Brit Tzedek V’Shalom and J Street: Going Forward Together?

According to The Forward, there is talk of Brit Tzedek V’Shalom and J Street merging.

What makes this particularly interesting is the sentence, “Brit Tzedek’s operation will become part of J Street, although the groups will not formally merge and they will not have a joint board.”

Is this perhaps a different model for organizations in the current economic climate? Is this a legally, fiscally, or best practice sound policy? Almost no information has yet been released. Depending on how this moves forward, it may be worth watching.

from The Forward:

J Street Makes a Strategic Acquisition

The anticipated merger of Brit Tzedek V’Shalom with J Street will give the lobby its own national network of volunteers. It is but the latest in series of seemingly strategic acquisitions through which J Street… is seeking to develop a multi-tiered operation mirroring that of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, its much larger, mainstream rival.

According to unofficial accounts, J Street and Brit Tzedek V’Shalom are in advanced talks that are expected to lead to the latter’s absorption in J Street as the lobby’s field operation branch.

Brit Tzedek officials have stressed that talks with J Street are only at their initial phase and would probably be concluded by October, in time for J Street’s first national conference. But the emerging bottom line is clear: Brit Tzedek’s operation will become part of J Street, although the groups will not formally merge and they will not have a joint board.