Meeting Minutes from InspireSeattle Social on June 16, 2012

The United States and Israel are historic allies with strong ties who continue to search for ways to resolve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and promote peace in the Middle East. A new organization founded in 2008 - J Street provides a political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans who believe that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential to Israel’s survival as the national home of the Jewish people and as a vibrant democracy.

J Street has a two-fold mission: first, to advocate for American diplomatic leadership to achieve a two-state solution and a broader regional, comprehensive peace and, second, to ensure a broad debate on Israel and the Middle East in national politics and the American Jewish community.

Guest speaker:
 
Our speaker this evening was Barbara Lahav, Pacific Northwest Regional Political Director. Barbara joined J Street with over two decades of political activism in pursuit of Middle East peace. Barbara is a founding member of the interfaith group Find Common Ground. A graduate of Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem, Barbara lived in Israel for more than 16 years, working in design for the Israel Museum and in administration for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Before moving back to the Seattle, Barbara was the managing editor of the local Jerusalem newspaper Kol Ha’Ir.

In the Seattle area, Barbara worked for the Jewish Federation and for ten years as the program director for the largest Conservative congregation in the area. For the past eight years, Barbara worked as an administrator and consultant for a variety of non-profit organizations. Barbara lives on Mercer Island with her husband Eli, a native of Tel Aviv.

Among topics Barbara addressed were:

• What is J Street’s mission and who are its members?
• Israeli politics and its effects on J Street’s mission
• Israel-focused lobbying
• What InspireSeattle members can do to advance a two-state solution