What Percent of California Is Jewish? 3% (1.2 Million)
About 1.2 million Jewish people live in California, roughly 3% of the state. See the metro breakdown, historical trends, and why the numbers matter.
Staff Writer · August 3, 2026
Category
Jewish Organizations
The institutions shaping American Jewish policy and advocacy.
8 articles
American Jewish life runs through a dense network of federations, defense agencies, and advocacy groups — the JCPA, ADL, AJC, federations, and dozens of national organizations. This section covers their leadership, legal exposure, coalition politics, and the internal debates that shape communal responses to antisemitism and Israel.
Articles
Who Really Runs Bay Area Jewish Advocacy? Federation, JCRC, BAJC, and BACCA
The Bay Area's Jewish advocacy landscape looks like a mix of establishment institutions and grassroots activists. In practice, it's one federation network operating at two speeds — with the JCRC on the coalition track and BAJC and BACCA on the more aggressive one.
Staff Writer · July 17, 2026
Amy Spitalnick's Charlottesville Lawsuit: Integrity First for America, Explained
Before running the JCPA, Amy Spitalnick led Integrity First for America — the nonprofit that funded Sines v. Kessler, the landmark civil suit that bankrupted the organizers of the deadly 2017 Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally.
Staff Writer · July 16, 2026
Who Is Ari Kohen? Profile of the Nebraska Human Rights Scholar
Ari Kohen is a University of Nebraska–Lincoln political science professor who directs the Forsythe Family Program on Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs.
Staff Writer · July 15, 2026
What Is the JCPA? The Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Explained
A plain-English guide to the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA): what it does, its history, its structure, and why it's back in the news under CEO Amy Spitalnick.
Staff Writer · July 15, 2026
Who Is Tye Gregory? Profile of the JCRC Bay Area CEO
Tye Gregory is the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Bay Area (JCRC Bay Area). A profile of his tenure, the JCRC's role in California ethnic studies fights, and the controversies over free speech and progressive coalition politics.
Staff Writer · July 15, 2026
Who Is Amy Spitalnick? Profile of the JCPA CEO
Amy Spitalnick is the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. A profile of her career from Integrity First for America and J Street to JCPA, her media presence, and the AOC-AIPAC controversy.
Staff Writer · July 11, 2026
Boston Jews Outraged by JCRC's Weak Support for Jewish Self Defense
JCRC Boston’s Tweet thanking the District Attorney who appeared to take sides against a pro-Israel protester and Iraq War Veteran sparked outrage and criticism from Boston Jews on Friday, leading to JCRC deleting the Tweet and posting a…
Staff Writer · September 13, 2024
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Read Part 1: "Out of Touch" JCRC Censors Jewish Moms' Feedback Part 1 reported that JCRC recently censored at least three Jewish moms' Instagram comments that criticized JCRC's policies, while at the same time claiming to conduct a…
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"Out of Touch" JCRC Censors Jewish Moms' Feedback
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…
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