2026-03-30 01:48:AM <br/> Tags: #organization #AmericanJewry #LeftwingJewry ![[image-260.png|314]] # Jewish Social Justice Roundtable (JSJR) - The Jewish Social Justice Roundtable (JSJR) is an American Jewish left wing advocacy organization. - The JSJR is a coalitional organization of 67 nonprofit organizations.[^2] - The JSJR was founded in 2009.[^6] - The JSJR works to "fight climate change and food security, and advocate for immigrant and reproductive rights, among other causes."[^4] #### JSJR Coalition - The JSJR coalition is comprised of 32 member organizations and 35 partner organizations.[^1] - Listed below are JSJR affiliate organizations relevant to this project. - #### Member organizations - [[American Jewish World Service]] - [[Bend the Arc]] - [[Central Conference of American Rabbis]] - [[Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)]] - [[Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA)]] - [[Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA)]] - [[Jewish Council on Urban Affairs]] - [[Jews for Racial and Economic Justice]] - [[Jews United For Justice]] - [[Jewish Organizing Institute and Network]] - [[Keshet]] - [[National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW)]] - [[New Israel Fund]] - [[Rabbinical Assembly]] - [[Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC)]] - [[The Workers Circle]] - [[Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)]] - #### Partner Organizations - [[Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW]] - [[Jewish Labor Committee (JLC)]] - Marlene Meyerson [[JCC Association of North America|JCC]] Manhattan #### JSJR Positions (Resources) - As a coalitional organization, JSJR does not often explicitly take positions on political, social, and religious matters. - JSJR hosts a [Resources](https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/racial-justice-resources) page on its website which links to content from its affiliate organizations. - Provided on the Resources page are a number of publications and materials regarding "Racial Justice," "Jewish Justice," "Democracy," etc. - JSJR provides an educational publication by Repair the World titled "Jews and the Civil Rights Movement."[^7] - The publication highlights rabbi [[Abraham Joshua Heschel]], a prominent Jewish religious figure who took a leading role in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. - The publication states, "during the Civil Rights Movement, Jewish activists represented a disproportionate number of whites involved in the struggle." - The publication highlights a passage from "What Selma Means to the Jews," an article by Susannah Heschel, daughter of [[Abraham Joshua Heschel]]. - The passage states "our Jewish prophetic tradition came alive in the civil rights movement." - JSJR provides a Haggadah supplement to be used during the Passover Seder which likens Donald Trump's immigration enforcement policies to inhumane treatment of the Jews in Egypt by Pharoah.[^8] - After likening Trump to Pharoah, the piece from *T'ruah*, titled God’s Children: A Haggadah Supplement for Immigrant Justice, states "We ourselves must work to close these detention camps, bring the children and their parents home, and ensure that every child has a chance to grow up — safe and free." - The piece cites the Jewish legal text, the Talmud, to make its case. - JSJR provides a Haggadah supplement from [[Jews for Racial and Economic Justice]] titled "Black Lives Matter Haggadah Supplement."[^9] *JREJ capitalizes black and not white in this publication.* - The paper claims black people are the victims of "discriminatory and abusive policing." - The paper laments: "An African American male born in 2001 had a 32% chance of going to jail in his lifetime, while a Latino male has a 17% chance, and a white male only 6%." *Maybe JSJR should ask blacks why they commit all the crime.* - The paper continues "In the first 6 months of 2012 a Black person was killed by the police or other authorities every 36 hours." *Wow blacks must be dangerous.* - The paper provides a reworking of a Jewish religious ritual poem to be recited on Passover. The first of 15 stanzas reads: "If we had sparked a human rights revolution that would unite people all over the world and not followed our present day Nachshons as they help us part the sea of white supremacy and institutional racism" *Nachshon was a Biblical Jewish tribal leader interpreted by the rabbis to have initiated the parting of the Red Sea described in Exodus.* > [!info] Privilege Checklist > - JSJR provides a five part "Checklist on Privilege" from Urban Adamah.[^10] *I'm covering this one because I find it funny and insane. The sum of all the "privileges" below reveal the author's ideal citizen to be female, black, ugly, fat, poor, unprofessional, transsexual, and disabled. Anything else and you are unfairly privileged.* > - White privilege checklist: > - "I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented." > - "I can choose band-aids in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin." > - "I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race. > - "My communication style and habits are valued in my workplace as “normal,” “correct,” and “polite.”" > - "When I get pulled over by the police, I don’t fear for my life." > - "I don’t feel I need to talk to my children about racism in order to keep them alive." > - Able-Bodied privilege checklist: > - "I can turn on the television or open a magazine and see people of my physical ability well represented" > - "When I learn about history in school, people of my physical ability are well-represented." *These Jews cannot be serious* > - Male privilege checklist *Almost all content produced by left wing Jewish groups is done so by angry freakish Jewish women. This section is unusually obvious.* > - "I was not taught to fear walking alone after dark in public spaces." > - "If I choose not to have children, my masculinity will not be questioned." > - "I do not have to worry about the “gender wage gap,” that women earn only 45-77 cents for each dollar earned by white men in virtually every single occupation for which there is data." *Notice the Jewish subversive inclusion of white.* > - "If I have a partner who is a woman, chances are she’ll do most of the house work." > - "On average, I’m not interrupted by women as often as women are interrupted by men." > - Middle/upper class checklist > - "The neighborhoods I can move to, where I feel ‘at home,’ typically have better resourced schools." > - "People in politics appear to pay attention to my social class and mention “the middle class” often." > - "I can read recipes and purchase whatever ingredients or appliances they might call for." > - "I see something advertised that I really really want, I can usually buy it." > - "Whenever I’ve moved out of my home it’s been voluntary, and not due to eviction. I’ve had another place to go." > - Cisgender privilege checklist > - "I can use public restrooms without fear of verbal abuse, physical intimidation, or arrest." > - "I have the ability to not worry about being placed in a sex-segregated detention center, holding facility, jail or prison that is incongruent with my identity." > - "I don’t have to remind my extended family over and over to use proper gender pronouns." > - "I am not required to undergo an extensive psychological evaluation in order to receive basic medical care." - In 2013, the JSJR partnered with the [[Nathan Cummings Foundation]] to produce a 16 page booklet on Jewish social activism and organizing in the 20th century.[^6] - The booklet states: Jews and Jewish organizations helped to produce many of the most significant economic and social justice victories during the first decades of the 20th century. As the Jewish population swelled due to mass immigration before the 1920s, working class jews – many with radical politics – became a force in American life. The decades that followed saw a Jewish community increasingly committed to ending discrimination and combatting exploitation, often in partnership with non-Jewish allies." *JSJR acknowledges the open secret of "radical Jewish" involvement in left wing causes.* - The booklet celebrates Jewish involvement in the women's suffrage movement and the impact of Jewish women's organizations like [[Hadassah]] and the [[National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW)]]. - The JSJR continues: "From the birth of the Civil Rights Movement, Jews and Jewish organizations were at the forefront." - The booklet highlights Jewish involvement in the Civil Rights Movement through figures like [[Joachim Prinz]] and organizations like the [[Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC)]]. - [[Joachim Prinz]] led the [[American Jewish Congress]] from 1958-1966 and then chaired the [[Conference of Presidents]] from 1965-1967. - The booklet credits the legal work of the "[[American Jewish Congress]] in partnership with the [[NAACP]]" for "ending segregation and discrimination in housing." - The booklet boasts that when South African militant anti-white politician Nelson Mandela came to New York City in 1990, the [[Jews for Racial and Economic Justice]] (a JSJR member) was the only Jewish organization that received him. - The booklet laughably lauds Jewish activism in the 1980s against nuclear weapons proliferation. *At this time Israel, as one of the very few nations to not sign the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), had an extensive undeclared [[Israel and the Nuclear Bomb|nuclear weapons program]] and nuclear weapons stockpile.* - To this effect the booklet praises [[Alexander Schindler]] among other Jewish figures for their activism against nuclear buildup. - The booklet closes by celebrating Jewish activism on behalf of immigrants and gay marriage. - The booklet highlights the work of [[Keshet]] (a JSJR member) on behalf of LGBT issues. - Regarding immigration, the JSJR states: "In 2012, President Obama issued an order protecting many young undocumented immigrants from deportation, a move supported by most Jewish organizations. Relationships between immigrant and Jewish groups have been strengthened by years of partnership on campaigns to... fight the criminalization of undocumented status." *JSJR is correct that almost all Jewish organizations support mass illegal immigration. The "right wing" Jewish organizations that nominally don't (ZOA, IAC, ICC, Maccabee, SWU, StopAntisemitism, IHF, AIPAC, etc.) usually take no position on domestic social matters like immigration. Their claim to being right wing at all is mostly from proximity to the Republican party, and support for an armed and strong Israel.* #### Funding and Donors - In 2023, the following donors sponsored JSJR's annual Network Assembly.[^3] - Combined Jewish Philanthropies (name for Boston's [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)|Jewish Federation]]) - [[Crown Family Philanthropies]] - [[Jim Joseph Foundation]] - [[Samuel Bronfman]] Foundation - [[UJA-Federation of New York]] - According to an interview with JSJR director Abby Levine, other donors include: the [[Jacob Blaustein|Jacob]] and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, [[Nathan Cummings Foundation]], and the [[Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation]].[^4] #### Notable Figures *Unsurprisingly, all eight leadership figures listed on the [JSJR's website](https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/our-team1) are women.* - Abby Levine - First and only executive director from 2012-present.[^5] - Levine is a Senior [[Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation|Schusterman]] Fellow. - Levine was the "founding staff member" in San Francisco for [[Bend the Arc]]. - Rachel Gottfried-Clancy - Senior Director of Organizational Change and Culture. - Gottfried Clancy is a [[Wexner Foundation]] Field Fellow.[^5] #### References [^1]: “Affiliate List,” _Jewish Social Justice Roundtable_, [https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/affiliate-list](https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/affiliate-list). [^2]: “Mission,” _Jewish Social Justice Roundtable_, [https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/mission](https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/mission). [^3]: “JSJR Network Assembly November 14-16,” _Jewish Social Justice Roundtable_, 2023, [https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/na2023-learnmore#:~:text=to%20the%20following-,donors,-who%20are%20sponsoring](https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/na2023-learnmore#:~:text=to%20the%20following-,donors,-who%20are%20sponsoring). *Lists donors near the bottom of the page.* [^4]: Helen Chernikoff, “Growing the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable,” _eJewishPhilanthropy_, June 7, 2021, [https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/growing-the-jewish-social-justice-roundtable/](https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/growing-the-jewish-social-justice-roundtable/). [^5]: “Team,” _Jewish Social Justice Roundtable_, [https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/our-team1](https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/our-team1). [^6]: Nathan Cummings Foundation and Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, _Jewish Social Change in the 21st Century_ (2013), [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f1edc98b405c17b90c5b266/t/5fb81539e3862628488bc4bd/1605899580711/Jewish+Social+Change+in+21+Century+booklet.pdf](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f1edc98b405c17b90c5b266/t/5fb81539e3862628488bc4bd/1605899580711/Jewish+Social+Change+in+21+Century+booklet.pdf). [^7]: Repair the World, _Jews and the Civil Rights Movement_, [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f1edc98b405c17b90c5b266/t/61676d9f61f61b0e0cfe621a/1634168224757/Jews+and+The+Civil+Rights+Movement.pdf](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f1edc98b405c17b90c5b266/t/61676d9f61f61b0e0cfe621a/1634168224757/Jews+and+The+Civil+Rights+Movement.pdf). [^8]: T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, _God’s Children: A Haggadah Supplement for Immigrant Justice_ (2026), [https://truah.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gods-Children-A-Haggadah-Supplement-for-Immigrant-Justice.pdf](https://truah.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Gods-Children-A-Haggadah-Supplement-for-Immigrant-Justice.pdf). [^9]: Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, _Black Lives Matter Haggadah Supplement (Extended Edition)_, [https://jfrej-web-assets.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/JFREJ_BLM_Haggadah_Extended.pdf](https://jfrej-web-assets.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/JFREJ_BLM_Haggadah_Extended.pdf). [^10]: Chloe Zelkha, “Checklists on Privilege,” _Urban Adamah_, [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f1edc98b405c17b90c5b266/t/5fb7feed67af615e94ebb7d6/1605893872354/Checklists+on+privilege+2017-06-09.pdf](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f1edc98b405c17b90c5b266/t/5fb7feed67af615e94ebb7d6/1605893872354/Checklists+on+privilege+2017-06-09.pdf).