The Jewish Council for Public Affairs is an American Jewish nonprofit organization that acts as a coordinating round table for a wide variety of national Jewish organizations and regional councils, encompassing all of Judaism’s major denominations, including the Reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox congregational movements. Among other things, the organization supports various left-of-center causes and initiatives, though sometimes without the support of its Orthodox movement-aligned constituent member, the Orthodox Union.

Background

In 1944, four national Jewish community agencies, the American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Labor Committee, and the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith (now known simply as the Anti-Defamation League), as well as 14 regional Jewish Community Relations Councils (JCRCs), met at the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds’ General Assembly to form the National Community Relations Advisory Council to act as an umbrella organization representing the interests the American Jewish community, encompassing the four major denominations of the Jewish Religion: Reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox. ¹

Later in 1953, the organization was registered as a charitable nonprofit organization in New York City. In 1997 the organization adopted its current name, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. As of 2022, the JCPA represents 125 JCRCs and 16 national Jewish community agencies. ^{2 3}

Advocacy

Sexual Identity Issues

Toward the latter half of the 20th century, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs added sexual orientation and gender identity to its “nondiscrimination advocacy agenda.” Particular initiatives that the Council took in relation to this agenda includes supporting the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that barred openly LGBT persons from serving, opposing a proposed ban on transgender people serving in the military, supporting the 2009 Hate Crimes Prevention Act that added gender, sexual orientation, and disability to the list of federally protected classes, and supporting the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. ⁴

Pro-Abortion and Contraceptive Advocacy

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs routinely opposes legislative initiatives and measures that would regulate or limit access to abortion, including the Hyde Amendment, restrictions on overseas abortion advocacy with U.S. government funding, and various legislative efforts to reduce government funding of Planned Parenthood. ⁵

Orthodox Union

Notably, the Orthodox Union, one of the JCPA’s member organizations, which represents the interests of the America’s Orthodox Jewish community, does not join or cooperate with the Council’s resolutions and advocacy efforts related to abortion and sexual identity issues. ⁶

Leadership Conference on Civil Rights

In 1950, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the NAACP, and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters co-founded the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. To that end, in the Conference’s early years, the Council hosted and staffed the organization to the extent that the Council’s program director served as the organization’s second-in-command. As part of its efforts with the conference, and in alignment with its policy agenda generally, the Council also supported policy initiatives such as the desegregating of schools and housing, affirmative action, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. ⁷

David Bohm

In 2021, David Bohm was elected to serve as the board chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs for a term beginning in June 2021 and ending in June 2023. Previously, Bohm has worked with the council in various capacities, including as chair of its Policy Advisory Committee and Delegates Assembly, chair of its Task Force on Jewish Security and Bill of Rights, as well as its vice-chair, treasurer, and secretary. Similarly, Bohm has worked in leadership capacities with other Jewish interest groups, including as chair of the St. Louis JCRC and in various positions with the St. Louis Jewish Federation. Professionally, Bohm is an attorney and principal at Danna McKitrick P.C. ⁸

1.  “Our Story: JCPA’s Historical Narrative and Timeline.” JCPA. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131624104.
2. “Jewish Council for Public Affairs.” ProPublica. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131624104.
3. “Our Story: JCPA’s Historical Narrative and Timeline.” JCPA. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131624104.
4.  “Our Story: JCPA’s Historical Narrative and Timeline.” JCPA. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131624104.
5.  “Our Story: JCPA’s Historical Narrative and Timeline.” JCPA. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131624104.
6. “Our Story: JCPA’s Historical Narrative and Timeline.” JCPA. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131624104.
7. “Our Story: JCPA’s Historical Narrative and Timeline.” JCPA. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131624104.
8. “DAVID BOHM ELECTED AS JCPA’S NEW BOARD CHAIR.” JCPA. 2021 Accessed November 28, 2022. https://jewishpublicaffairs.org/news/david-bohm-elected-as-jcpas-new-board-chair/.