New York Jewish Agenda

Meet the staff: Phylisa Wisdom, Executive Director Q: What is your favorite thing about your work at NYJA? A: I love that we get to be really nimble in how we approach our work and community’s needs. We’re living in a time when the ground is really shifting beneath our feet in the Jewish communal landscape, as well as in New York politics. It can take a long time to decide what larger organizations do or how they respond, and at NYJA we are able to be really responsive, while staying thoughtful about what interventions we need to be doing on any given day. Q: What’s your favorite Jewish spot in NYC? A: I love The Tenement Museum, which beautifully illustrates the stories of how our people came to NYC and then were able to thrive and build here. It reminds us how unacceptable it would be to pull that ladder up behind us, and how NYC must remain a beacon of welcome. Q: What Jewish leaders inspire you in your work? A: All of our board members and co-founders! Truly, it blows my mind that I get to work with this group of powerhouses who are so thoughtful, passionate, and strategic. They have been navigating these waters for collective decades, and I’m so grateful to be in this work with them.

We were honored to organize this letter in support of three key pieces of legislation in partnership with NCJW New York, signed by nearly 100 New York Jewish clergy and leaders. You can find all of the signatories at https://lnkd.in/exFAfRaF

Meet the Staff: Naomi, Engagement Manager Q: What’s your favorite thing about your work at NYJA? A: At a time when so many people feel overwhelmed or powerless in the face of everything happening in our city, state, country, and world, I love that my job helps connect people to opportunities to make change. Whether I am inviting people to a rally or event, helping donors connect with our work, or making information about NYJA more available, it feels meaningful to give people an opportunity to take action. Q: What’s your favorite Jewish spot in NYC? A: I am emotionally attached to B&H Dairy in the East Village despite living rather far from it. There’s something magical about squeezing into the tiniest space imaginable and having access to Challah on a weekday, (vegetarian!) matzah ball soup outside of Passover, and just about any other Jewish diner treat I could possibly dream of. Q: What are you most looking forward to at NYJA in the upcoming year? A: I’m excited for the events that we’re planning! We are planning a wide range of events, from happy hours for young leaders, to a Hanukkah bash, to another lobby day in Albany. I’m looking forward to getting to meet more people in the NYJAverse face-to-face, as well as having the opportunity to take action and learn with and from so many incredible people. 

NYJA is proud to be a founding member of the New York Jewish Coalition on Criminal Justice Reform. The coalition organizes Jewish groups – nonprofits and synagogues – to do advocacy related to criminal justice reforms, to educate our community about this issue, and to go to and help lead worship services on Rikers Island. The Coalition's newest work is a siddur (prayer book) designed for use on Rikers, and may be the first Jewish prayer book specifically for use in a correctional facility. We are so grateful to the many people who put their heart and soul into this project. Congratulations to our partners at Jewish Community Relations Council of New York for their powerful leadership on this project. See the article on the Siddur, featured in JTA / 70 Faces Media here: https://lnkd.in/eTYWJX86

Last week, NYJA co-organized a rally outside of the Israeli embassy to call for immediate aid into Gaza, a diplomatic end to the war, including the release of all Israeli hostages. Co-sponsors were liberal and progressive groups representing Israelis and progressive American Zionist organizations. Eight rabbis were also arrested for blocking traffic on 2nd Avenue with bags of flour and rice, and signs and photos of starving Gazans and hostages to say: "we cannot go on like this!" The necessity of these protests is a painful reality on many levels for our community. You can hear from NYJA leaders about the urgency and challenge of these protests here.

Organizing our community is key to NYJA's work. We're grateful to the NYJA community who has joined us in person to call for change and fight for a more just New York. We'll continue to share opportunities for these gatherings as they arise.

We have almost reached the end of Jewish American Heritage Month here in NY, the largest Jewish community in America. We asked NYJA leaders to share their inspirations and reflections on Jewish heritage and activism in New York, and how they’re inspired by our shared history here. Happy #JAHM! Thank you Board Chair Nancy K. Kaufman , Engagement Manager Naomi Horn, Jonathan Kopp, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, and Rabbi Joel Mosbacher for sharing your words and inspirations, including our own board member and cofounder Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum!

Join us this Wednesday afternoon to learn about the World Zionist Congress, why progressive Jewish New Yorkers should vote, and why NYJA has endorsed the Hatikvah slate: https://lnkd.in/eUZDqJS6