Jewish Community Emergency Leadership Mission to Assemble in DC June 25-26

Calling on Congress and Trump Administration to Take Action to Safeguard Jews

Washington, D.C., (June 19, 2025) — The Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations are leading an Emergency Leadership Mission to Washington, DC on June 25^th and 26^th to appeal to the U.S. Congress and the Trump Administration to safeguard the security of Jewish Americans and the security of Israel.  

This in-person plea to Congress and the Administration will be made by leaders from nearly 100 Jewish communities and 30+ Jewish organizations representing 7.5 million Jewish Americans at a time when Jewish communities in America and Israel are both under attack.

The broad representation from across the country and across the organizational spectrum reflects the universal nature of this crisis and the urgent need for the government to take strong and aggressive action to stop the the antisemitic murders, attacks, violence, and harassment.

“We are facing an unprecedented situation in American Jewish history where every Jewish institution and event is a potential target for antisemitic violence. Our Jewish communities and our local law enforcement partners are bearing extraordinary costs to secure our community and enable us to exercise our basic right to gather as Americans for religious and cultural activities. This is domestic terrorism, plain and simple, and defeating this campaign of terror is the responsibility of government,” said Eric Fingerhut, President and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America. “We are convening in our nation’s capital to partner with our representatives in Congress and the Administration to restore to our community what every American deserves – the ability to live freely and securely, without being targeted for who we are.”

This historical mission comes in the wake of recent violent attacks targeting Jewish events in Washington, D.C. and Boulder, Colorado, among others, along with rising concerns about the escalating geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran, the largest sponsor of global terrorism.  

These recent incidents are not isolated. They reflect the climate American Jews have been living in since October 7^th when the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust reignited a surge in anti-Jewish hate across the country. The threats are real, from “Globalize the Intifada” chants to Molotov cocktails being thrown at Jewish events, and deadly shootings targeting Jews.

“American Jews are not bystanders to global terror and domestic extremism. We are deliberate targets,” said William C. Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. “The federal government has a mandate to act, and we are here to work with Congress and the Administration to ensure they have the tools they need to succeed. After the unprecedented barrage of missiles fired at Israeli cities in recent days, the stakes have never been higher. The fight for Jewish security is not just domestic—it is global. We must continue pressing our legislators to stand with Israel and oppose a nuclear Iran.”

On June 25-26, representatives of the Jewish American community will be unified in urging the federal government to act on a six-point policy plan to protect Jewish communities:

• Increasing the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to $1 billion annually
• Providing federal support for security personnel costs that Jewish communities are forced to bear
• Expanding FBI resources to fight the domestic and global war on terror
• Providing federal assistance to local law enforcement to protect Jewish institutions
• Regulating social media hate speech and incitement of violence
• Enforcing and prosecuting existing hate crime legislation

The Mission organizers and participants also plan to thank members of Congress who have stood firmly with Israel and Jewish communities, even as they urge additional steps to support Israel as it defends against the enemies that have openly declared and sought the means to destroy the Jewish state and annihilate its citizens.

About Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)

The Jewish Federations of North America are the backbone of the organized Jewish community in the US and Canada, representing over 350 Jewish communities. They raise and distribute more than $2 billion annually and through planned giving and endowment programs to build flourishing Jewish communities at home, in Israel, and around the world.