On the Monday night following the firebombing of the Mississippi synagogue, the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis held its first meeting of the year. The council provides a forum for sharing concerns among Jewish and social justice agencies, including places of worship.
En route to the meeting with a friend, worn out from bad news and the current terror of our government, we wondered if we were even up for this event.
As it turned out (spoiler alert), it was just the place we needed to be.
It was a full house, with representatives from a wide range of organizations, including National Council of Jewish Women St. Louis, Kol Rinah, Shaare Emeth, J Street, the Holocaust Museum, the International Institute, ADL Heartland, Jewish Family Services, PROMO, several congregations, advocacy groups and interested community members.
David Rosenstock, JCRC president, and David Cohen, executive director, opened the evening with introductions, a welcome and the agenda.
The lead-off speaker, Jordan Kadosh of ADL Heartland, shared his personal connection to the Jackson, Miss., antisemitic attack through his professional work. It affected someone he knew, making it feel much closer to home. Jordan offered a clear overview of coalition-supported legislation, including security efforts, the Unmasking Hate project, and the need for stronger state discrimination laws. He also addressed legislation that may be broadly anti-Muslim. The takeaway: hate is bigger than antisemitism.
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Next, Jen Bernstein, NCJWSTL advocacy manager, spoke about her organization’s work on reproductive rights, with a focus on Amendment 3, expected to be on the ballot this year. She highlighted other women’s health care bills and encouraged participation in Jewish Advocacy Day on Jan. 21. I was already well aware of NCJW’s impact; Jen worked tirelessly on the original Amendment 3 effort, only to see it challenged again.
I have known Shira Berkowitz for many years. As PROMO’s senior director of public policy and advocacy, they are deeply committed to equality, particularly for the LGBTQIA+ community. Shira explained that anti-trans legislation goes far beyond sports, bathrooms and health care—it is about stripping away democracy itself.
Sara Ruiz, executive director of the Ashrei Foundation, founded by Rabbi Susan Talve, described the organization’s hands-on work helping individuals without acceptable identification access critical resources. She emphasized the need for volunteers and highlighted the Rapid Response Hotline for those affected by immigration authorities.
Finally, Blake Hamilton of the International Institute spoke about the agency’s long history in St. Louis and the impact of policy and funding changes on refugee resettlement. At one time they resettled 30,000 immigrants. Changes in government policies and funding have had a tremendous impact of their ability to do this work. Despite challenges, the Institute continues vital work addressing food insecurity, mentoring and coalition-building to support immigrant communities.
Yes, that was a lot.
We ended the evening with a commitment to keep coming together—to share, inspire and inform. The JCRC educates, advocates, mobilizes and collaborates within the Jewish community and beyond.
Our guiding vision is a vibrant and secure Jewish community in a thriving and just St. Louis region.
Monday night was a good community gathering. Driving home, we felt lighter and more hopeful.
Susan Block
University City
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