October 17, 2023

Media Contact:

jcpa@westendstrategy.com

Over 100 Jewish Groups Unequivocally Reject

Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate

At a Moment of Rising Hate and Bigotry, a Statement Organized by JCPA Underscores the Urgency of Fighting Hate Against

Muslim, Arab, and Jewish Americans:

“All of Our Communities’ Safety and Futures are Inextricably Linked”

In the wake of the attack in which a six-year-old Muslim boy was murdered and his mother critically injured by a man who targeted them because of their faith and the Israel/Hamas war, over 100 Jewish groups released a statement today condemning the attack and rejecting any effort to exploit the situation in Israel and Gaza to spread hate and bigotry.

The statement, which was organized by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and signed by 118 national and local groups, explicitly rejects “Islamophobia, anti-Arab hate, antisemitism, and all forms of bigotry”:

“We stand in solidarity with all our neighbors under threat, and urge our elected and civic leaders, law enforcement, schools and universities, and employers to make clear there will be zero tolerance for any act of hate.”

“As Jewish leaders, we want to be very clear: we unequivocally reject those targeting our Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian American neighbors with bigotry, threats, and violence,” said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). “This is a moment of profound pain for our community – and we refuse to allow some to exploit that pain as an excuse to spread bigotry or extremism of any kind. Our communities’ safety is inextricably linked, and only by coming together and calling it out can we defeat the forces of hate and violence.”

You can read the full text of the statement here and below:

Since Hamas’ terror attacks in Israel on October 7th, we’ve seen bigots and extremists exploit the crisis to spread hate, disinformation, and extremism.

This is a moment of deep Jewish pain, mourning the lives taken and praying for the safe release of the hostages in Gaza – and this pain and fear is compounded by a horrific rise in antisemitism here in the United States and around the globe.

We also know that we are not the only ones being targeted in this moment. Our Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian American neighbors are facing bigotry, threats, and violence – including the despicable murder of a six-year-old child this weekend outside Chicago, by a man who reportedly espoused anti-Muslim hate.

Let us be unequivocally clear: The Jewish community rejects Islamophobia, anti-Arab hate, antisemitism, and all forms of bigotry. Particularly as extremists continue to exploit this moment, we are reminded that all of our communities’ safety and futures are inextricably linked — and recommit ourselves to fighting hate in all its forms.

We stand in solidarity with all our neighbors under threat, and urge our elected and civic leaders, law enforcement, schools and universities, and employers to make clear there will be zero tolerance for any act of hate.

American Jewish Committee

Americans for Peace Now

Bend the Arc: Jewish Action

Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America

HIAS

J Street

Jewish Labor Committee

Jewish on Campus

Jewish Women International (JWI)

Jewtina y Co.

Keshet

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

National Association of Jewish Legislators

National Council of Jewish Women

National Education Association’s Jewish Affairs Caucus

Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies

Rabbinical Assembly

Reconstructing Judaism

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

The Workers Circle

Tree of Life Center

T’ruah

Union for Reform Judaism

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Association of Jewish Administrators of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators

Atlanta Jews of Color Council

Baltimore Jewish Council

Bnai Keshet

Charleston Jewish Federation

Chicago JCRC

Chicago Jewish Labor Committee

Cincinnati Jewish Community Relations Council

Coastal Roots Farm

Congregation Bet Haverim

the Den Collective

Detroit JCRC/AJC

Educator’s Chapter of the Jewish Labor Committee

Greensboro Jewish Federation

Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council

JCRC Bay Area

JCRC of Greater Charleston

JCRC of Greater Washington

JCRC of Jewish Silicon Valley

JCRC of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation

JCRC of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio

Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island

Jewish Committee, New York State Public Employees Federation

Jewish Community Action

Jewish Community Center and Federation of Augusta

Jewish Community Relations Committee of Northern New Jersey

Jewish Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond

Jewish Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey

Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta

Jewish Community Relations Council of Broward County

Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston

Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Hartford

Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater New Haven

Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix

Jewish Community Relations Council of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, NJ

Jewish Community Relations Council of Jewish Federation of Springfield, IL

Jewish Community Relations Council of Louisville

Jewish Community Relations Council of Milwaukee

Jewish Federation Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas

Jewish Community Relations Council of New York

Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis

Jewish Community Relations Council of the Birmingham Jewish Federation

Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle

Jewish Community Relations Council of the Sacramento Region

Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

Jewish Council on Urban Affairs

Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

Jewish Federation of Delaware/JCRC

Jewish Federation of Dutchess County

Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne

Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta

Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford

Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh

Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo

Jewish Federation of Lane County

Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks

Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey

Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass

Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region

Jewish Federation of Tulsa

Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts

Jewish Heritage Committee, District Council 37, AFSCME

Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ)

Jews United for Justice

jGirls+ Magazine

Kesher Pittsburgh

Levine Center to End Hate, Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester

Memphis Jewish Federation

Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation

Milwaukee Jewish Federation

Mishkan Chicago

Mitsui Collective

New England Jewish Labor Committee

New Jersey Jewish Labor Committee

New York Jewish Agenda

Philadelphia Jewish Labor Committee

SAJ – Judaism that Stands for All

Springfield Jewish Community Center

Tampa JCCs & Federation

Tikkun Chant Circle

Tzedek Georgia

United Hebrew Trades – New York Jewish Labor Committee

United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula

Westchester Jewish Council

Youngstown Area Jewish Federation