Partner Spotlight:
JCRC Bay Area
A Jewish Community Gathers Voices Across Faith Lines
In the weeks leading up to the 2024 election, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) Bay Area was acutely aware of its community’s feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. Rather than wait for potential crises to unfold, its team chose to lean into the positive actions they could proactively pursue.
They decided it was time to build a greater sense of community – across faith lines – in advance of whatever was to come. As the largest collective voice of the Bay Area Jewish community, bringing together diverse faith communities around shared democratic values just made sense.
Jessica Blitchok, Director of Community Partnerships explained the approach:
Strategic Priorities: Civic Learning
Action Plan: Convene interfaith and intergroup organizations to co-sign a statement in support of democracy.
Partners since: 2024
Working alongside the San Francisco Interfaith Council, JCRC developed and promoted an interfaith statement entitled, "Standing United for Peace & Democracy." Their efforts paid off, ultimately securing signatures from 30 organizations representing a wide array of faiths across the Bay Area.
“Our unity is rooted in the belief that our differences enrich our collective strength, and that through collaboration and mutual respect, we can address the pressing challenges facing our divided society,” declared the joint statement. “Together, we affirm our dedication to fostering understanding, promoting justice, and nurturing an inclusive future where every voice is heard and valued.”
The initiative's success relied heavily on strategic partnership, focusing on shared values across faith communities.
“The project addressed multiple community concerns simultaneously,” recalled Blitchok. Beyond election-related anxiety, JCRC Bay Area recognized the importance of having unified voices ready to respond to potential challenges.
To complement the statement, JCRC Bay Area organized a webinar featuring speakers who addressed community concerns from multiple angles—including security perspectives from the Bay Area Jewish Federation, legal insights from San Francisco's city attorney, and guidance on combating misinformation from the News Literacy Project.
While the most dire election-related scenarios thankfully didn't materialize, the coalition-building work created lasting relationships and established frameworks for future collaboration.Most importantly, the project demonstrated the power of strategic interfaith partnerships in expanding cooperation, reach, and impact.
“We had this shared concern about protecting our democracy and also about keeping things peaceful, no matter the outcome. We didn't know if there were going to be protests or calls to undermine a fair election. We really wanted to get everybody on the same page ahead of that so that if things were to take a turn, we could all speak up in one voice.”
“Jewish organizations can effectively work within broader coalitions while maintaining their distinct identity and mission,” explained Blitchok.
For other organizations considering similar initiatives, JCRC Bay Area's experience offers a roadmap: find strong, value-aligned partners, invest in relationship-building, be intentional about language and audience, and always plan for what comes next.
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