2026-05-28 08:17:PM <br/> Tags: #organization #AmericanJewry #LeftwingJewry ![[image-286.png]] # Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA) - The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA) is a Chicago-based Jewish nonprofit founded in 1964 that, "for 61 years," has "organized the Jewish communities of Chicagoland to pursue racial and economic justice."[^1] - According to its [website](https://jcua.org/what-we-do/antiracism-and-equity/), "JCUA is committed to confronting white supremacy. We ground our work in antiracist values and strive to build practices, policies, and culture that promote racial justice."[^3] - The JCUA advocates for left wing social policy regarding immigration, housing, antiracism, economics, voting, etc. - Beyond left wing causes, the JCUA also considers combatting antisemitism "central part of our mission."[^4] #### Activities - The JCUA was founded in 1964 by Chicago rabbi Robert J. Marx "out of a conviction that the Jewish call to pursue justice."[^2] - The JCUA was founded in the midst of the Civil Rights Era; Rabbi Marx himself being a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. - The JCUA produces training materials to combat antisemitism adapted in part from the [[Jewish Social Justice Roundtable]].[^4] - The JCUA hosts an annual training and educational event called "Intersections of Antisemitism and White Supremacy."[^5] - #### JCUA Votes #### Funding and Donors #### Notable Figures *As of writing this page, the JCUA's board is comprised entirely of black women and Jews.* - Rabbi Robert J. Marx - Founder[^2] - Jane Ramsey - Executive director from 1979-2012 - Jackie Rassner - Board secretary[^6] - According to her JCUA bio, Rassner is involved with the PJ Library, a program of the [[Harold Grinspoon Foundation]]. - Rabbi Andrea London - Board member[^6] - London is the recipient of an [[NAACP]] award for her social action. - Benetta Mansfield - Board member[^6] - Mansfield is a former chair [[Avodah]]'s board of directors. - Rabbi Steven Philp[^6] - Philp was ordained by the [[Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS)]]. - Philp is a [[Wexner Foundation]] fellow. - Sam Schoenburg - Board member[^6] - Schoenburg is a pro-bono civil rights attorney in Chicago. - Schoenburg is a homosexual Jew. - Dan Weyl - Board member[^6] - Weyl is a "human rights professional" dedicated to "advancing social justice both in the United States and globally." - Weyl was a member of the [[Avodah]] service corps. - Weyl is a homosexual Jew. #### References [^1]: Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, “About Us,” [https://jcua.org/who-we-are/about-us/](https://jcua.org/who-we-are/about-us/). [^2]: JCUA, “Rabbi Robert J. Marx, Visionary Jewish Leader Who Spoke Up for Justice, Dies at 93,” March 29, 2021, [https://jcua.org/blog/rabbi-robert-j-marx-visionary-jewish-leader-who-spoke-up-for-justice-dies-at-93/](https://jcua.org/blog/rabbi-robert-j-marx-visionary-jewish-leader-who-spoke-up-for-justice-dies-at-93/). [^3]: Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, “Antiracism & Equity,” [https://jcua.org/what-we-do/antiracism-and-equity/](https://jcua.org/what-we-do/antiracism-and-equity/). [^4]: Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, “Combating Antisemitism,” [https://jcua.org/what-we-do/combatting-antisemitism/](https://jcua.org/what-we-do/combatting-antisemitism/). [^5]: Aaron Wolfson, “Intersections of Antisemitism and White Supremacy: Reflections on a JCUA Training,” _Jewish Council on Urban Affairs_ (Medium), May 27, 2020, [https://medium.com/jewish-council-on-urban-affairs/intersections-of-antisemitism-and-white-supremacy-7cb29c5a8553](https://medium.com/jewish-council-on-urban-affairs/intersections-of-antisemitism-and-white-supremacy-7cb29c5a8553). [^6]: Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, “Board of Directors,” [https://jcua.org/who-we-are/board-of-directors/](https://jcua.org/who-we-are/board-of-directors/).