eJewishPhilanthropy: JCPA’s ‘engagement approach’ scores wins with teachers’ unions

JCPA’s work to build constructive partnerships with both national teachers’ unions was recently featured in eJewishPhilanthropy, highlighting our unique approach to confronting antisemitism through relationship-building, sustained engagement, and shared solutions.

By Judah Ari Gross
Originally published by eJewishPhilanthropy

In the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attacks and the war against Hamas in Gaza, as some organizations, institutions and movements have become increasingly anti-Zionist and alienating for Jews, two distinct approaches have emerged in response: one called out their leaders and, in some cases, cut all ties with them; the other engaged with them, encouraging them to see the error of their ways.

That latter strategy scored a victory this month, getting the National Education Association — the country’s largest labor union — to adopt rules ahead of its convention last week to prevent a repeat of last year’s event, in which members voted to cut all ties with the Anti-Defamation League, preventing the union from using the group’s resources on antisemitism and Holocaust education. (That resolution was ultimately not adopted by the union, after its executive committee rejected it.)

In addition to preventing measures that would alienate Jewish members, at this year’s convention, members also passed resolutions that were “good for the Jews,” including one that recognized Jews as a protected ethnic minority, according to Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which worked closely with NEA and its Jewish caucus over the past year and spearheaded the effort to change the rules and pass the new resolutions.

“We need to offer solutions that incentivize and help leaders do the right thing,” Spitalnick told eJewishPhilanthropy this week.