West Roxbury – West Roxbury resident, Paula Doress-Worters, traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the J Street national conference last week as part of a delegation of 130 activists from the Greater Boston area.

The J Street conference highlighted the critical need for bringing about a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for the well-being of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, and the importance of keeping this issue in focus in an election year. The conference was also the kickoff for J Street’s “Future of Pro-Israel Campaign”.

"Making History" – J Street’s third national conference -- drew over 2500 activists from across the country and Israel, including some students from 125 campuses. The conference was held March 24-27 at the Washington Convention Center.

With a keynote by Amos Oz, and talks by dozens of diplomats, members of Israel’s Knesset, members of U.S. Congress, rabbis, journalists, activists, and students, the conference provided an in-depth view of many aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the challenges and possibilities for its resolution. A common thread was the need for American Jews to speak up in large numbers to their elected officials to express their support for a two-state resolution to the conflict, a position that polls show has long been the view of the majority of the American Jewish community.

The conference was capped by a lobbying day on Capitol Hill, with over 700 attendees going out to some 225 Congressional offices to meet with members of Congress and staff.

J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans to advocate for vigorous U.S. leadership to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with some 180,000 supporters across the country and a Rabbinic Cabinet of over 700. The local chapter, J Street Boston, has over 10,000 supporters across the Greater Boston area. (www.jstreet.org/boston)