Jewish Groups Consider Including J Street.
The American Jewish community, increasingly vexed by debate over Israel within its ranks, faces a closely watched test this week: The major umbrella organization of Jewish groups plans to vote on whether to admit a dovish lobbying organization that has been critical of some Israeli policies.
The vote on whether to allow the group, J Street, to join the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations comes at a time when Jewish institutions have been struggling over how much debate over Israel they are willing to tolerate. On college campuses, there are roiling arguments over whether certain critics of Israel can address Jewish groups; synagogues have questioned whether views on Israel should disqualify potential speakers; and in New York, the annual pro-Israel parade has faced criticism over the views on Israel held by some marchers.
J Street, which calls itself pro-Israel and pro-peace, has consciously posed a challenge to the mainstay of the Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or Aipac, by taking positions sometimes critical of the Israeli government and endorsing some American politicians who do the same. J Street was critical of Israel’s 2008 ground invasion of Gaza and backs Western negotiations with Iran despite Israel’s strong opposition.
The application by J Street to join the Conference of Presidents has sharply divided the leadership of Jewish communal organizations. The conference, whose long-serving leader, Malcolm I. Hoenlein, is repeatedly consulted by government leaders to represent the views of American Jews, has about 50 member organizations, some of them quite small, with a wide diversity of political and religious positions. The groups are scheduled to vote on Wednesday on whether to admit J Street, but if 75 percent of the members are not represented at the meeting, the vote will be held by mail over the next 10 days.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/30/us/jewish-groups-consider-including-j-street.html?hp&_r=0
= new reply since forum marked as read
ETA: I guess it might help to have an article. 
Mainstream American Jewish Groups Reject J Street
