Jewish Council on Urban Affairs

At the press conference, we reaffirmed our commitment to continue the fight for our immigrant communities. We are stronger together!

JCUA members hold protest signs at ICIRR press conference on June 9, 2025

ICE and the Trump administration’s actions — including detentions at immigration court, the new travel ban, ending of TPS, and jailing of labor leaders who dared stick up for immigrants — is intentionally cruel and an attempt to scare and divide our communities.

JCUA members pose at ICIRR press conference to defend immigrant communities.

Yesterday, JCUA members joined our ICIRR coalition partners, labor groups, and allies for a press conference to reject ICE's escalating enforcement tactics across the country.

Political Group Wants Alderman To Apologize For Falsely Linking It To DC Shooting Suspect Ald. Ray Lopez and Iris Martinez, former Cook County Circuit Court clerk, were among those who shared posts falsely linking Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez and other progressive politicians to alleged ...

Since last week’s tragic shootings in DC, some public figures in Chicago have made harmful and unfounded accusations linking the suspect to progressive elected officials. This dangerous spreading of misinformation must stop.

BREAKING: The Chicago City Council voted 30-18 to create a city-owned nonprofit housing developer — approving the centerpiece of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s effort to reduce Chicago’s massive affordable housing shortfall after weeks of intense debate. @wttw.bsky.social

Using Jewish fear We write on behalf of more than 100 rabbis and clergy from across Chicagoland. The congregations we serve and communities we support are politically, racially and economically diverse, and they represent multiple denominations of Jewish practice. We stand against the attacks on civil liberties and democratic norms being carried out in the name of combating antisemitism. In recent weeks, students and others, many with legal status, have been detained or had their visas revoked without explanation or due process, including at the University of Illinois, University of Chicago and Northwestern University. Federal funds for higher education have been frozen or withdrawn, including $790 million at Northwestern. The administration has also announced plans to surveil immigrants’ social media. Many of these actions have been presented as a defense of the Jewish community. Yet in truth, Jewish fear is being used as a fig leaf for an anti-democratic agenda of mass deportations, civil rights rollbacks and attacks on higher education. We know that many Jews, including Jewish students on campuses, have felt unsafe in recent months and years. We take those concerns seriously. And we know that throughout history, Jews have been safest in multiracial democracies where the rights of all people, regardless of race, religion, national origin or political opinion, are protected. Education is a core Jewish value, and the institutions that uphold civil liberties and democratic norms have long been essential to Jewish safety and flourishing. As Jewish leaders, we reject the exploitation of our fears and experiences of antisemitism to justify the dismantling of those institutions. Such actions do not protect our community — they use us, and they put us in danger.

We just celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover. Each year, we recall the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt and pray for redemption from all forms of violence. We are commanded to retell our stories of persecution and deliverance “in every generation,” reminding us that our story remains relevant at all times. In the Passover story, it is an erev rav — a mixed multitude — who journeyed together out of Egypt. We are obligated not only to seek justice for ourselves, but also to protect the rights and freedoms afforded to all people. We must speak out against deportations without due process, suppression of free speech, attacks on higher education and the dismantling of democratic norms. Doing so is an expression of our Jewish and American values. — Rabbi Scott Gellman, Rabbi Daniel Kirzane, Rabbi Andrea London and Rabbi Rachel Weiss

Another rabbis' letter--this from over 100 Chicago-area rabbis, proud to be one--protesting the horrors being carried out these days in the name of "combating antisemitism."

Published in the Trib today. Full list of signatories in the second skeet.

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/04/22/l...

100+ Chicagoland Jewish clergy speak out against attacks on democracy being carried out in the name of Jewish safety

In a letter published today, 100+ Jewish clergy from across Chicagoland speak out against attacks on democracy being carried out in the name of Jewish safety.

Read the full letter: bit.ly/rabbisfordemocracy

Pressuring Migrants to ‘Self-Deport,’ Trump Moves to Cancel Social Security Numbers By placing migrants in Social Security’s “death master file,” the Trump administration is seeking to cut off their access to credit cards, bank accounts and other financial services.

NEW: @nytimes.com reports that the Trump admin is moving to strip hundreds of thousands of immigrants of Social Security Numbers they got when they were granted work authorization, repurposing a "death master file" to try to erase their previous legal presence in the United States.

Read more about Project Esther and the fight for inclusive democracy: jcua.org/blog/project...

JCUA congratulates Cydney Wallace, our Board Vice President, on her appointment to the Chicago Board of Education!

The real cost of Chicago policing could be nearly double next year’s $2.1 billion budget, former city analyst finds Including pensions, benefits, budget-busting overtime and other hidden expenses, the analyst reports that city costs for CPD in 2025 could reach $3.8 billion.

A former city budget analyst finds the Chicago Police Department's budget is almost twice the $2.1 billion the mayor has budgeted for next year, once you include pension payments, overtime, excess legal expenses, and other costs hidden in other city budget lines: www.wbez.org/criminal-jus...

A More Perfect Union Ameinu American Conference of Cantors American Jewish World Service (AJWS) Americans for Peace Now Avodah Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Bronx Jews for Climate Action Carolina Jews for Justice Central Conference of American Rabbis Congregation Rodeph Shalom (Philadelphia, PA) Conservative Synagogue of the Hamptons Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action Gesher Bridge Shul Habonim Dror Camp Galil Habonim Dror North America Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America HIAS Ikar Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation J Street Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action Jewish Climate Action Network NYC Jewish Community Action Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix Jewish Council for Public Affairs Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Jewish Labor Committee Jewish Liberation Fund

Jewish Women International Jews for a Secular Democracy Keshet Kirva Lab/Shul MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger Men of Reform Judaism Mitsui Collective National Council of Jewish Women Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies New York Jewish Agenda (NYJA) Nexus Leadership Project Path With Heart Community Rabbinical Assembly Reconstructing Judaism Sixth & I Society for Humanistic Judaism Ta'amod Temple Shaaray Tefila, New York, NY The Mordecai Kaplan Center for Jewish Peoplehood The Workers Circle Tivnu: Building Justice T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights Union for Reform Judaism USCJ Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) Women of Reform Judaism YAFFED

Last week, 52+ Democratic Congress members voted to support HR9495, a bill that would grant Trump unprecedented powers to shut down any nonprofit he wants.

Today, just 15 Dems voted yes.
What changed?

Jewish groups came together across political differences. 🧵

219 House members just voted a bill that would give Donald Trump brand new powers to crush his political enemies.

I‘ve begun putting together a starter pack of Chicago’s alternative, independent and community media. We have one of the richest media ecosystems anywhere around! go.bsky.app/Rn9XDbg

Update: the calls are working! We're now officially flipping House members over to our side to vote against this "non-profit killer" bill coming up for a vote tomorrow. Keep calling! indivisible.org/resource/tel...

Last week, we helped blocked the dangerous bill that would give Trump unilateral power to effectively shut down ANY tax-exempt organization with no explanation.

But this week, it's back — and now the House only needs a simple majority to pass it.

Call your reps.:
www.bendthearc.us/call_protect...

Is it traditional to say the shehecheyanu for your first post?

Is it traditional to say the shehecheyanu for your first post?