A Response from The Exec Director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation

Dear Ms. Weinstein:
You have asked if we consulted Jewish leadership to the meeting with President Ahmadinejad and others. We did approach each of the Jewish peace movement organizations with whom we interact regularly through the Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Partnership and who are members of FOR. I talked on more than one occasion with, for example, Rabbi Waskow at the Shalom Center, Rabbi Michael Lerner of Tikkun, and Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb of Shomer Shalom. I did get helpful feedback on my opening message from Jewish colleagues. They were all invited to be a part of the meeting and while they declined they did not discourage us from facilitating.
There were a number of Jews present at the meeting, including some who have been to Iran with FOR’s civilian diplomacy delegations, and including one Rabbi.
Rabbi Gottlieb, who led our last delegation to Iran delivered remarks at the Thursday evening interfaith dialogue dinner, […]