Russian Jews left in cold

We, the undersigned, members and activists of the Russian Jewish community of Boston, would like the leaders of the Boston Jewish community to know we are appalled that J Street has been accepted as a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council. JCRC is supposed to represent the Jewish community and support Israel. Unfortunately, it does neither.

How open and democratic is JCRC when it does not pay any attention to the views of 70,000 Russian Jews in Massachusetts? Jews from the former Soviet Union count for one third of the total Jewish community in our state. But, as we were in the Soviet Union, here, too, in the Jewish leadership structure of Greater Boston, we find ourselves to be the Jews of Silence. Sadly, meanwhile, leaders of the Boston Jewish establishment find room in their “big tent” for the radical anti-Israel J Street.

The list of reasons why J Street cannot be part of any pro-Israel organization seems endless. J Street is funded by anti-Israel billionaire activist George Soros, who famously blamed Israel for European anti-Semitism. J Street lied about its connection with Soros, then proudly acknowledged it. J Street refused to condemn the slanderous Goldstone Gaza report. J Street initially fought economic actions against Iran.

Massachusetts is home to one of the most anti-Israel congressional delegations in America. What is JCRC doing about this? And now, in a blatant violation of its own bylaws, well documented by CAMERA’s Andrea Levin in the Advocate, JCRC sneaks in the radical anti-Israel J Street. When confronted with this revelation, the leadership of the Boston Jewish establishment brings out the usual supply of pious platitudes about unity. But if anything, J Street is not uniting our community; it is dividing us.

We invite the community at large to start a broad discussion about the formation of a new representative organization. And we hope that any new Jewish relations council will include fair representation of the 70,000 Russian Jews in this area, who passionately care about Israel and our adopted country, the United States.

ALEX KOIFMAN, president, Boston For Israel
GREG (ZVI) MARGOLIN,editor and publisher, Jewish Russian Telegraph
ARY ROTMAN, president of Russian Jewish Community Foundation
MICHAEL SHERMAN, professor, Boston University School of Medicine
INESSA RIFKIN, founder and principal, Russian School of Mathematics
SAM GEISBERG, founder, Parametric Technology Corporation
VLADIMIR TORCHILIN, professor and director, Center for Pharmaceutical, Northeastern University
RABBI DAN RODKIN, Jewish Russian Center and Synagogue

The letter was also signed by 129 others from the Russian Jewish community of Greater Boston.