to help kick off our national field plan. Make no mistake -- the enforcers of an unsustainable status quo have marked J Street and our entire movement for political destruction. Isi Leibler, the former head of the World Jewish Congress and now a Jerusalem Post columnist, called recently for "a global Jewish solidarity conference" to "exorcise (the) renegades from our midst". Neoconservatives have launched smear campaigns in an attempt to scare Members of Congress from affiliating with us. The far-right pro-Israel group Stand With Us even contacted the legislative offices of everyone on our conference Gala Host Committee with a smear sheet of the nastiest lies and racist attacks leveled against J Street thus far. Attacks like these will only grow stronger as our successes mount. But know this: we will not be intimidated nor deterred. The stakes for Israel, the Palestinians, and the whole Middle East are simply too high. Yet if we are to continue winning, we -- the supporters of J Street and Brit Tzedek - need to take our message directly to local communities and congressional districts in ever greater numbers than before. Nothing makes as big of an impact on Members of Congress as hearing directly from their constituents. Imagine if we tell Members of Congress, in home districts all over the country, that supporting Israel means favoring active American engagement to achieve a two-state solution? Click here to make your gift to kick start this new field program. We're thrilled that the chapters, rabbis, and activists of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the leading pro-Israel, pro-peace grassroots network, have decided to join us in this effort. We'll be building on their excellent work and taking it to
the next level. Thanks so much for all you do. - Isaac Isaac Luria P.S. Got questions for our new field team? Email them at field@jstreet.org by clicking here. [1] "Obama, J Street, and Middle East Peace," by Bernd
Debusmann. Reuters, October 30, 2009. Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, The Jewish
Alliance for Justice and Peace
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