This has been an intense week for all of us who love New York City. We need to acknowledge that many in our community are fearful over the Democratic primary results. But ours is not a monolithic community, never has been.
More important, the New York Jewish community has always been strong and resilient. That will never change.
It’s also worth noting that many political pundits and pollsters agree that Tuesday’s results are not a referendum on Jews or Israel, but rather reflective of an electorate much more focused on New York-centric issues.
While there are certainly unknowns ahead, we do know this: In so many ways, New York is New York because of our community. And we will always wear our New Yorkness with great pride and a sense of responsibility not just for ourselves, but for the neighbors who share our streets and stoops and workspaces.
As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, UJA is not a political organization; we focus on policy, not politics. And we’ve always used our nonpartisan convening power to draw people together across political divides, acting as a megaphone, advocating — forcefully and unapologetically — for our community’s needs, for Israel, and for all New Yorkers.
This role has never been more important.
It’s why I spent two days this week in Washington, D.C. with more than 400 leaders from 100 Jewish communities and over 50 national organizations, together representing 7.5 million American Jews, advocating for increased government funding for Jewish communal security. I met with leaders on Capitol Hill and at the White House.
We spoke about increasing funding for the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program — currently set at $335 million by the House Appropriations Committee — to at least $500 million, recognizing that in this moment, living proudly and openly as Jews requires rigorous security measures.
Last year, almost half of security grant applications were not taken up because of inadequate funds. That’s unacceptable for any one of us who now enters a synagogue, a JCC, or other Jewish space, and, just in case, instinctively scouts out the nearest exit.
And beyond security for Jewish facilities, the firebombing in Boulder was a stark reminder that visibly Jewish individuals need protection outside communal spaces too.
To that end, we also advocated for expanding FBI resources to combat terrorism, strengthening regulations on social media platforms to curb hate speech and incitement, and enforcing and prosecuting existing hate crime laws — urgent issues that transcend political difference.
This trip wasn’t a one-off; advocating on federal, state, and local levels is very much part of UJA’s work. We don’t wait until the next crisis hits to build relationships with elected officials. We’re there before, during, and after.
That advocacy is how we’ve helped secure critical funding for Holocaust survivors and other vulnerable populations who depend on our care. We’re also now closely monitoring proposed federal cuts to important social services here in New York.
That’s all to say, we are not powerless or voiceless. And we never will be.
We’ll speak out on key issues, loudly and proudly, and we’ll keep working to build common ground with those who share our views, and those who don’t.
It is the Jewish thing to do. And the New York thing to do. And both are who we are.
Shabbat shalom
P.S. You don’t have to go to D.C. to be heard. Through UJA Action, our advocacy mobilization effort, you can support increased nonprofit security funding. We’ve made it easy to contact your representatives and urge you to do so.