JCRC Bay Area

THIS SUNDAY: Join us live on Zoom at 6:00 p.m. PT for the @jpaccalifornia Superintendent of Public Instruction Candidate Forum. Hear directly from all five leading candidates for California Superintendent of Public Instruction as they answer questions on the education issues that matter most to Jewish Californians. The next Superintendent will lead the nation’s largest public school system, serving nearly six million students. For the Jewish community, this election couldn't matter more. Featuring: 🔴 Richard Barrera - Board President, SDUSD 🔴 @AMuratsuchi - CA Assemblymember 🔴 @JoshNewmanCA - Former CA Senator 🔴 @RendonAnthony - Former CA Assembly Speaker 🔴 @realSonjaShaw - Board President, CVUSD Moderated by award-winning journalist @JackiKarsh 🔗 REGISTER NOW: jewishcal.org/SPIforum

Thank you to the Moraga Town Council and Mayor Kerry Hillis for proclaiming May as Jewish American Heritage Month at last night’s council meeting. JCRC was proud to accept the proclamation alongside @IsaiahLafayette Senior Rabbi Jill Perlman.

SFIC Shares in the Loss of Beloved Founder & Past Chair Rita R. Semel conta.cc/3R87FQb

Rita Semel was a leader in our city for generations, and her vision and leadership in creating the San Francisco Interfaith Council brought together people of different faiths and backgrounds. As a proud member of San Francisco’s Jewish community, she worked to build understanding across communities and unite people to make our entire city stronger. Rita’s leadership made San Francisco a more united and compassionate city, and she will be deeply missed.

JCRC Bay Area today mourns the passing of Rita Semel, z”l, JCRC Executive Director Emeritus, whose visionary leadership, moral courage, and boundless commitment to interfaith understanding shaped not only our organization, but the broader civic and spiritual fabric of the Bay Area for decades. Rita served as the second executive director of JCRC Bay Area from 1987 to 1989, ushering in a new era as the driving force behind JCRC’s first Israel mission for Bay Area leaders – a groundbreaking initiative that continues to deepen understanding of and personal connections to the Jewish homeland to this day. She was also a founding member of the San Francisco Interfaith Council and served as its past chair and longtime board member, helping create one of the nation’s most respected models for interreligious collaboration. Rita is survived by her daughter, Elisabeth Semel, and her nephew, Paul Resnick, a JCRC Past President, along with a vast community of family, friends, colleagues, and admirers who were touched by her presence and inspired by her example. May her memory be for a blessing.

JOINT STATEMENT: Stanford Vandalism Trial Decision Risks Dangerous Precedent, Creating Double Standard for Jewish Public Officials -JCRC Bay Area & Jewish Silicon Valley- We are deeply troubled by Judge Kelley Paul’s decision in People v. Gonzalez to disqualify District Attorney Jeff Rosen and his team from prosecuting the defendants allegedly responsible for the politically motivated destruction of the executive offices of the university president and provost at Stanford. Without issuing a written ruling, the court has set a disturbing precedent that appears to impose a different standard on Jewish public officials. This ruling has also validated the defense and their supporters' ongoing campaign to smear one of our state’s highest-ranking Jewish officials. This decision uniquely targets minority prosecutors, suggesting they are incapable of pursuing justice in cases perceived to be impacting their own communities. We must reject this double standard, which undermines the ability of all public servants to stand against hate without fear of professional disqualification. Generations of American Jews in positions of public trust have all too often been treated as suspect or inherently conflicted. This decision risks reinforcing longstanding antisemitic prejudices and invites future defendants to weaponize a prosecutor’s identity against them, casting any public opposition to hate as grounds for disqualification. Allowing such a ruling to stand would weaken a vital safeguard for our justice system and we urge the Attorney General to appeal. The case against the defendants must proceed. Anything less would undermine the fundamental principles of equal justice and impartiality under the law.

Thank you to the Santa Rosa City Council and Mayor Mark Stapp for declaring May as Jewish American Heritage Month with a city proclamation. More than 25 members of the Sonoma County Jewish community attended and helped lead the effort to make this proclamation possible. Councilmember Victoria Fleming presented the proclamation to JCRC Council Member Danielle Feldman, who delivered moving remarks on Jewish pride and belonging. #JAHM

Thank you to the East Palo Alto City Council and Mayor @Web4EPA for passing resolutions last night reaffirming the city’s commitment to combating antisemitism and honoring Jewish American Heritage Month. JCRC is grateful for your partnership in standing against hate and celebrating the contributions of the Jewish Americans.

"Promoting Jewish American Heritage Month to local governments, libraries and schools reminds our civic leaders that we are here and enshrines another piece of Jewish American history into our country’s official records," JCRC Council Member Danielle Feldman (Congregation Shomrei Torah) writes in @jewishsf. jweekly.com/2026/05/01/in-…

GREAT NEWS! AB 2159, a bill that would have stripped key provisions from California’s landmark antisemitism law AB 715, is officially DEAD. 📃❌️ In coordination with @JPACcalifornia and the @cajewishcaucus, our community came together to stop this effort. Opponents of AB 715 attempted to derail its implementation, but legislators held firm thanks in large part to the thousands of messages sent by members of the California Jewish community. To everyone who took action alongside Jewish California, thank you for standing up for our Jewish students and defending this hard fought legislation. AB 2159 would have: ❌ Removed key guidance used to identify antisemitism ❌ Stripped safeguards against bias in classrooms ❌ Eliminated professional standards for instruction ❌ Demoted the state’s Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator while leaving other discrimination coordinators untouched This is not the first, nor will it be the last, attack on AB 715. Together we will remain vigilant and keep the community informed on any future developments.

Happy Jewish American Heritage Month from JCRC! Find resources, commemorations and more on our website. ✡️🎉 jcrc.org/blog/jahm/

CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED: We’re pleased to share that the five leading candidates are participating in the Jewish California 2026 Superintendent of Public Instruction Candidate Forum – a virtual statewide event where candidates will share their views on the education issues that matter most to Jewish Californians. Register now at: jewishcal.org/SPIforum

NEW DATA: Despite heavy scrutiny over his antisemitic rhetoric, Richmond, CA Mayor Eduardo Martinez is seeking reelection in the June primary. While he has rejected calls to step down, one thing stands out: the incumbent is significantly trailing his challengers in contributions

JOINT STATEMENT: At Stanford Trial, Treatment of DA Rosen Underscores Troubling Double Standards Facing Jewish Officials -JCRC Bay Area + Jewish Silicon Valley- The right to a fair trial is fundamental. However, in the trial People v. German Gonzalez, the defense is treating District Attorney Jeff Rosen’s opposition to hatred directed toward Jewish people as somehow suspect. The defense has brought an argument that strongly implies the alleged perpetrators of politically motivated destruction of property inside the President’s Office at Stanford University, which resulted in over $300,000 in damages to the office and building, can not be fairly prosecuted by the District Attorney because he is Jewish. This is a spurious, frivolous, and offensive claim and, if accepted, would set a dangerous precedent that invites those facing criminal charges to weaponize a prosecutor’s identity and statements about confronting hate to disqualify them. District Attorney Rosen’s professional conduct has been exemplary throughout the trial and the assertion that he’d shown bias by “indirectly” labeling the defendants antisemitic reflects a broader and troubling pattern in how Jewish public officials are treated. Standing up to hate should never be recast as evidence of bias, and speaking out against antisemitism should never be considered a disqualifier. Suggesting that Jewish officials are biased because they speak on issues important to them as Jews is a harmful double standard that echoes longstanding antisemitic tropes about divided loyalty and undue influence. Here in the Bay Area, we must do better. Jewish Americans at all levels of public service deserve to be judged by the same standards as everyone else: based on their conduct and commitment to the public good.

Read @CAJewishCaucus's statement: instagram.com/p/DXrySouk9k5/

Many in our community were shocked to find a conspiracy-laden, antisemitic rant printed in the official June 2026 primary voter information guide. We thank the California Jewish Legislative Caucus for condemning and bringing attention to this issue, which impacted countless voters across the state. Last week, JCRC Bay Area also privately engaged the Secretary of State’s office on constructive ways to support Jewish and other impacted communities. At a time of rising antisemitism, including in political spaces, strong leadership matters. This content never should have been published.

TODAY!! Join us online!

Celebrate AAPI and Jewish Heritage Month with a night of laughter. 🎤 Join JCRC, the @api_council, @ivalueculture, and @apaheritagesf at the @boomboomroomsf for a special comedy showcase bringing together Jewish and Asian comedians from across the Bay Area. This monthly series features fresh talent every third Wednesday, and May’s show is extra special as we honor both AAPI and Jewish American Heritage Month. 📅 Wednesday, May 20, 2026 🕗 8:00 PM 📍 Boom Boom Room — 1601 Fillmore St, San Francisco 🔞 21+ Don't miss out! RSVP for free: eventbrite.com/e/official-aap…