Jewish California (formerly JPAC)

The nation's largest statewide coalition of Jewish organizations, advocating for Jewish communal issues and values in Sacramento. Repping over 40 Jewish orgs

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

About last night… You have questions about the election results. So do we.

Join us this Friday, November 6, at 12:00 p.m. PT as JCRC’s sister organization, @bajewishaction (BAJA), teams up with @jewish_cal and @thejcpa to unpack what the results mean for the Jewish community.

We’ll break down local, state, and federal results, share key takeaways, and discuss what comes next for Jewish political representation and public policy, including how our community can take action.

Featuring:
• @davidbocarsly, CEO, Jewish California
• Jonathan Mintzer, Managing Director, BAJA
• @amyspitalnick, CEO, JCPA
• Moderator: @tyegregory, Executive Director, BAJA

🔗 REGISTER: https://t.co/POIIQjMNfs

[Bay Area Jewish Action @BAjewishaction]

What will the midterm election results mean for the Jewish community?

On November 6, join Bay Area Jewish Action (BAJA), @jewish_cal, and the @theJCPA for a special post-election webinar.

We’ll break down local, state, and federal results, share key takeaways, and discuss what comes next for Jewish political representation and public policy, including how our community can take action.

Featuring:
• @davidbocarsly, CEO, Jewish California
• Jonathan Mintzer, Managing Director, BAJA
• @amyspitalnick, CEO, JCPA
• Moderator: @tyegregory, Executive Director, BAJA

🔗 REGISTER: https://t.co/I5UtPRkezn

[Northern California AJC @AJCNorCal]

Two New Laws Advance Security for California’s Diverse Communities
@CAgovernor @BauerKahan @AsmJesseGabriel @SFJCRC @ADL @JFedLA @Jewish_Cal @CAJewishCaucus

[Jewish California (formerly JPAC) @Jewish_Cal]

See how your lawmaker voted: https://t.co/kvrO0NfS8q

[Jewish California (formerly JPAC) @Jewish_Cal]

Six for six. Every bill Jewish California sponsored this year was signed into law.

Our 2026 Legislative Scorecard shows how every California legislator voted on the issues that matter to our community: https://t.co/AnjR7POR4z

[Jewish California (formerly JPAC) @Jewish_Cal]

50 legislators earned a 100% score.

Thank them: https://t.co/LdokFx4yw1

Many others stood with us on most of our priorities and have room to grow, and we welcome the chance to work with them.

[Brad Pomerance @bradpomerance]

Is Judaism a Religion or an Ethnicity? (California Just Weighed In)

If two-thirds of Jewish Americans view their Jewish identity through culture or ancestry rather than religion, why do government agencies only track Judaism as a faith or religion?

In this episode of Can You Believe?, host Brad Pomerance sits down with @davidbocarsly, Executive Director of Jewish California, to discuss the historic, unanimous passage of California Senate Bill 1387. California has officially become the first state in the nation to recognize Judaism as an ethnic and ancestral category in state data collection.

David addresses the real concerns surrounding government lists of Jewish people, explains how this ethnic data may unlock vital funding opportunities for Jewish social services and medical research, and shares Jewish California's vision to expand this groundbreaking model to the other 49 states as well as the federal government. @JewishLifeTV

Watch it here: https://t.co/ZGcifrqTyL
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For all episodes & podcast platforms: https://t.co/15rpemKDKu⁠ Subscribe and rate 5 stars! ⁠
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#podcast #jewishpodcast

[Jewish California (formerly JPAC) @Jewish_Cal]

✍️ Governor Newsom just signed AB 1763 (Lee) into law!

California students will now get a guaranteed excused absence for a religious holiday – rather than requiring principal approval – aligning it with standards for illness, mental health, and cultural or civic events.

Thank you to Governor Newsom, Assemblymember Lee, and the 59 Jewish organizations in support for standing up for every student’s right to observe their faith. #JewishCalifornia

[Jewish California (formerly JPAC) @Jewish_Cal]

✍️ Governor Newsom just signed AB 395 (Gabriel), making it California law!

K-12 schools, colleges, and state agencies must now avoid scheduling major events on religious holidays – and the state has officially recognized Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover, and other faiths’ holidays in law for the first time.

Thank you to Governor Newsom, Assemblymember Gabriel, and the 62 Jewish organizations for seeing this through. #JewishCalifornia

[Jewish California (formerly JPAC) @Jewish_Cal]

✍️ HISTORY MADE: SB 1387 (Stern) is now California law.

Governor Newsom just signed our bill to make California the first state in the nation to recognize Jewish identity as an ethnicity in law.

Hate crime, health, poverty and education data will count Jewish Californians, and we'll be seen as the diverse, complex people we are.

Learn more: https://t.co/d4nwsJf6rb

#JewishCalifornia

[Jewish California (formerly JPAC) @Jewish_Cal]

✍️Governor Newsom just signed AB 1853 (Pellerin, Berman) into law!

California can now ensure hateful content doesn’t appear in official voter guides. Thank you to Governor Newsom, Assemblymember Pellerin, Assemblymember Berman, and the 54 Jewish organizations in support for helping to make this law. #JewishCalifornia

[Jewish California (formerly JPAC) @Jewish_Cal]

✍️ Governor Newsom invited Jewish Caucus and Jewish California leaders to stand alongside him as he signed two landmark bills into law at the historic Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles.

AB 2664 (Bauer-Kahan), the Safe Worship Zone Act, protects congregants of every faith from harassment and intimidation outside their houses of worship, while safeguarding protest rights.

AB 1836 (Gabriel) expands nonprofit security grants to cover events in public spaces – menorah lightings, festivals, Pride celebrations, and more.

Standing in a sanctuary that has both opened its arms to the local community for over a century yet was victim to a hateful protest barring people from entry just this past year, it was a powerful reminder of why this work matters: every Californian deserves to gather and pray without fear.

Thank you to Governor Newsom, Assemblymembers Bauer-Kahan and Gabriel, our co-sponsors at ADL, JCRC Bay Area, Jewish Federation LA, and Equality California, and the dozens of organizations across faiths who got these bills across the finish line. #JewishCalifornia

[Jewish California (formerly JPAC) @Jewish_Cal]

Earlier this year, Rabbi Joel Nickerson gave powerful testimony to a key Assembly committee about the need for Safe Worship Zones. Because of his voice and nearly a thousand others who traveled to Sacramento to lobby state lawmakers, AB 2664 now sits on the Governor's desk.

Rabbi Nickerson shared about the power of raising your voice in Sacramento over Rosh Hashanah this year. Watch his remarks 👇

And then mark your calendars for May 3-4, 2027 to be in Sacramento with Rabbi Nickerson, Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and Jewish community members and allies from across California for #JewishCalifornia #CapitolSummit!

[Jewish California (formerly JPAC) @Jewish_Cal]

🔥 MUST WATCH 🔥

Don't miss this deeply inspiring Rosh Hashanah sermon from Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin of @oaklandsinai – highlighting the Jewish people's resilience from the time of Joseph to today – and how engagement with #JewishCalifornia is a modern manifestation of that resilience

Full video at https://t.co/qazjTN9j4k

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

MAJOR WIN: We are only one signature away from SB 1387 becoming law!

Thank you @SenHenryStern and @Jewish_Cal for making this historic bill possible.

[Jewish California (formerly JPAC) @Jewish_Cal]

🚨 HISTORIC: The CA Legislature just passed SB 1387 (Stern)! The bill passed the Assembly 62-0, with 17 abstentions, and the Senate 38-0, with 2 abstentions.

California is now on the verge of becoming the first state in the nation to recognize Jewish identity as an ethnicity in law. Thank you to Senator Stern for authoring this bill.

The bill now heads to Governor Newsom, who has until September 30 to sign it into law. #JewishCalifornia