 | |
| Founded | 1990; 35 years ago (1990) |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | New York City,NY, U.S. |
Executive Director | Audrey Sasson |
| Volunteers | 6,000+ |
| Website | www |
Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) is anAmerican left-wingnon-profit grassroots Jewish organization based in New York City. JFREJ describes itself as a "movement to dismantle racism and economic exploitation". It operates both a501(c)(3), also known asJFREJ Community and a501(c)(4) known asJFREJ Action.[1][2]
JFREJ was founded in New York City in 1990.Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz served as the organization's first director.[3] While initially focused on local issues, JFREJ's first event was a Shabbat gathering honoringNelson Mandela during his visit to New York City in June 1990. Mandela's visit drew mixed reactions from the local Jewish community, with organizations including theAnti-Defamation League, theAmerican Jewish Committee, theAmerican Jewish Congress, and theUnion of American Hebrew Congregations requested him to clarify his stance on Israel following recent interactions withPalestine Liberation Organization ChairmanYasser Arafat and Libyan presidentMuammar Gaddafi.[4][5][6] Some members of New York City's Jewish community protested Mandela during his visit.[7] To counter to this response, JFREJ's first event, held on June 15, 1990, honored Mandela and raised $50,000 for the anti-apartheid movement.[8]
Following the 1999killing of Amadou Diallo by fourNew York City Police Department officers, JFREJ began organizing its members to address issues ofpolice brutality and advocate forpolice accountability.[9] On March 24, 1999, 126 JFREJ members were among the 212 individuals arrested during protests against Diallo's death, as reported byThe New York Times.[10]
Between the early 2000s and 2010, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) participated in the campaign led by Domestic Workers United (DWU) to pass theDomestic Worker's Bill of Rights in New York State.[11][12] JFREJ began collaborating with DWU in 2002 and supported the passage of aNew York City Council resolution for domestic workers' rights in 2003–2004. JFREJ worked with Jewish employers of domestic workers to improve employment practices and advocate alongside domestic workers to secure the legislation.[11] After the bill's successful passage,Ai-jen Poo of theNational Domestic Workers Alliance and JFREJ members who had been organizing domestic employers established Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network.[13][14]
In October 2012, JFREJ began working with Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) to opposestop-and-frisk in New York City.[15]
From its founding through the mid-2010s, JFREJ primarily consisted of white Jews and engaged with non-white communities through partnerships with non-Jewish organizations. In 2014, Leo Ferguson joined the organization to promote greater inclusion of the diversity within the Jewish community. By 2020, this effort resulted in increased diversity within JFREJ's membership, the establishment of a Jews of Color caucus led by Ferguson, and a staff composition that included 3 Jews of color out of a total of 9 staff members.[16]
During thefirst presidency of Donald Trump, JFREJ was active in protests against theTrump travel ban and as part of the movement toAbolish ICE.[17][18][19]
In 2019,Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke at a JFREJ event where she discussed her Puerto Rican ancestors' distantSephardi Jewish heritage.[20]
Following theMonsey Hanukkah stabbing in 2019, Audrey Sasson, JFREJ executive director, opposed increased police presence as a response toantisemitism, expressing concerns that such measures could makeBlack Jews and otherJews of color feel unsafe.[21]
In June 2022, theAnti-Defamation League condemned JFREJ as "out of touch" with mainstream Jewish-American opinion. ADL CEOJonathan Greenblatt retweeted aTwitter thread describing JFREJ and the Jewish Vote as a "far-left scam." An ADL spokesperson later affirmed the organization's stance that JFREJ does not represent Jewish opinion or values. Sophie Ellman-Golan, JFREJ's communications director, responded by criticizing the ADL for questioning the Jewish identity of JFREJ members.[22]
In the2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary, JFREJ endorsed bothBrad Lander andZohran Mamdani.[23]
The Jewish Vote is the electoral arm of JFREJ. They endorse and support candidates who advocate for policies such asuniversal health care, universalrent control, aGreen New Deal,publicly funded elections, fair wages and working conditions, and the end ofmass incarceration and the criminalization of people of color.[24][25][26]
The Jewish Vote played a significant role inJamaal Bowman's successful 2020 primary campaign inNew York's 16th Congressional District.[26] Before launching his campaign, Bowman met with JFREJ members to discuss Jewish history and antisemitism. During the campaign, 100 JFREJ members volunteered under the banner #JewsForJamaal to support his candidacy.[27]
As a member of the NY Caring Majority Coalition, JFREJ advocated for the passage of the Fair Pay for Home Care Act in New York State, which proposed increasing home care workers' wages to 150% of the minimum wage.[28] The wage increase did not reach the target of 150% in 2022, with the state budget including a $8 billion investment over four years to raise wages for home care workers.[29]
JFREJ has provided advice to the White House on combating antisemitism.[30]
In collaboration with other Jewish organizations, JFREJ co-sponsored theJews Against White Nationalism project.[31][32]
In 2019, JFREJ launched NYC Against Hate, a coalition of community-based organizations focused on enhancing safety for minority communities in New York City. The initiative received over $1 million in funding from theNew York City Council as part of the 2020 budget. This funding was eliminated in the 2021 budget.[33] Together with its coalition partners, JFREJ organizes community safety canvasses and bystander intervention training sessions in response to incidents of antisemitism.[34]
In 2014, JFREJ participated inBlack Lives Matter protests in New York City following the killing ofEric Garner.[35][36]
In 2016, JFREJ organized a month-long #JewsForBlackLives campaign, culminating in a march of 400 participants, which was the largest Jewish mobilization forBlack Lives Matter at the time.[37]
In 2018, members of JFREJ's Jews of Color caucus organized aJuneteenth Seder, using traditions from thePassover Seder. The event highlighted demands for justice for Black New Yorkers killed by the NYPD and called for reparations.[38]
In 2020, after themurder of George Floyd, JFREJ participated in the ensuingprotests in New York City, joined advocacy efforts todefund the New York Police Department,[39] and organized a Shabbat service at the Occupy City Hall encampment.[40]