Dear Friend,
Our work at JCPA is rooted in the recognition that Jewish safety and inclusive democracy are inextricably linked. Few weeks have made that more clear than this past one.
Make no mistake: antisemitism is real — including on college campuses.
And at the same time, we’re seeing the federal government exploit our legitimate fears and concerns about antisemitism to undermine the civil liberties, rule of law, and democratic norms and institutions inherent to our safety. If we think the selective application of due process and civil liberties will stop with one Palestinian activist at Columbia University, we are fooling ourselves — and our community should not be used as an excuse to upend democracy.
This is happening as the administration also advances other dangerous policies that directly threaten Jews and so many others — from gutting the very Office of Civil Rights intended to protect students from antisemitism and other discrimination, to normalizing dangerous “invasion” and “replacement” conspiracy theories that have fueled deadly violence against Jewish, Black, Latino, and other communities.
On the flip side, we continue to see how extreme voices seek to use Israel as an excuse to push Jews out of the very spaces and coalitions we need to protect democracy. Look no further than Cincinnati, where a local rabbi was told last week that “Zionists” would not be allowed to participate in a rally against neo-Nazis. Or Michigan, where Jewish and other university officials have been targeted at their homes with jars of urine and other objects thrown through their windows and more.
When Jews are treated like political footballs in order to pit communities against one another and undermine democracy, it makes all of us less safe.
We refuse to choose. Jewish safety and democracy are not in tension with one another; rather, one can’t exist without the other.
Our hope is that this new JCPA newsletter offers not only a regular round-up of what our team is doing, but also opportunities to engage more deeply in this crucial work.
I’m so glad you’re with us, Friend.
Amy Spitalnick
CEO
Jewish Council for Public Affairs.
From our Action Networks |
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Add your voice: Support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act At a moment of constant assaults on our democracy, voter suppression is among the most powerful tools the extremists have at their disposal. That’s why safeguarding this right in the face of flagrantly discriminatory laws is so crucial. The Jewish community knows that our safety is inextricably linked with the rights and safety of all communities and the health of our democracy. Write to your representatives and urge them to support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act today. This critical bill would restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and ensure every American has access to the ballot box. |
Protect the rights and dignity of all communities: Support the NO BAN Act
The NO BAN Act, introduced in the House last month, would create both limitations on and accountability for any president intent on categorically banning refugees, asylum seekers, or people of specific religious faiths or nationalities from entering the country. As American Jews, we know our safety depends on a just and inclusive society. Policies that promote exclusion and embolden extremism put us all at risk.Tell your representatives to support this bill today and protect the rights and dignity of all our communities.
JCPA in the News
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JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnick in The New York Times on the ICE arrest of Mahmoud Khalil: “Any Jew who thinks this is going to start and stop with a few Palestinian activists is fooling themselves. Our community should not be used as an excuse to upend democracy and the rule of law.” JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnick and University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker on Michigan Public Radio: “We need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. We need to be able to be clear-eyed about the very real antisemitism that is coming from across the political spectrum.” JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnick on MSNBC: “Multiple things can be true at the same time. We’re facing real antisemitism…That doesn’t mean that the very real fears and pains of the Jewish community should be exploited to undercut civil liberties, rule of law, and our democratic values.” From Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Everything ‘alt’ is new again: Watchdogs see a mainstreaming of far-right extremism From Haaretz Podcast: It’s not only Musk and Kanye, there’s a broad normalization of antisemitism in the U.S. From NPR News: Department of Defense deputy press secretary has a history of promoting antisemitic and extremist theories. |
Field Notes
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Our CEO Amy Spitalnick just returned from a meaningful two days in Michigan, where she engaged Jewish leaders, students, and community partners in important conversations around working in coalitions and across lines of difference to fight antisemitism and strengthen our democracy. At the University of Michigan, Amy joined Race Forward Executive VP Eric Ward to explore the connections between antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate—and how communities can unite to combat them.
The next morning, she met student leaders at University of Michigan Hillel over breakfast to discuss Jewish leadership at this critical moment for our community.
Amy also joined the Jewish Federations of Greater Ann Arbor and Detroit and their Jewish Community Relations Council for roundtables on how our local partners can navigate the challenges of this moment.
In Farmington Hills, Amy joined University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker at Adat Shalom Synagogue for a critical discussion on the rise of antisemitism and the need to build coalitions to protect our communities and democracy.
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