Amy Spitalnick

Educators and the Jewish Community Must Partner Closely | Opinion This is a painful and precarious time for all who care about Jewish safety, public education, our future, and our democracy.

The ways in which antisemitism & anti-democratic extremism reinforce one another threaten not only the Jewish community, but all of us. We must band together to fight these threats. More in my op-ed with @TheJCPA.bsky.social's @AmySpitalnick.bsky.social. www.newsweek.com/fight-antise...

Cutting funds for health and science research does nothing to protect Jews. Antisemitism on campus is real and demands a response - and our legitimate concerns should not be exploited for an unrelated attack on academic institutions and freedoms.

Another thing that happened in the Senate today is the confirmation of an extremist with white nationalist ties to lead the… National Counterterrorism Center.

Educators and the Jewish Community Must Partner Closely | Opinion This is a painful and precarious time for all who care about Jewish safety, public education, our future, and our democracy.

An excellent piece by @rweingarten.bsky.social & @amyspitalnick.bsky.social

Extremists repeatedly try to pit Jewish & educational communities against each other—communities that have long stood united

Their new initiative offers a hopeful path forward

Kudos to @thejcpa.bsky.social and @amyspitalnick.bsky.social for continuing to model responsible leadership by a Jewish American communal org during this polarizing time:

This shouldn’t be considered normal.

Educators and the Jewish Community Must Partner Closely | Opinion This is a painful and precarious time for all who care about Jewish safety, public education, our future, and our democracy.

The safety of the Jewish community is intimately connected with a strong public education system, a thriving labor movement, & an inclusive democracy that protects the rights and freedoms of all. My op-ed w/ @AmySpitalnick.bsky.social, CEO of @TheJCPA.bsky.social www.newsweek.com/fight-antise...

Educators and the Jewish Community Must Partner Closely | Opinion This is a painful and precarious time for all who care about Jewish safety, public education, our future, and our democracy.

Educators, working together with Jewish community leaders, have a critical role to play in fighting antisemitism & hate. Read more in my op-ed with Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. We describe our project for combatting antisemitism. www.newsweek.com/fight-antise...

Last week, I spoke at a House Homeland Security Committee roundtable on antisemitism, urging members to push DHS to release the notice of funding opportunities for the vital Nonprofit Security Grant Program -- which was two months overdue.

Today, DHS finally heeded our communities’ calls.

My new op-ed with @aft.org President @rweingarten.bsky.social: With antisemitism rising and public education & democracy under attack — and extremists pitting us against one another — educators and the Jewish community must closely partner. www.newsweek.com/fight-antise...

As hunger in Gaza deepens, people are exchanging their most prized possessions for food ***

Jewish values compel us to act when lives are in jeopardy. That is what’s happening in Gaza — a humanitarian catastrophe.

It doesn’t matter who’s to blame for the conflict. It doesn’t take away from the horrors of 10/7 and the hostages. These people need aid.

www.haaretz.com/middle-east-...

This administration continues to exploit real concerns about antisemitism to undermine our core democratic norms & institutions. This is not about keeping Jews safe — if it were, they wouldn’t have gutted the Office of Civil Rights & other key protections. This is about advancing an extreme agenda.

As a Zionist and lifelong advocate, I believe Israel has gone too far A Zionist and Israel advocate who once led a major Bay Area Jewish organization says Israel’s conduct crosses moral lines.

You can be deeply committed to the security of the Israeli people and Israel’s future *and* call out the humanitarian horrors in Gaza. In fact, both are necessary.

My colleague Rabbi Doug Kahn does it here: jweekly.com/2025/07/21/a...

Confronting Antisemitism in America Join leaders from the Jewish community as we explore the rise of antisemitism in America.

Join @neeratanden.bsky.social on Thursday, July 24, for a discussion on antisemitism in the U.S with distinguished leaders from the Jewish community, including Ted Deutch, Dr. Deborah E. Lipstadt, @olinsky.bsky.social, and @amyspitalnick.bsky.social.

A graphic from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) featuring the text “We cannot ignore this” in bold white and orange letters, followed by the message, “Our history teaches us the danger of dehumanization—of locking people away out of sight and denying them dignity.” Below the text is a photo of a large chain-link cage structure filled with rows of bunk beds, resembling a detention facility. The JCPA logo appears at the bottom of the image.

A new detention site in the Florida Everglades is holding immigrants in sweltering, unsanitary, inhumane conditions. The Jewish community knows the dangers of dehumanization. This isn’t safety—it’s a moral failure.

2025 Representative Assembly Update | NEA NEA is committed to ensuring all students can learn in a safe, welcoming environment by combating antisemitism, discrimination, and hate.

With antisemitism rising and public education under attack, we welcome NEA’s vote to both reject a divisive resolution and reaffirm its commitment to academic freedom, association rights, and - most importantly - the safety of Jewish and all students and educators. www.nea.org/about-nea/le...

Tonight, @neatoday.bsky.social voted not to adopt NBI 39 (the ADL boycott). As we wrote earlier this week (⬇️), it’s possible to disagree with ADL without cutting off all engagement - which would undercut our shared goals of countering antisemitism and broader hate & bias. www.nea.org/about-nea/le...

Now Mamdani is getting attacked from the far left because he expressed empathy for the Jewish community’s fear, like @aoc.bsky.social got attacked after she hosted a webinar on antisemitism.

If progressive leaders acknowledging antisemitism is somehow beyond the pale for you, ask yourself why.

Per source who attended @Partnership4NYC mtg w/ @ZohranKMamdani today, he said he understands "globalize the intifada" is interpreted by NY Jews as a call for violence and will "discourage" its use and not use it himself. Source added, "He said that while many New Yorkers use it with the intention of expressing solidarity with Palestinians, he had heard how the same term for many Jewish New Yorkers harkens back to bus bombings and restaurant attacks."

Helpful summary here too ⬇️

For weeks, Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee in the New York City mayor’s race, has been under pressure to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which is seen by some as a call to violence against Jews. It became an issue in the heat of the Democratic primary race when Mr. Mamdani, a critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, was asked in a podcast interview whether the phrase, which Palestinians and their supporters have called a rallying cry for liberation, made him uncomfortable and he refused to condemn it. But at a closed-door meeting with the city’s top business leaders on Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Mamdani said he would personally continue to not use the term and would “discourage” its use by others, according to three people who were familiar with his comments.

Mr. Mamdani told the roughly 150 business executives that while many people used the term to express solidarity with Palestinians, some New Yorkers viewed it as a reference to violence against Israel, according to one of the people who were familiar with his comments.

Mamdani has engaged thoughtfully with many of us in recent weeks and, as a result, said today he understands how harmfully Jews hear rhetoric like "globalize the intifada” & discouraged its use. There's much work ahead but these comments matter. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/b... @emmagf.bsky.social

The extreme voices (on both ends of the political spectrum) pitting Jews against teachers’ unions only make it easier for this admin to gut public education and our broader institutions & democracy. Division is their core tactic — intended to undermine the very coalitions we need to fight back.

JCPA Urges NEA to Reject Divisive Resolution, Reaffirms Commitment to Working Together to Confront Antisemitism and Hate - Jewish Council for Public Affairs On July 14, JCPA sent the following letter to National Education Association President Becky Pringle, expressing concern about the adoption of NBI 39 and reaffirming the importance of continued partne...

Thank you @amyspitalnick.bsky.social for this characteristically thoughtful response to the divisive resolution currently before the NEA:

jewishpublicaffairs.org/press-releas...

The thing about antisemitism is that, most of the time, it doesn’t actually look like a Nazi hacking Elmo’s twitter account.

Happy 60th to my brilliant friend @bulldogshadow.bsky.social, who models what it means to lead with courage and clarity every single day.

Read Eric’s birthday reflections here: newsone.com/6298056/op-e...

Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot is posting antisemitic comments Elon Musk's Grok chatbot on Tuesday praised Adolf Hitler and made other antisemitic comments on Tuesday.

Twitter is already a breeding ground for antisemitic hate—and now Elon Musk's AI chatbot is parroting the same vile rhetoric.

When the world’s richest man enables and amplifies antisemitism, it fuels real-world hate and violence. www.cnbc.com/2025/07/08/e...

Grief and uncertainty at flooded Texas summer camp, where 27 girls are still missing There were more than 750 children at Camp Mystic when it was inundated by a sudden, pre-dawn flood before on Friday.

I can’t stop thinking about these girls and the absolute horror of this situation for this camp, their families, and all of TX. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes. This is not an accident. It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories — and it’s deeply dangerous.

Truly morally bankrupt in every sense.

Things that don’t happen in a democracy. Bigotry is a key tool of authoritarianism.

Graphic from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) with the U.S. Capitol building in the background. Large text reads: "Budgets are statements of our values – This one advances a vision rooted in fear and exclusion." Below, smaller text states: "The Senate just passed a bill that dramatically slashes food, housing, and healthcare support, while funding mass detention and draconian anti-immigrant policies." The JCPA logo appears at the bottom.

The Senate just passed a bill that dramatically slashes food, housing, and healthcare support, while funding mass detention and draconian anti-immigrant policies.

Democracy is strongest when we protect the vulnerable and uphold human rights. This bill does the opposite.