| | | | | | David Bohm Begins Term as JCPA’s New Board Chair (2021-2023) — David Bohm, a long-time JCPA Board member and Chair of the Policy Advisory Committee, has been elected JCPA Board Chair for the term June 2021-June 2023, serving as the organization's 29th leader since its founding in 1944. He leads JCPA as it seeks to expand its role as a vital resource to Jewish communities across the United States in forging alliances with other civic, racial, and faith-based groups working for civil rights and racial justice and combatting hate. Bohm will guide JCPA as society faces challenges of increased polarization and racial disparities inside and outside of the Jewish community and a changing landscape in the Middle East. Click here to read the full press release. | | | | | | JCPA Applauds Passage of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act — President Biden signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and the Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer NO HATE Act, following strong bipartisan passage in Congress. This new law will improve hate crimes reporting, tracking, and response, which is critical amid alarming increases in hate, bigotry, and discrimination in our country. JCPA has worked closely with its interfaith and intergroup partners for more than four years to achieve passage of the bill, which we believe will be crucial in fighting rising hate, including antisemitism, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate, and more. To read the full statement, click here | |  | JCPA Speaks Out Against Growing Antisemitism — Since the recent fighting between Israel and Hamas, there has been an increased number of violent attacks on American Jews, vandalism of Jewish institutions, and spread of antisemitic rhetoric, particularly on social media. JCPA urges civic, political, and faith leaders to denounce these acts of violence and intimidation immediately and intensify efforts to combat this surge. Antisemitism is inextricably linked to other forms of hate and bigotry, and it is crucial that we continue to fight them together by joining forces across our diverse communities and standing in solidarity with each other. | | | | | | | | | | JCPA Commemorates the Murder of George Floyd — JCPA commemorates the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, which gave rise to the largest racial justice movement in the US since the 1960s. JCPA is working closely with our diverse partners to listen, learn, and advocate for racial justice. With polarization and hate on the rise, we believe that working in partnership with the diverse communities that make up America to shape our country and achieve civil rights aims to ensure the safety and security for all of us. | | | | JCPA’s National Network of Jewish Criminal Justice Reform Experts Launches Jewish Values Framework — As part of a JCPA project to convene Jewish criminal justice reform experts from a variety of organizations and institutions, members came together to craft a Jewish values framework entitled, "A Jewish Call to Action: Ending Mass Incarceration and Criminalization," and signed by nearly 100 leading Jewish practitioners, experts, and advocates in the criminal justice space. We believe this statement, which represents many months of dedicated work, will help inspire more Jews and Jewish organizations, local and national, to get involved in the fight against mass incarceration and provide a clear argument that can be used with interfaith and secular groups as to why Jews and Jewish organizations find this fight of critical importance. Click here to read the full values framework. | |  | | | | | | | JCPA Welcomes Ceasefire Between Israel and Hamas — JCPA welcomes the ceasefire between the Government of Israel and Hamas, and hopes that Hamas will abide by it and stop firing rockets into, or otherwise attack, Israel. We urge Palestinians and Israelis to engage in efforts to de-escalate tensions. Click here to read the statement. First Webinar in Series on Israel, Arab Israelis, and Opportunities for Peace and Existence — Join JCPA for a June webinar series to provide information and discourse on what the recent Israel-Hamas hostilities means for the country, efforts for peace, and coexistence and the region. How do we understand what took place and what is the role of the Biden Administration? The international community? Understanding the Recent Hostilities with Israel and Hamas
and Implications for the Future
Thursday, June 3 at 3:00 PM EDT | | | | | |  | David Makovsky
Washington Institute for Near East Policy | | |  | Tamara Cofman Wittes
Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings Institute | | |  | Ghaith al-Omari
Washington Institute for Near East Policy | | | | | | JCPA2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE: IT'S A WRAP! | |  | JCPA’s National Virtual Conference, April 25-26, was attended by more than 600 professional and lay community relations leaders from local and national organizations around the county. The conference brought high-level speakers for interactive sessions to educate and set strategy on a range of priority issues, including racial justice, hate, criminal justice reform, Israel, and poverty, voting rights, climate change, and more. Visit our conference wrap-up page for video recordings and resources. JCPA presented Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer with the Chernin Award, JCPA’s Highest Honor. Click here to watch the awards program. The Delegates Assembly—representatives of 125 Jewish Community Relations Councils (JCRCs) and 16 national Jewish agencies—debated and passed four resolutions on voter access, genocide against the Uyghur people, climate change, and the Abraham Accords. To learn more, click here. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
