Jewish Council for Public Affairs
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The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) is an American Jewish non-profit organization that deals with community relations. It is an umbrella group round table organization of 13 other national Jewish organizations (the "National Member Agencies") as well as 125 local Jewish federations and community relations councils. The JCPA describes itself as "the representative voice of the organized American Jewish community."
The JCPA was established at the National Community Relations Advisory Council in 1944 by the Council of Jewish Federations, which later became part of the United Jewish Communities. In the 1960s, it was renamed the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC). The group adopted its current name in 1997. Andrea Weinstein of Dallas has served as chair since February 2008. Rabbi Steven Gutow has served as executive director since August 2006. The immediate past chair is Lois Frank of Atlanta.
[edit] Activities
The JCPA works on shaping consensus on public issues, developing strategic responses, and working with the media, elected officials, coalition partners, and others through public relations, advocacy, and lobbying. International issues that the JCPA is concerned with include Israel-United States relations, antisemitism in the United States and abroad, the United Nations, the well-being of Jews in endangered areas, and human rights. Domestic issues that the JCPA is concerned with include include anti-Semitism, social justice, poverty, education, public health, and individual rights, including the preservation of the separation of church and state. The JCPA is also actively involved in environmentalist and global warming issues though the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), an affiliate of the National Religious Partnership on the Environment.
Each year the JCPA has an annual conference known as the Plenum, the highest policy-developing body of the organization. At the Plenum the JCPA hosts speakers and debates and adopts resolutions expressing the consensus policies of member organizations and the organized American Jewish community. These policies become part of the "JCPA Policy Compendium," which includes positions on a range of issues.
The JCPA has three main task forces:
- Israel, World Jewry, and International Human Rights
- Jewish Security and The Bill of Rights
- Equal Opportunity and Social Justice
The JCPA also jointly manages (with United Jewish Communities) its Israel Advocacy Initiative.
The JCPA is a partner in the Campaign for Children's Health Care, a campaign to raise awareness about the problem of uninsured children in America.
[edit] Members
The 14 National Member Agencies of the JCPA are:
- American Jewish Committee
- American Jewish Congress
- American ORT
- Anti-Defamation League
- B'nai B'rith
- Hadassah
- Jewish Labor Committee
- Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
- Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America
- National Council of Jewish Women
- Union for Reform Judaism
- Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
- United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
- Women's League for Conservative Judaism
