JCRCA / Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta

12/15/2025

We have set up a new page for boring technical reasons, but please follow JCRC of Atlanta to continue receiving updates from us and statements such as this one about the latest horrific example of murderous antisemitism.

12/09/2025

Join us this Thursday from 8:30 to 10 a.m. for the next Community Council. We'll be talking about policy and practical ways to combat hunger, including insights from MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger's Liza Lieberman.

Register free at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSR43YNO0VO8UrOpguKMhbyncQMDEi2WjWe-F-F0N87r0ssQ/viewform

Our draft policy statement, to be discussed Thursday, is below:
JCRC Policy Statement on Hunger and SNAP in Georgia

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta (JCRC Atlanta) is alarmed by the possibility of deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), especially as it will affect the people of the State of Georgia. JCRC Atlanta calls on partners within and beyond the Jewish community to join us in several specific initiatives to combat food insecurity in Atlanta and throughout Georgia.

Judaism compels us to care for the poor and the hungry. Leviticus 23:22 states: “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger.” Midrash Tannaim adds: “Whenever you give food to the poor, God accounts it to you as if you gave food to God.”

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta has long acted on those values, from holding an annual Hunger Seder for awareness and resources to lobbying Georgia members of Congress to expand nutrition programs in the five-year Farm Bill.

JCRC therefore is alarmed by deep cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), our nation’s most significant anti-hunger program. SNAP provides food assistance to approximately 1.4 million Georgians and reduces the likelihood of food insecurity by 30%.

The federal government now is forcing states to assume significant SNAP costs. Between administration and benefits, Georgia’s new expenses are expected to far exceed half a billion dollars a year just to maintain current support.

Fortunately, Georgia has a budget surplus of $14.6 billion, including a rainy-day fund of $5.6 billion. That rainy day has arrived for at least one-eighth of our fellow Georgians.

JCRC Atlanta urges its partners within and beyond the Jewish community to join us in the following initiatives to combat food insecurity throughout Georgia:
• Meet with Georgia legislators before and during the General Assembly session about the necessity of including a fully funded SNAP line item in the state budget.
• Engage with synagogues, other Jewish organizations and Jewish individuals fighting hunger to enhance cooperation and strengthen our combined efforts — including convening the JCRC Community Council on Dec. 11 to share ideas and plans.
• Provide resources and connections to faith-based and secular organizations committed to this vital work, expanding our communal power and reach through interfaith partnership.
• Gather for our next Hunger Seder on March 29 so that we can share progress, resources and interfaith community.

08/28/2025

The scheduling of the runoff election for State Senate District 21 on Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the Jewish calendar, is deeply concerning and highlights insensitivity to a religious minority in Georgia. Our Jewish community should never have to choose between religious observance and civic participation. We strongly urge election officials to ensure this oversight is never repeated.

In the meantime, we encourage Jewish voters in District 21 to take advantage of the options available to them, regardless of which candidate they prefer:
● Deadline to request absentee ballot: September 12
● Early voting: September 13, 15-19
For more information about polling locations or for an absentee ballot, visit: Cherokee County Board of Elections and Voter Registration (https://cherokeegavotes.com/) or Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections (https://www.fultoncountyga.gov/vote).

We call on state leaders to be more mindful of Georgia’s diverse faith communities when setting election calendars, and we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring all citizens can fully participate in the democratic process without compromising their religious practice.

08/18/2025

Community & Expert Forum: Mario Guevara & the First Amendment for All Georgians

Tuesday August 19, 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET on Zoom

Hear from Nationally Recognized First Amendment Attorney Nora Benavidez on the Mario Guevara case.

Join First Five Freedoms for an important conversation with Nora Benavidez, Senior Counsel at the nonpartisan nonprofit Free Press and board member of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, to discuss the detention of local Emmy-award winning journalist Mario Guevara and the implications of his case for all Georgians' First Amendment rights.

As a nationally recognized First Amendment attorney and advocate, Ms. Benavidez has been serving as a legal adviser on the case.

Mario Guevara, an Atlanta reporter covering immigrant communities in Georgia for the past 20 years, was detained by local law enforcement while livestreaming a local “No Kings” protest in mid-June. He was initially charged with three misdemeanors and then denied bond when Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer against him, despite being in the country legally on an active work visa. All criminal charges against him have been dropped by local Gwinnett and DeKalb officials. In early July, the immigration judge ordered his release on bond. However, ICE continues to hold Mr. Guevara in near-constant solitary confinement.

Please RSVP to: Andrew Lewis at andrewlewis.decatur[AT]gmail.com to receive a Zoom invitation.

08/04/2025

JCRC is proud to be co-sponsoring this event Sunday, in person in Atlanta and online everywhere.

For Jewish students, whether entering their first year or returning to campus, rising antisemitism and anti-Israel protests can threaten their ability to learn, thrive and even exist. The Center for Israel Education is providing a free gathering from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, to help students prepare for the fall semester and beyond. From Jewish professionals working on campuses and from current students and recent graduates, engage in insightful conversations about what you can expect at college, what you need to know in the face of hatred of Israel and Jews, how to recognize and respond if your rights are violated, what support and community you’ll find, and how to make the most of your college years. It’s all free. For more information, visit https://israeled.org/august-2025-being-safe-smart-and-jewish-on-campus-resilience-prep-for-college-students/. To register for in-person or Zoom attendance, visit https://rb.gy/6kzb20.

05/22/2025

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta is horrified but not surprised by the fatal shooting of Israeli Embassy employees Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky on Wednesday night outside an American Jewish Committee event at Washington's Capital Jewish Museum. This vicious crime was the foreseeable, even inevitable consequence of “globalizing the intifada” and normalizing hatred of Jews everywhere. Jews, Israelis and Israel’s employees, including our friends at the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta, should be able to live and work without fear of an armed fanatic who believes that murder will help people 6,000 miles away. Every synagogue, Jewish school and other Jewish institution shouldn’t have to operate behind layers of security, as they have since long before October 7, 2023. We are grateful that the state of Georgia has committed $1 million to nonprofit security grants to address the symptoms of the disease of antisemitism, and we urge all officials and community leaders, regardless of views on Israel/Palestine, to join us in condemning these murders and demanding an end to the incitement to violence.

05/07/2025

05/07/2025

So proud of our Atlantans being honored by national NCJW this year: Noam Segal and Sherry Frank!

05/07/2025

To all our Hunger Seder attendees and food advocates out there, join this important effort this weekend!

Thanks to the support of our partner organizations, we’re proud to be celebrating 33 years of , the nation’s largest one-day food drive!

Letter carriers serve their communities every day by delivering vital mail and packages. 📅 THIS SATURDAY, we’ll deliver hope for families in need, too.

🥫📬 Just leave your donation of nonperishable food by your mailbox this Saturday, and your letter carrier will collect it for your community’s local food bank.

💙 Thank you to all who make this possible year after year, and a special shout-out to our partners:
AFL-CIO
CVS Health
Kellanova
National Rural Letter Carriers' Association
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
United Way
US Postal Service
RR Donnelley
Valpak

04/27/2025

Our longtime executive director, Leslie Anderson, is stepping down, so we're looking for a person to step into this administrative role.

JCRC Administrative and Communications Manager
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta seeks an energetic, creative, marketing-oriented individual committed to unleashing the potential of the Jewish community to make a difference for ourselves and others. The ideal candidate will demonstrate an interest in Jewish peoplehood, civil discourse, social justice, and the advancement of the Jewish and wider communities in the metro area. Your focus will be providing Jewish Atlantans the tools they need to apply Jewish values for the benefit of our shared society.
Responsibilities:
• Design and distribute our e-newsletter.

• Maintain the JCRC website.
• Expand our social media presence.

• Strengthen relations with other Jewish and greater community organizations on issues identified by the JCRC board.
• Communicate regularly with the JCRC board, our constituency and the community at large about issues of common interest and opportunities to effect change.
• Schedule and manage monthly board meetings.
• Coordinate online meetings for the board, JCRC committees and community partners.
• Maintain and expand contact lists of JCRC partners, donors, the media and other organizations.

• Support fundraising growth and financial health in areas such as direct-mail campaigns, donor acknowledgment and expense tracking.

• Complete other tasks as needed to support the JCRC mission.

The skills to execute these tasks and a belief in the JCRC mission are vital. Candidates with a wide range of experience and employment history will be considered. Success in this position may lead to growth within our organization.

Contact JCRC board Past President Harold Kirtz at hkirtz[AT]hotmail.com with a resume and cover letter to apply. If you have any questions, contact Harold or board President Michael Jacobs at mjacobs2097[AT]gmail.com.

04/25/2025

We are honored to host the “Unto Every Person There is a Name” program with B'nai B'rith Atlanta - Achim/Gate City Lodge at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta this morning. Thank you to all the readers who have joined us today including the entire staff at the Israeli Consulate General’s office, many staff from Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Barry Seidel, a Holocaust survivor, and those who have sat as witnesses to this painful, important, and meaningful recitation. It is so touching to see the range of ages, organizations, denominations of those who have joined us today.