Reflection from Jeff Luckman, Chair of Jewish Peninsula’s JCRC
This week, I had the privilege as our community’s JCRC Chair of travelling to Washington, D.C. with our CEO Eric Maurer for JFNA’s Advocacy Fly-In: Securing Our Jewish Communities. More than 400 people from federations across North America answered the call, a testament to the urgency and unity that defines our community at its best.
We were there to advocate for two critical pieces of legislation: the Jewish American Security Act, a comprehensive bipartisan bill to protect Jewish institutions and combat antisemitism, and the SACRED Act, which safeguards access to congregations and religious establishments from disruption and threat.
Arriving in DC, we started with briefings that were both sobering and galvanizing. Three speakers from West Bloomfield, Michigan shared their firsthand accounts of the nearly catastrophic terror plot to murder 110 preschool children and 57 staff members at the largest synagogue in North America. Their stories were devastating and absolutely necessary to hear.
The powerful videos that were featured served as a reminder of what is truly at stake.
Among the many speakers in the hours of briefings the first night, was the distinguished guests Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun and Israeli Ambassador Rabbi Yeichiel Leiter, whose remarks added important depth and perspective. The remainder of the evening was devoted to preparing for Tuesday's advocacy meetings.
What struck me most throughout the Fly-In was the remarkable unity of those 400 attendees. People of different political persuasions, from communities large and small, came together with a single, passionate purpose: to protect Jewish life in America. That shared resolve was palpable at every table.
Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK), co-founders and co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, jointly introduced the Jewish American Security Act. This landmark legislation does three critical things:
- Makes a historic $1 billion investment in security resources for at-risk houses of worship and nonprofit institutions, up from $300 million last year
- Requires the Department of Education to develop and implement a comprehensive Title VI framework to combat antisemitism on college campuses
- Holds large social media platforms accountable by requiring transparency in how they handle antisemitic content online
- Strengthens law enforcement resources and collaboration between the Department of Justice and state and local law enforcement to enhance security for at-risk houses of worship.
The bill has earned sweeping support from across the Jewish organizational world, including the ADL, American Jewish Committee, Jewish Federations of North America, the Orthodox Union, Hadassah, the Union for Reform Judaism, B'nai B'rith International, the Republican Jewish Coalition, the Jewish Democratic Council of America, and many others.
Joining with our partner Jewish Federations from throughout the Commonwealth, we met with our Peninsula representatives and their advisors. Our meetings included productive conversations with Senator Mark Warner, Senator Tim Kaine, Congressman Bobby Scott and Congressman Rob Wittman.
As JFNA President and CEO Eric Fingerhut noted, this legislation represents one of the strongest congressional responses we have seen to the alarming rise in antisemitism and targeted violence against our community.
But the work doesn't end in Washington. Every Jewish community in North America now has a responsibility to engage proactively with their local and state senators and representatives to ensure these bills are passed. This legislation is not just about today, it is about protecting the generations who will carry forward our legacy and keep Jewish communities vibrant and alive.
I urge you to CONTACT CONGRESS and urge them to support the Jewish American Security Act.