JCRC Bay Area mourns the loss of Dorothy Saxe, a Jewish community leader and philanthropist who passed earlier this month at age 100. Her decades of generosity and leadership strengthened Jewish life across the Bay Area, including Congregation Beth Am, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Jewish Federation Bay Area and the Oshman Family JCC. Her commitment to tzedakah lives on through generations of her family and the communities she supported. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones. May her memory be a blessing.

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER: Join us today at 7:00 p.m. for a public webinar on what’s at stake as Israelis head to the polls for the first time since the October 7 terrorist attacks and the war that followed. We’ll explore the key players, critical issues and possible outcomes, including what the election could mean for Israelis, American Jews, our local community and diaspora-Israel relations. An audience Q&A will follow. FEATURING: • Dr. Eran Kaplan, Goldman Professor in Israel Studies, @SFSU • Karen Stiller, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, JCRC Bay Area 🔗 REGISTER: tinyurl.com/IsraelVotesWebin…

A new @EdWorkforceCmte report brings increased scrutiny to longstanding concerns about antisemitism within the Berkeley Unified School District. JCRC’s Adriana Lombard told @jns_org: “The erasure of Israel and Jewish historical connections to the land, minimization of the Holocaust and framing Jews as oppressors all perpetuate antisemitism. We are grateful to the Jewish families and educators in Berkeley who raised these concerns and have worked tirelessly to advocate for change. It is critically important we work together to ensure Jews are accurately represented, their identities respected and all students receive an education grounded in historical accuracy and critical thinking." Read more: jns.org/news/u-s-news/house-…

The midterm election is right around the corner! On November 6, join our sister org, @BAjewishaction, for a post-election briefing to break down the results and impact on the Jewish community. 👉 Register: tinyurl.com/BAJABriefingNov6

With the Safe Worship Zone Act (AB 2664) now signed into law, we’re helping our community understand its protections and celebrating the work that made this victory possible. On Monday, JCRC joined @adlcalifornia and @IsaiahLafayette for “Sacred Space, Safe Space,” a discussion featuring the bill’s author, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Rabbi Jill Perlman of Temple Isaiah, Ralph Severson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and JCRC’s Julia Mates. Thank you to everyone who joined us to learn how AB 2664 protects safe access to worship for all faiths.

Next week, Israelis will head to the polls for consequential elections, the first since the deadly October 7 terrorist attacks and the war that followed. Join JCRC for a timely webinar exploring the key players and critical issues shaping the vote, as well as possible outcomes. We’ll examine the potential consequences for both Israeli and Jewish Americans, including the impact on our local Jewish community and diaspora-Israel relations, followed by an audience Q&A. FEATURING: Dr. Eran Kaplan, Goldman Professor in Israel Studies, @SFSU Karen Stiller, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, JCRC Bay Area 🔗 REGISTER: tinyurl.com/IsraelVotesWebin…

Join us at the Z3 Conference! We’re proud to be a Community Partner for the 2026 Z3 Conference on Sunday, November 1 at the @ofjcc in Palo Alto, with a full day of inspiring speakers and vital conversations. For over a decade, @Z3_project has brought together top thinkers, educators, activists, artists, and community leaders from across the Jewish world to explore bold ideas about Israel, the Diaspora, and our shared Jewish future. Register Today: tickettailor.com/events/oshm…

JCRC mourns the passing of Charene Zalis, a beloved member of our community and documentary filmmaker who spent decades telling stories of people standing up to hate. Her work with Not In Our Town included Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life, documenting Pittsburgh’s solidarity following the 2018 synagogue massacre. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family, including JCRC Board Member Peter Yolles, and all who loved her. May her memory be a blessing.

California is now the first state to recognize Jewish identity as an ethnicity. What does that mean for our community? Jews have always been more than a religious minority. We’re a people with shared ancestry, culture, and history. Now, state law reflects that. JCRC’s @TyeGregory and Allison Barnes break down what SB 1387 changes, why being counted matters, and what you should know about choosing to self-identify. Thank you @SenHenryStern for authoring and leading this effort and @CAgovernor for signing the bill into law!

JCRC is proud to be part of @PICOcalifornia's nonpartisan Voting Is Sacred campaign, affirming every eligible voter’s freedom to cast a ballot and have it counted, however they choose to vote. Join us for a gathering of local faith communities at the San José Municipal Rose Garden on Sunday, October 18, at 3 p.m., followed by a procession to a ballot drop box. Bring your completed early voting ballot. All are welcome, and no RSVP is required.

JOINT STATEMENT: Antisemitic Rhetoric in Berkeley We are deeply alarmed by the growing normalization of antisemitic and hateful rhetoric in Berkeley in the discourse surrounding the upcoming election. Tolerating language that amplifies conspiracy theories and incites hostility toward historically marginalized communities threatens the safety and well-being of all residents, not just our Jewish community. At a time of heightened polarization, elevating extremist rhetoric that deliberately sows division undermines the mutual respect and civil discourse essential to a healthy, inclusive society. Recent reporting on a “Zionist takeover” of the City Council and accusations that Bay Area Jewish institutions, representing tens of thousands of local families, are "foreign lobby groups,” are highly offensive and dangerous. Most alarmingly, a social media post by a local activist group using the term “zionazi” to describe a former council member received likes from several candidates for office. By equating Zionism with Nazism, the authors are weaponizing the Holocaust against Jews and demonizing Jewish identity and connections to Israel. Such language does nothing to advance legitimate political discourse or constructive criticism of Israeli government policies. Instead, it perpetuates antisemitic stereotypes, dehumanizes Jewish people, and contributes to an environment in which harassment has become more acceptable. History has repeatedly demonstrated the devastating consequences of allowing hateful and threatening rhetoric to go unchallenged. Words matter, particularly when amplified by individuals in positions of influence. We call on Berkeley’s civic, community, elected leaders and candidates for public office to speak out against this rhetoric and unequivocally reject antisemitism and all forms of hate. -JCRC Bay Area, Congregation Beth Israel, Congregation Netivot Shalom, JCC East Bay, @jfcseastbay, @jewishbayarea-

JCRC was proud to join @CSHLG, @templesanjose, and fellow faith organizations at @PACTSJ's Annual Leadership Luncheon yesterday to celebrate the launch of the Voting is Sacred campaign and our shared commitment to civic engagement. 🗳️

"In some ways, the years since the Oct. 7 attacks have felt like a second coming out: not because being Jewish is new to me, but because I’ve had to decide when and where I am willing to be fully visible as a Jew, including the parts of my Jewish identity that involve Israel." Dr. Joshua Simmons, JCRC Council member and San Francisco psychologist, reflects on Jewish identity, belonging, and the pressure he has felt since October 7 to hide parts of himself in LGBTQ+ spaces he once considered home. Read his piece in @eJPhil: ejewishphilanthropy.com/i-th…