Over our Jewish Federation’s 30+ years, the work we do has shifted. While our mission has always focused on strengthening and enhancing Jewish life in our community through the programs we provide, you have probably noticed a shift toward greater emphasis on advocacy in recent years. Even when it has been challenging, I have loved every moment.

I have always valued my relationships with people. And in many ways, I believe that the success we have had in our advocacy work has been the relationships I have fostered and developed over the years with our local elected officials - city, county, state, and federal, along with many other leaders throughout our community. I treasure these relationships and value them in a way that I’m not sure I truly comprehend even to this day.

Through the advocacy work our Jewish Federation conducts, I am able to share perspectives, ideas, and/concerns with those who can help pass laws that often provide extra protections not only for the Jewish community but also for other targeted groups.

And in this advocacy work, I am often able to call, text, or find myself sitting next to (or across the table from) our elected officials. I cherish these opportunities because I know the impact that having the ear of influential people can have not just on our local Jewish community, but on Jews all across the state and country.

Over the next several weeks, while Congress is on its summer recess, I am taking the opportunity to schedule meetings with three of our congressional representatives – Congresswomen Judy Chu and Norma Torres, and Congressman Gil Cisneros.

Yesterday, as I met with Congresswoman Chu, I had the chance to thank her for her ongoing support of our local Jewish community and for standing with our community almost two weeks ago following the antisemitic graffiti that targeted PJTC. In addition to asking her about some of her recent votes, I also took the opportunity to ask her to co-sponsor two bicameral, bipartisan bills currently before Congress – the Jewish American Security Act (JASA) (HR 9211) and the Right to Worship Act.

JASA is focused on helping protect Jewish life, including increasing the Nonprofit Security Grant Program that so many Jewish institutions rely on to $1 billion annually, strengthening law enforcement coordination, improving threat monitoring and reporting, adding protections for Jewish students, and requiring greater accountability of social media companies. And the Right to Worship Act, similar to a bill currently working its way through Sacramento, would create a 100-foot buffer zone around houses of worship to prohibit disruptions of religious services or impeding congregants from attending services, striking the right balance to protect both the right to religious worship and the right to protected speech.  

I am hopeful that when she returns to Washington, she will sign on as a co-sponsor of both bills. I am planning to ask the same of Congresswoman Norma Torres and Congressman Gil Cisneros when I meet with them over the next several weeks.

In these moments, I am proud that I can represent our community and ensure that our local elected officials are aware of the concerns our community raises with me, and that we continue to strengthen our relationship with them.

Back in December 2022, before our Jewish Federation launched an effort to get our 48 local cities to adopt resolutions condemning antisemitism and all forms of hate, I wrote an Op-ed discussing how the Jewish community needed more allies to stand with us.

I am overly optimistic that through the relationships we have developed, not just our local elected officials, but many others, continue to foster allyship as we continue to navigate the challenges confronting the Jewish community.