Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Donate
Non-profit

Bend the Arc Jewish Action California

Website:

california.bendthearc.us
Type:

Jewish advocacy group
Parent Organization:

Bend the Arc Jewish Action
Formation:

2006

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

Bend the Arc Jewish Action California operates as the state-level arm of Bend the Arc Jewish Action, a left-of-center 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that lobbies for left-of-center policies on issues like criminal justice reform, immigration, and racial equity, particularly “Black liberation.” The California chapter has field offices in Emeryville and San Louis Obispo, California. 1 2 3

Bend the Arc Jewish Action California mobilizes Jewish communities in California to support left-of-center causes through campaigns, endorsements, and partnerships with allied groups. The entity is closely affiliated with Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, a 501(c)(3) focused on education and organizing, and Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC, which funds electoral efforts. Critics argue the group’s emphasis on progressive agendas sometimes prioritizes partisan politics over broader Jewish interests. 4

Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice was formed in 2011 as a merger of the New York-based Jewish Funds for Justice and the west coast-based Progressive Jewish Alliance. 5 6

Advocacy and Activities

Bend the Arc Jewish Action California focuses on state policy, endorsing left-of-center candidates in elections and campaigning for bills like the VISION Act to limit Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, the California Act to Save Lives on police use of force, and the PROMYSE Act on youth reinvestment. 7 8 9 It has pushed for changes to bail laws and expanded services for asylum seekers, often partnering with non-Jewish left-wing advocacy groups. 10 11 The organization often partners with non-Jewish allies in coalitions for these efforts, including immigrant rights groups and racial justice advocates. 12

Bend the Arc Jewish Action California is aligned with its national counterparts opposing immigration laws and supporting Black Lives Matter initiatives. In 2024, its PAC endorsed California candidates, contributing to left-leaning candidates. 13 Critics note the group’s activities can appear partisan, such as when members heckled President Donald Trump during a 2019 Pittsburgh visit, chanting “Trump endangers Jews” at a shale conference. 14 15

In June 2025, Bend the Arc Jewish Action, including its California chapter, participated in the “No Kings: Nationwide Day of Defiance” protests, joining Indivisible and nearly 200 partner organizations to oppose “authoritarianism” and support detained illegal aliens, with events in Los Angeles and other locations. 16 17 18

Controversies

The group has faced criticism for its left-of-center focus, with a 2020 Tablet article accusing it of using Jewish identity to promote agendas funded by non-Jewish sources, potentially diluting traditional Jewish advocacy. 4 In 2025, it opposed the Antisemitism Awareness Act, arguing it could undermine Jewish safety and act as a “gag bill.” 19

Financials

As part of the national entity, Bend the Arc Jewish Action California relies on contributions to the 501(c)(4), which reported $2.46 million in 2023 revenue, primarily from donations. 20 21

The affiliated 501(c)(3) received grants from left-leaning foundations like the Ford Foundation ($5 million, initially approved in 2017 and increased in 2019) and Open Society Foundations (OSF). The OSF grants included three separate awards totaling $1,033,500 in 2020: $500,000 “to combat antisemitism and build solidarity with communities experiencing other forms of hatred,” $93,500 “to support the Funders’ Collaborative on Youth Organizing…in training young activists in youth-driven racial justice and civic engagement organizing,” and $440,000 “to support efforts to combat antisemitism.” 22 23 The PAC raised $300,904 in the 2021-2022 cycle from individual donors. 24

Leadership

As of July 2025, leadership is national, with Jamie Beran as CEO since November 2022, overseeing all entities including the California chapter. 25 Other key figures include Eli Williams-Szenes, Bend the Arc’s director of advocacy and political affairs since April 2025. 26 27 National staff also features Jillian Lipman as national organizer based in Brooklyn, New York, with experience in community organizing and program development. 28

References

  1. Bend the Arc Jewish Action California Signup. Bend the Arc. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.bendthearc.us/california_signup.
  2. “Our Community Is Our Power.” Bend the Arc. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.bendthearc.us/act_locally.
  3. “Bend the Arc Is Uniting Progressive Jewish Voices across America to Fight for Justice for All.” Bend the Arc. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.bendthearc.us/about.
  4.  Cooper, Sean. “Bending the Jews.” Tablet Magazine, May 27, 2020. https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/bend-the-arc.
  5. “Merged Social Justice Groups Become Bend the Arc.” Jewish Journal, April 3, 2012. https://jewishjournal.com/news/united-states/102725/.
  6. “Bend the Arc’s New Leader Is a Black Belt with a Radical Streak.” The Times of Israel. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.timesofisrael.com/bend-the-arcs-new-leader-is-a-black-belt-with-a-radical-streak/.
  7. “California State Senate: Support the VISION Act.” Bend the Arc. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.bendthearc.us/vision_petition.
  8. “Add Your Name: California Jews Demand Restrictions on the Use of Deadly Force by Police.” Bend the Arc. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.bendthearc.us/california-act-to-save-lives.
  9. “Tell the California State Legislature: Pass the PROMYSE Act.” Bend the Arc: Jewish Action. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.bendthearc.us/promyse_ca.
  10. “Sign the Petition: Jews in California Demand Bail Reform.” Bend the Arc. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.bendthearc.us/bailreform.
  11. “California Jews Support Services for Asylees.” Bend the Arc: Jewish Action California. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.bendthearc.us/yif_ab1368.
  12. Huang, Josie. “Why These California Jews Are Fighting for Bail Reform.” LAist. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://laist.com/news/kpcc-archive/why-these-california-jews-are-fighting-for-bail-re.
  13. “Endorsements by Bend the Arc Jewish Action Inc. PAC.” Ballotpedia. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://ballotpedia.org/Endorsements_by_Bend_the_Arc_Jewish_Action_Inc._PAC.
  14. Palmer, Ewan. “Jewish Protesters Explain Why They Disrupted Trump’s Pittsburgh Speech, Blast President’s ‘Ugly Rhetoric and Policies of Fear’.” Newsweek. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.newsweek.com/trump-pittsburgh-jewish-protesters-synagogue-1467505.
  15. Corcoran, Tom, Michele Feingold, Barry Goldberg, Dove Kent, Hannah Klein, Max Socol, Noah Wagner, and Louise Weissman. “Why We Disrupted Trump’s Rally: Trump Endangers Jews and All of Us.” Bend the Arc, October 23, 2019. https://www.bendthearc.us/statement_from_jewish_protesters_who_disrupted_trump_s_rally_in_pittsburgh.
  16. Bend the Arc Team. “Join No Kings: Nationwide Day of Defiance on June 14 👑❌.” Bend the Arc, June 05, 2025. https://www.bendthearc.us/june_14th_no_kings_nationwide_day_of_defiance.
  17. “Partners.” No Kings. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.nokings.org/partners.
  18. ADI Staff Reporter. “Over 40 Anti-ICE Protests Planned For This Weekend.” Arizona Daily Independent, June 13, 2025. https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2025/06/13/over-40-anti-ice-protests-planned-for-this-weekend/.
  19. Kimelman-Block, Jason. “Statement: Why Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Opposes the Antisemitism Awareness Act (S. 558).” Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, April 29, 2025. https://www.bendthearc.us/aaa_statement.
  20. “Bend The Arc Jewish Action Inc.” ProPublica. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/460539726.
  21. Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice. “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax: Form 990 Ending June 30, 2024.” Bend the Arc, 2023. https://assets.nationbuilder.com/bendthearc/pages/1596/attachments/original/1747846869/Bend_the_Arc_Form_990_ending_06.30.2024.pdf?1747846869.
  22. “Core Support for the Funder’s Collaborative on Youth Organizing to Strengthen the Field and Increase Philanthropic Resources for Youth Organizing, and for Core Support for Organizational Strengthening.” Ford Foundation. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/bend-the-arc-a-jewish-partnership-for-justice-127128/.
  23. “Foundation To Promote Open Society, Full Filing.” ProPublica. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/263753801/202113519349100511/full
  24. “PAC Profile: Bend The Arc Jewish Action.” OpenSecrets, April 18, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/bend-the-arc-jewish-action/C00573253/summary/2022.
  25. Beran, Jamie. LinkedIn profile. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-beran-a3b12013/.
  26. Williams-Szenes, Eli. LinkedIn profile. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-williams-szenes/.
  27. Williams-Szenes, Eli. “Introducing Eli Williams-Szenes.” Bend the Arc, May 15, 2025. https://www.bendthearc.us/introducing_eli_williams_szenes
  28. Lipman, Jillian. LinkedIn profile. Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-lipman-88a88439/
  See an error? Let us know!