While claiming to conduct a “survey” of Bay Area Jewish community members, JCRC censored comments from Jewish mothers who expressed that they feel JCRC does not represent them.
JCRC created the firestorm over email and Instagram by attacking people who voted for President Trump, implying that they oppose “Jewish safety and values” and that they have created a “more challenging environment.” Without acknowledging the administration’s apparent support for Israel, JCRC warned that it may need to collaborate with anti-Israel groups to advance its domestic agenda, which includes same-sex marriage, immigrant protections, and reproductive rights.
JCRC claims to represent all Jews in the Bay Area, yet it demonizes over 50% of American voters who did not support its preferred candidate. This approach is divisive rather than unifying. Instead, the most straightforward strategy is to form a “big tent” coalition of all Jews who love Israel. We need to keep our priorities in perspective and offending potential Jewish allies does not make sense. Should we be dragged into this progressive war, or stay focused on our most important shared goals?
Many Jewish people voted overwhelmingly for Trump on pro-Israel grounds. Orthodox Jews as a whole voted decidedly for Trump. Others appreciate the pro-Israel moves President Trump makes and believe that a case by case analysis of each of Trump’s actions is justified. Rather than forming a broad coalition, JCRC seems more focused on criticizing fellow Jews who differ with it on secondary domestic issues. But these ad hominem attacks against their fellow Jews are offensive, have no merit, and only divide our community.
Community members rushed to Instagram to express outrage at JCRC’s “tone deaf” statement.
But JCRC fought back by censoring the criticism on Instagram. Jewish Legal News, however, was able to obtain three screenshots prior to JCRC’s deletion of the comments. Since JCRC censored these comments from Jewish parents, we must reiterate their ideas here to ensure their voices are not erased.
The censored posts could be categorized as Jewish community members’ dissatisfaction with several of JCRC’s policies, such as:
- JCRC’s support for Ethnic Studies, which has contributed to antisemitism;
- JCRC’s opposition to adopting the IHRA definition as the standard for defining antisemitism;
- JCRC prioritizing progressive values above advocating for Jews and Israel;
- JCRC claiming to represent all Bay Area Jews while censoring non-progressives.
The text of the censored comments is reprinted here:
One of the Jewish moms whose post JCRC deleted said: “Allyship above the Jewish community’s own safety is a failing strategy. Ethnic studies, promoted by your own CEO has been a disaster, all in the name of allyship. Ignoring the community’s ask for IHRA to prioritize the legislature’s political agenda of appeasing antisemities is also an epic failure of strategy. This letter is tone deaf and most importantly lost sight of the Jewish lessons and values of the Torah that you’re supposed to be rooted in. For now, all you’re doing is dividing a once cohesive community.”
Another community member who was censored wrote: “Once again it seems like the JCRC is out of touch with the entirety of the Bay Area Jewish community. This post is divisive and seeks to wash out the moderates and Republicans and even some democrats that voted for Trump out here – which there are many. It seems the CEO and board president only seek to serve their personal political agenda instead of bringing the community together. Bay Area JCRC only serves some Jews, not all.”
The third censored comment was: “Why don’t you ask Bay Area Jewish Community how we actually view JCRC?! You failed us and you continue to fail us. How did your DNA of 78 years building coalitions work out for us when after October 7th we learned that our so called “allies” that we thought we had, are our worst enemies. You continue to put our kids in danger by not advocating for the IHRA definition to be accepted at a state level. We, parents, through grassroots efforts and activism accomplish more in the fight to remove bs anti-Israel and anti-Jewish curriculum in our schools and yet you supposedly represent us?! You should be fighting this! PROACTIVELY! What have you been doing for the last 30 years? Supporting orgs that dropped us in a second. You don’t realize you are making it a lot worse for our kids. Enough is enough!”
At the same time it was censoring feedback from community members, JCRC was conducting a survey titled “Bay Area Jewish Identity.” According to its website, JCRC Bay Area sought “800 Bay Area residents who identify in some way as Jewish between November 26 and December 9, 2024.”
Will the JCRC survey acknowledge this widespread dissatisfaction, or will it be censored as well?
