January 28, 2021

JCPA’s End-of-Year Report — 2020 will be remembered as a time of profound struggle and upheaval, and a pivotal time in history. JCPA supported the Jewish community relations network and the most vulnerable during the pandemic, engaged the new civil rights movement, supported Israel’s diplomacy and encouraged engagement during polarized elections. We were timely, substantive, and played a much-needed leadership role for the field. Click here to read our 2020 End-of-Year Report.

JCPA Condemns Violence and Insurrection at Capitol — On January 6, JCPA strongly condemned the violent insurrection at the United States Capitol Building. This was a direct assault on our democratic process, and nothing less than an attempt to disrupt the peaceful transition of power in a presidential election and an act of sedition. Click here to read our statement.

JCPA Presents “First 100 Days” Recommendations to Biden-Harris Administration — JCPA’s Policy Advisory Committee, the central address of JCPA’s policy work, presented its “First 100 Days” policy recommendations to the Biden-Harris Administration Transition Team at a virtual meeting. The gathering also provided an opportunity for JCPA’s national member organizations to share their top priorities as well.  JCPA’s Policy Advisory Committee set’s policy priorities, monitors Congress, and oversees policy and advocacy efforts. It also provides overall policy guidance to the community the relations network at the local, state and national levels. Click here to read the topline summaries or the full version. .

Delegates Assembly Educational Session — JCPA held a Delegates Assembly Education Session on January 26, bringing together more than 130 professional and lay leaders from local JCRCs and national Jewish organizations to grapple with pressing issues. The session focused on setting racial justice priorities of the Jewish community relations field and advocacy to end the genocide of the Uyghurs, and commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Click here to watch the recording.

JCPA Supports Effort to Re-Establish White House Faith-Based Office — JCPA, in coordination of more than 45 faith-based partners, called on the Biden Administration to re-establish a robust White House faith-based office, which we believe will enhance the work of government and enable it to be better informed on decisions to be made. Click here to read the full letter.

The American Muslim Community: Challenges and Opportunities Program — As a member of the Inter Jewish Muslim Alliance, JCPA co-sponsored a program on January 6 for Jewish professionals to learn more about American Muslim communities and to engage on critical issues facing both communities.  More than 100 people attended. To learn more, contact David Bernstein at Dbernstein@thejcpa.org.

JCRCs Across the Country Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., Day — JCRCs around the country are working to achieve racial justice and championing today’s civil rights causes. JCRC held education programs and organized service learning for their local communities to celebrate. The JCRC Of MetroWest held a program on racism, The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Understanding the Black Experience in Today’s America, featuring a presentation from Senator Corey Booker and a conversation with several Black community leaders on the experience of being Black in America. To watch the program, click here.

Jewish Community Playbook on Ethnic Studies in San Francisco — The JCRC of San Francisco has been deeply engaged in ensuring a fair and inclusive state ethnic studies. Read their opinion piece published in the LA Jewish Journal that outlines the way we are encouraging the Jewish community to think about and engage with the ethnic studies movement and state processes. Click here to access the article.

February 22: “The Guardian of Memory” Movie and Program — Join JCPA and the JCRC of Reading, PA, for a screening of “Guardian of Memory,” documentary following Carlos Spector, a Jewish immigration lawyer living on the US-Mexico border, as he fights to obtain political asylum for Mexicans fleeing from violence. This is a story of Mexican men, women, and children seeking a respite from their tragedies by heading to their neighboring country, the US. It is also a story about the kindness and hope that still exists in people who have gone through hell and the efforts to keep memory alive. Click here to register.

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