JCRC Bay Area

The largest collective voice of Bay Area Jews, working in pursuit of a more just world where Jewish identity is embraced and all people thrive.

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

JCRC at the @jfederations General Assembly!

Our team spent the past few days in Washington, D.C. with more than 2,500 Jewish leaders, policy experts, and advocates from across North America. A few highlights from the trip:

• JCRC CEO @tyegregory spoke on a panel about fighting BDS in local government
• We met with @repkevinmullin (CA-15) on Capitol Hill
• JCRC Chief Community Relations Officer Laura Cherner interviewed political consultant @karlrove on addressing right-wing antisemitism
• We connected with Rep.-Elect @scott_wiener and CA Assemblymember @asmjessegabriel at the CA Jewish Caucus reception
• Tye spoke on a JCRC Directors Association panel on Jewish political engagement and advocacy

A very successful week in Washington, D.C.!

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

LEAVE ROSS ALONE ❤️‍🔥

[Hen Mazzig @HenMazzig]

David Schwimmer was featured in an ad for a clothing brand, and if you think the comments were normal, I'm sorry to say that's not the timeline we are living in anymore.

While some may have enjoyed Schwimmer wearing his iconic red sweater again, most commentators were furious that Quince would partner with a Jew-sorry, "Zionist."

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

To every veteran in our community: thank you for your service and sacrifice.

JCRC is grateful for you today and always. 🇺🇸

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

Congratulations to the following Bay Area Network of Jewish Officials (BANJO) members on their reelection! 🎉

• @elihbeckman - Corte Madera Town Council
• Evan Branning - Livermore City Council District 1
• David Koss - Belmont-Redwood Shores School Board
• @maryahudson - Napa City Council District 3
• @jodimuirhead - Santa Clara Unified School Board Area 6
• Igor Tregub - Berkeley City Council District 4

We’re proud of these elected officials for securing another term and wish them the best of luck as they lead their communities. We look forward to continuing our work together!

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

Amid rising antisemitism, every member of our Bay Area Network of Jewish Officials (BANJO) seeking reelection won this year. 👏

That is huge.

Jews across the region are stepping up to run for elected office, and voters are putting their trust in them to help shape the Bay Area’s future.

[Bay Area Jewish Action @BAjewishaction]

Jewish leaders are stepping up, and voters are electing them.

As BAJA Managing Director Jonathan Mintzer shared in our post-election briefing, every member of @sfjcrc's Bay Area Network of Jewish Officials (BANJO) seeking reelection won. At least a dozen new Jewish elected officials are also stepping into office across the Bay Area.

Even amid rising antisemitism, our community is showing up to help shape the Bay Area's future.

🔗 Watch the full briefing with BAJA, @jewish_cal, and @thejcpa: https://t.co/3QU5lXYn9N

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

Not so sweet, Sinwar. 🤔

The owner of Oakland’s Jerusalem Coffee House, known for its “Sweet Sinwar” and “Iced In Tea Fada” drinks, has been ordered to pay $59K for violating at least six court orders during the pretrial exchange of evidence.

The business faces three lawsuits related to civil rights violations of Jewish customers. The case is ongoing and the payment order is not a determination of any final outcome.

https://t.co/VNsa1Y7OKq

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

As Diwali begins this weekend, JCRC wishes all who celebrate a Happy Diwali! 🪔✨

As Jews, we recognize the shared joy of gathering with loved ones to kindle light. From Diwali’s diyas to Hanukkah’s menorahs, both festivals remind us of the power of hope to overcome darkness.

[Tyler Harris Gregory 🇺🇸🏳️‍🌈🇮🇱 @TyeGregory]

Congrats to our LA friends @GoldsmithB and @RickChavezZbur — the Jewish caucus is in good hands!

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

On Monday, JCRC welcomed @mdarawshe, one of Israel’s leading experts on Jewish-Arab relations and Director of Strategy at @givathaviva, for a special discussion with Laura Cherner, JCRC’s Chief Community Relations Officer, on building a shared society in Israel.

Thank you to JCRC supporters Carey Hagglund Condy and Jonathan Lack, Executive Director of Friends of Givat Haviva, for hosting, and to the friends and community members who joined us.

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

JCRC's partnership with @Scott_Wiener spans years of work together in San Francisco and Sacramento to advocate on legislation, strengthen Jewish life, confront antisemitism and support our broader community.

As a leader of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, Scott helped advance shared priorities, including nonprofit security funding and SB 1287’s protections against harassment on college campuses. He also served as a principal co-author of AB 715, California’s landmark law addressing antisemitism in K–12 schools.

Reflecting the Jewish value of welcoming the stranger, JCRC also backed Scott’s SB 85 to expand case management services for refugees rebuilding their lives in California.

A member of JCRC’s Bay Area Network of Jewish Officials (BANJO), Scott shares our commitment to a more just and inclusive Bay Area. We’re grateful for our longstanding partnership and look forward to continuing that work as he heads to Washington.

Mazel tov!

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

Mazel tov Rep.-Elect @Scott_Wiener! ✅🎉

We’re grateful for our years of work together to strengthen our community and look forward to continuing that partnership as you join Congress.

[Senator Scott Wiener @Scott_Wiener]

Thank you, San Francisco. I’m deeply grateful for the trust voters have placed in me, and I’m ready to get to work for you.

I want to thank Supervisor Connie Chan for a spirited and hard-fought campaign. We’ve had our disagreements, but we share a deep love for San Francisco and for our country. And thank you to our incredible campaign team, to every volunteer who walked precincts or made calls, to everyone who donated, hosted a house party, or put up a window sign, and to the labor unions, the environmental, housing, LGBTQ, and progressive organizations, the Democratic Party, and the elected officials who stood with us every step of the way. You turned this campaign into a movement.

I’m humbled to carry forward the powerful legacy of this seat — Phil Burton, Sala Burton, and the greatest Speaker in modern American history, Nancy Pelosi. Speaker Pelosi came to Congress to fight AIDS when too many wanted to look away, and she never stopped fighting for our city and our country. Madame Speaker, thank you.

This victory is also historic. For the first time ever, San Francisco will be represented in Congress by an LGBTQ person — indeed, no LGBTQ member of the House has ever represented any part of Northern California. When I stepped off the escalator at Castro Muni Station in 1997 and fell head over heels for this city, I could never have imagined this honor. 

San Franciscans voted for results, and we have so much work ahead: Building the millions of homes we need; moving toward true universal health care; investing in clean energy, public transit, and high-speed rail; standing up for science, education, and immigrants; making sure people — not massive corporations — decide what works for this country, including on AI; and ensuring the rule of law applies to everyone, including the President.

It won’t be easy. But on Election Day, voters across the country delivered a powerful mandate for Democrats in Congress. I’m deeply inspired by the trust they placed in us to take big swings to lower the cost of living, stop the endless wars, hold Trump and his cronies accountable for their corruption, and rein in the threat of artificial intelligence. In Washington I’ll bring the same determination I showed in Sacramento every single day.

It’s time to deliver a better tomorrow for our city and our country.

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

Reporting live from right outside our office...

GO @VALKYRIES! 💜⚔️

[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

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

“Democracy requires disagreement. It should never require fear.”

In a @BerkeleyScanner guest essay, 11 current and former elected officials, including JCRC friends @JesseArreguin, @TaplinTerry and @SophieHahnBerk, condemn the political harassment and death threats faced by Jewish Councilmember Igor Tregub.

Thank you to the leaders who joined together on this statement.

[The Berkeley Scanner @BerkeleyScanner]

In today's guest essay, 11 current and former Berkeley elected officials condemn political intimidation and harassment. MORE: https://t.co/DimCopgZNK

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

On Sunday, JCRC joined @jewtinayco to host a booth at Oakland’s Día de los Muertos Festival, where more than 100,000 people gathered to honor loved ones and celebrate the Day of the Dead.

We loved sharing Jewish and Latino traditions, which included many connections between our cultures, and getting to know the community members who stopped by our booth.

Thank you to the organizers and our partners for bringing this celebration to life. We’re looking forward to the next!

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

To be sure money in politics is a legitimate subject for debate. Candidates can speak forcefully without stigmatizing Jewish or pro-Israel participation through specificity, accuracy, and consistency. Read more:
https://t.co/VS7aloQC3l

[JCRC Bay Area @SFJCRC]

JCRC Bay Area Statement: Antisemitic Imagery in the Santa Cruz Mayoral Race

Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Ami Chen Mills acknowledged the harm caused by campaign imagery (the yard sign below) depicting men in apparent Jewish religious attire worshiping a golden calf. This imagery – especially in the context of “corporate greed” – evoked longstanding antisemitic tropes associating Jews with money and power. This could easily be perceived as intentionally derogatory towards Jews. We appreciate her acknowledging that the sign was offensive and hope she takes greater accountability for rhetoric that crosses the line into antisemitism.

Antisemitic stereotypes and rhetoric have no place in political discourse. We encourage candidates to read and familiarize themselves with JCRC’s rhetoric guide – which includes terms all too often bandied on social media without understanding their import or impact: https://t.co/gnprxFgQoP.