Program areas at JCPA
Since its founding 80 years ago, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (jcpa or organization) has served as the national convener of Jewish coalitions working to build a just and inclusive democracy - bringing together national and local partners to address the issues that most deeply affect our community and advance our most essential values. Today, jcpa is mobilizing the robust community relations network and its partners in pursuit of a more just and democratic society for all, based on an abiding belief that Jewish safety is inextricably linked with the safety of other communities and a strong, pluralistic democracy. At the heart of jcpa's work are two new action networks, bringing together Jewish community relations councils (jcrcs) and other local Jewish communities across the country - alongside national partners and allies - to protect and advance our democracy and counter hate and bigotry at a moment when rising antisemitism and extremism and attacks on inclusive democracy profoundly endanger jews and so many others. Jcpa's work is rooted in the understanding that only by overcoming lines of difference and fostering solidarity across communities can we advance an inclusive future in which jews and all people are safe and free.jcpa's key areas of concentration:1. Strategic community relations services, focused on strengthening the community relations field through dedicated support for jcrc professionals and leaders. This includes professional development, advocacy toolkits and talking points, sharing of best practices, convenings on shared challenges and opportunities, efforts to diversify the field and its partners, and a focus on identifying and scaling local successes. 2. Issues-based advocacy through jcpa's two action networks - one focused on protecting democracy, and the other on combating hate and bigotry. Through the action networks, jcpa is advancing cross-community relations and key advocacy priorities by mobilizing the Jewish community and our partners on the national and local levels.
In the face of immense societal division, resetting the table (rtt) equips leaders and communities with tools to address entrenched political divisions in Public and communal life. Through rigorous training, courageous dialogue, and depolarizing media content, rtt enables americans to transform political disagreement into a source of strengthened relationship, creative problem-solving, and collective insight. Rtt's core activities include: train and educate: rtt trains faith leaders, entertainment industry professionals, journalists, and other community leaders and influencers, equipping them to facilitate and convene constructive communication across differences and/or produce new narratives fostering empathy, norms, and hope for healthy engagement across divides. Convene and facilitate: rtt designs and facilitates carefully curated forums, offering opportunities for courageous, productive discussion and learning on contentious issues. Create and distribute: rtt produces films and other content that advances mutual recognition and empathy across political and geographic divides.