June 23, 2020

In the aftermath of the grievous killing of George Floyd, JCPA and community relations network are standing with the Black community to advocate for ending systemic racism in the U.S. This is an important historical moment that calls upon the Jewish community to join us in these efforts.  Below are some highlights from our work over the past couple of weeks.

• Issued a statement of solidarity with the Black community pledging to work to end systemic racism, signed by more than 130 Jewish organizations. To read the statement, click here.
• Oped in the Forward, “My Fellow Jews: Get in the Fight,” by Melanie Roth Gorelick, JCPA Senior Vice President. Click here to read the article.
• Oped in the Forward, “Dear Jewish community – here’s what to do now,” by the JCRC Directors Association officers, click here.
• For a compilation of JCRC statements, click here.

Save the Date: Delegates Assembly on Policing Reform — JCPA is holding a Delegate Assembly session on July 8 to take a deep dive into policing reform and public safety.

Policing Reform — As an active member of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ Justice Task Force, JCPA joined over 440 other civil rights groups in endorsing eight federal priority measures for policing reform, which were shared with Congressional leaders in early June. JCPA has shared those measures with the community relations network and Congressional leaders. To read the letter, click here.

• JCPA submitted a Statement for the Record on the eight priorities to the House Judiciary Committee for the June 10 Oversight Hearing on Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability. The Committee leadership has introduced a new package of reforms that include most of these recommendations but there are improvements that we are working with partners to secure. Click here to read the statement.
• Take Action! Join the over 800 people who already sent messages to their Members of Congress urging support for eight federal priority measures for policing. To act now for meaningful police reform, click here.

JCPA Advocates for Emergency Response to COVID-19 in Prisons and Jails — JCPA cosponsored a virtual town hall on May 7 in partnership with the Ending Mass Incarceration (EMI) national strategy team, Ebenezer Church, and the Auburn Seminary. Click here to watch the program.

Criminal Justice Webinar Series During COVID-19 — Click the links below to watch the videos.

• Coronavirus in Prisons, Jails: An Emergency We Need To Address NOW
• Over 6 Million Americans on Community Supervision: Reforming Pretrial, Parole, and Probation
• Front End Justice: Exploring Why Pretrial Reform is Needed

JCPA Welcomes Supreme Court’s Decision to Protect DACA — JCPA and our network of JCRCs and national agencies around the country have been working for years to protect Dreamers and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. This Supreme Court victory could not be more welcome! While this decision helps safeguard the DACA program, we continue to urge the Senate to immediately pass the Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) to permanently protect Dreamers. Click here to read more about the decision.

JCPA’s Delegates Assembly Adopts Emergency Resolutions on Issues Related COVID-19 — On May 8, the Delegates Assembly adopted four emergency resolutions related to the COVID-19 crisis at a voting session attended by almost 100 representatives of local Jewish community relations councils and national Jewish agencies. The resolutions expand the scope of JCPA’s policies related to the pandemic on immigration detention, decriminalization, and enforcement; decarceration of prisons and jails; and vote-by-mail and in-person voting. The Assembly also passed, for the first time, a resolution on handling pandemics. Please see below for links to the full resolution text:

• Immigration Concerns During a Pandemic
• Criminal Justice Reform During a Pandemic
• Voting Rights and Elections During a Pandemic
• Principles for Responding to a Public Health Crisis

Israel’s Changing Polices in the West Bank — Israel is considering implementing an application of sovereignty or annexation over parts of the West Bank that could take place as early as July 1. JCPA, in coordination, with the Israel Action Network, has put together a task force to assist JCRC directors and chairs in responding to this concern locally. JCPA has compiled articles, webinars, and studies on the issue to assist you. To read the resource page, click here. For information on study materials from various viewpoints or how to vet the issue locally, contact JCPAinfo@thejcpa.org.

Report on Strengthening the JCRC Field (2016-2020) — In 2016, under new leadership, JCPA set out as its major goal to strengthen the JCRC network by developing resources, providing skills training, supporting professionals and lay leadership, and raising the network’s national profile. With the goal of supporting and advancing the field, JCPA’s work is organized into three major areas: network support, leadership, and public policy advocacy. We are proud to share with you our accomplishments, knowing that there is more to be done. Click here to read the report.

Educational Materials and Curriculum on Racism and Racial Justice — JCPA compiled recommended materials for the Jewish community to use to educate themselves and their networks about racism and racial justice in the U.S. Click here to for the resource list.

To read past issues of JCPA’s update, click here.