Over 150 Jewish Groups Unequivocally Reject Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate

For Immediate Release
October 17, 2023

Media Contact:
jcpa@westendstrategy.com

At a Moment of Rising Hate and Bigotry, Statement Organized by JCPA Underscores 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 150 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 162 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.

Jewish Council for Public Affairs 

Adamah
A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy
Ameinu
American Jewish Committee

Americans for Peace Now

Anti-Defamation League
Avodah
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Cultural and Secular Jewish Organization
Democratic Majority for Israel
Derekh
Hadar

Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America

HIAS

Israel Policy Forum
J Street

Jewish Democratic Council of America
Jewish Labor Committee

Jewish on Campus
Jewish War Veterans (JWV)

Jewish Women International (JWI)

Jewtina y Co.

KHAZBAR
Keshet
L’chaim! Jews Against the Death Penalty

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Moving Traditions

National Association of Jewish Legislators

National Council of Jewish Women

National Education Association’s Jewish Affairs Caucus
National Ladies Auxiliary of the Jewish War Veterans

National Museum of American Jewish Military History
Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies

New Israel Fund (NIF)
Rabbinical Assembly 

Reconstructing Judaism 

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

Resetting the Table
The Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies
The Jewish Education Project
The Shalom Center
The Workers Circle

Tree of Life Center

T’ruah

Union for Reform Judaism 

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Women’s League for Conservative Judaism
Zioness Movement

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

Atlanta Jewish Film Society
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
Coastside Jewish Community

Congregation Bet Haverim

Congregation Beth David
Congregation Rodeph Shalom, Philadelphia
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 for Tucson & Southern Arizona and the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center

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 for Law and Social Action
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 Federation of the Mohawk Valley

Jewish Community of Amherst
Jewish Community Relations Bureau| AJC Kansas City
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 Mercer County, New Jersey  

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 Palm Beach County
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 Detroit

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 Dayton

Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford

Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville
Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh

Jewish Federation of Greater Portland
Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo
Jewish Federation of Howard County

Jewish Federation of Lane County

Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks

Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York
Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey

Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass

Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region
Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley

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

Mt. Sinai Health Foundation, Cleveland
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
The Well

Tikkun Chant Circle
Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center

Tzedek Georgia

United Hebrew Trades – New York Jewish Labor Committee

United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula

Westchester Jewish Council

Youngstown Area Jewish Federation