The story of Purim, which Jewish communities across the world recently celebrated, offers a powerful example of Jewish communal advocacy. When the Jewish people faced destruction under the plot of Haman, Queen Esther bravely approached King Ahasuerus to plead for her people, risking her own safety to advocate for their survival. Her courage reminds us of our responsibility to speak up for the community.  

 

Just as Esther used her voice to protect the Jewish people, Federations and JCRC’s utilize in-person advocacy across the nation to ensure that the community’s needs, safety, and values are represented and defended in the public sphere. 

 

In February, momentum of state advocacy across the Federation system continued when Jewish communities in Nebraska, Kentucky, Virginia, New Mexico, and Maryland traveled to their state capitols to meet with elected officials. Federations and JCRC’s in states across the country are meaningfully engaged in effecting policy at the state and local level, no matter the community size, political environment, or geographical location. 

 

Jewish Advocacy Days across Nebraska, Kentucky, and Virginia, reflected a unified interest in strengthening security and a deliberate emphasis on bipartisan collaboration. 

 

The Jewish Federation of Omaha, through its Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), held its fourth annual Jewish Day of Action on February 19. Engaging with lawmakers, including Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, members of Nebraska’s Jewish community urged them to support legislation to increase security, confront rising antisemitism, and protect the separation of religion and state, as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. 

 

A bill supported by the JCRC in meetings with lawmakers is LB989. If passed, it would fund Nebraska’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which was enacted in 2024 by Gov. Jim Pillen.  

 

"Like our Unicameral, Jewish Day of Action is not about partisanship. It is about partnership. It is about showing up, listening, and engaging in good faith. These are Nebraska values, and values the Jewish community has held for generations,” Sharon Brodkey, Executive Director of the JCRC said. "For our Governor and the Legislature, hearing constituent voices during such critical moments can make a difference.” 

 

In Kentucky, the Jewish Federation of Louisville and the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass hosted a joint Jewish Advocacy Day on February 24. Members of both communities met in Frankfort with 18 elected officials – a bipartisan, bicameral group – to advocate for interfaith security grant funding and appropriations for Holocaust education in schools. 

 

“As constituents and engaged members of our local communities, it’s vital that Jewish Kentuckians make our voices heard,” said Trent Spoolstra, Director of the JCRC at the Trager Family JCC and Jewish Federation of Louisville. “The success of our Jewish Advocacy Day ensures that not only is the Jewish community protected, but that religious diversity is celebrated and supported across Kentucky.” 

 

During their Jewish Advocacy Day, Jewish community members from across Virginia engaged with the administration of newly elected Governor Abigail Spanberger. Hosted by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington, the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, and Jewish Peninsula, advocates pressed for funding for the Commonwealth’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). 

 

“Jewish Virginians from across the Commonwealth sat down with their elected officials and outlined our community’s most urgent security needs,” said Vicki Fishman, Director of Virginia Government and Community Relations at the JCRC of Greater Washington. “These conversations are critical because they allow lawmakers to hear directly from community members about the challenges we face, from rising antisemitism to the need for stronger security measures at synagogues, schools, and community institutions. As threats continue to rise, it is essential that our elected officials fully grasp the scope and seriousness of the challenge and work collaboratively with community leaders to ensure that appropriate resources, policies, and protections are in place to keep all Virginians safe.” 

 

To find your local Federation and get involved in state advocacy, click here.