Send Page to a Friend Jewish groups back ISB's 'day in court'   By Kristin Erekson The Jewish Advocate   Opposing views in Jewish community shows rift Three Jewish groups are aligning themselves with the Islamic Society of Boston, leaving leaders of the local organized Jewish community hesitant to speak about the implications of this rift. Jewish Voice for Peace, Tekiah and the Boston Tikkun Community signed a joint amicus curiae – a "friend of the court" brief – on Feb. 26 that supports the ISB's right to bring a defamation and civil rights lawsuit against The David Project Center for Jewish Leadership and other parties, which claim that the Muslim society allegedly has ties to terrorism. The ISB is building a mosque and cultural center in Roxbury, but funding for the project has been stalled due to the lack of funds allegedly relating to the controversy surrounding the case. Alice Rothchild, co-chair for Jewish Voice for Peace, a group that does not explicitly support a Jewish state at the exclusion of Palestinians, said it decided to back the ISB's "right to have its day in court" after reviewing the case with Howard Cooper, the society's attorney. Rothchild noted it was important for Jews to stand with the ISB, even though doing so has caused an apparent divide within the Jewish community. "The David Project is on the far right and a whole bunch of people are not with them," Rothchild added. "We felt particularly as Jews, who have a history of discrimination and anti-Semitism, we should be very sensitive to this situation." In a statement, Charles Jacobs, president of The David Project, said "it is difficult to comprehend how any group which puts the word 'justice' in its name, or wants to 'heal the world' (Tikkun) or 'sound a warning for justice' (Tekiah) can sign onto something as disgraceful as the ISB effort to frighten people out of speaking out against extremism and hate-speech." Regarding the rift that many say is forming within the Jewish community, Nancy K. Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, said "none of those organizations [who signed the amicus curiae] are members of the organizations of the JCRC. We don't consider them to be a part of the mainstream Jewish community." In November of 2005, the JCRC, the American Jewish Committee and Combined Jewish Philanthropies issued a statement declaring that they "stand in solidarity with those in our community who see this issue as one of free speech and exercise of basic civil rights." Hayyim Feldman, an organizer of the Boston Tikkun Community, an interfaith spiritual network, said he personally was "very sorry to see the JCRC's public statement aligning themselves with The David Project on this," especially since the group is dedicated to interfaith dialogue. "It's important that people here in the Boston area understand that this is not a local, isolated incident," Feldman added. "What's happening is part of something that has been going on around the country since Sept. 11, 2001: a growing fear of Islamic extremism." Jessica Masse, interfaith coordinator for the ISB, said in a statement that the society is "overwhelmed by the show of support from our friends and neighbors." "The ISB's lawsuit is an important civil rights case," Masse added. "It seeks to battle discrimination and secure for area Muslims the same rights of freedom of worship and assembly that all faith and non-faith based groups in our society hold dear." The Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring, a Brookline-based Jewish cultural center, announced last month that it is calling on both groups in the lawsuit to seek a court stay of all related proceedings and agree to global, multi-party mediation. The ISB had asked the Circle to file an amicus curiae, a request in which the Jewish group has decided to keep under serious consideration. Larry Lowenthal, executive director of the Greater Boston chapter of the American Jewish Committee, said "as a matter of principle, we support the right of inquiry on any issue of concern to the Jewish community." However, he said his organization is still continuing to have an "open and honest dialogue with the Muslim community." Lowenthal added: "There are many issues of disagreement between us, but that's all the more reason for dialogue."