National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC)

Following the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, the NJAC sued several American organizations including the Associated Press, AJP Educational Foundation, National Students for Justice in Palestine, and UNRWA USA on behalf of several victims of the attack. ^{3 4 5}

On March 1, 2026, NJAC acquired the Zachor Legal Institute, a legal think tank that opposes the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement and antisemitism in the United States. ⁶

Background

The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) is a public policy organization that represents Jewish communities in the United States and abroad. ⁷ NJAC provides litigation, conducts activist and legal training, and works with lawmakers and community organizations to oppose antisemitism. ⁸

The organization works with state legislatures to pass “challenge-proof bills” that it alleges “align with the First Amendment to fight anti-Semitism” on college campuses and within communities. The organization endorses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism. ⁹

The center provides legal courses and training for lawyers within the United States to conduct legal action against instances of antisemitism. Lessons include discussions on international law as well as the State of Israel ⁹ while collaborating with Christian-affiliated groups to educate clergy about antisemitism within faith communities. ⁷

Institute for Litigation Coordination

The Institute for Litigation Coordination is a project of National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) that advocates increased legal protections for Jewish communities within the United States against antisemitism. The Institute focuses on providing legal assistance while promoting pro-Jewish legislation at the local and national levels. The Institute also provides support to advocacy efforts through research assistance and pro bono counsel work for other organizations. The Institute also works with the NJAC Legal Fellows Program, which includes lawyers employed at participating firms. ¹⁰

The project was launched in coordination with several Jewish organizations including Americans for a Strong Israel, the Coalition for Jewish Values, the Deborah Project Israeli American Council, the International Legal Forum, JewBelong, the Lawfare Project, SAFECampus, Shield Communications, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, StandWithUs, StopAntisemitism, Touro University, the World Jewish Congress, Zachor Legal, and the Zionist Organization of America. ¹⁰

The Institute is advised by a board comprised of senior lawyers, academics, and politicians. ¹⁰

Activism

October 7 Lawsuits and Advocacy

Following the October 7, 2023 terror attacks by Hamas against the State of Israel, the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) joined with the Greenberg Traurig law firm, the Schoen law firm, and the law firm of Holtzman Vogel to represent a group of victims from the attacks in filing lawsuits against several American organizations they claimed were supportive of Hamas. These included the AJP Educational Foundation, also known as American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), and the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP). ¹¹ The plaintiffs were nine American and Israeli victims of the attack which included survivors, family members of those killed, and civilians displaced by the Hamas attack. ⁵

Following the attacks, NJAC also sued the media group Associated Press (AP), claiming the outlet had given “material support for terrorism” after alleging AP used photos from a photographer they claimed was affiliated with Hamas. The AP denied the allegations. ³

The group also sued UNRWA USA, the U.S. fundraising arm of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Workers Agency for Palestinian Refugees), in U.S. District Court in Delaware. ⁴ The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 10 American and Israeli dual-nationals who were survivors of the October 7 attack. Before the lawsuit, the center asked the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the tax-exempt status of UNRWA USA. ¹²

In May 2024, Goldfeder released a statement claiming then-President Joe Biden’s withholding of military assistance for the State of Israel was an impeachable offense. ¹³

Campus Advocacy

In May 2023, following a speech by activist Fatima Mousa Mohammed at City University of New York (CUNY), the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) joined with the International Legal Forum (ILF) to request the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in revoking CUNY’s tax-exempt status claiming the speech was part of CUNY’s “long-standing promotion of antisemitism.” ¹⁴

In January 2024, NJAC joined with the Zachor Legal Institute requesting that the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to issue guidance on addressing the issue of antisemitism “in a manner that protects Jewish students on campus.” ¹⁵

In May 2024, Goldfeder testified to the House Judiciary Committee about antisemitism on college campuses. ¹⁶

Antisemitism Protections

In March 2024, NJAC CEO Mark Goldfeder was one of several advocates to join then-South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) when she signed a bill to make it easier for proving discriminatory conduct that is motivated by antisemitism. ¹⁷ The NJAC also lobbied members of Congress and policy advocates to support a “Countering Antisemitism Act” in April 2024 to federal policy in adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism. ¹⁸

Leadership

Anat Alon-Beck is corporate counsel for NJAC. Alon-Beck is an Israeli-American scholar of corporate and securities law, a tenured professor of law at Case Western Reserve University, and a visiting scholar at Harvard Law School. ¹⁹

Miles L. Terry is a former vice president of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, a position he held through the 2023 tax year. ²⁰ Terry is a partner with The Terry Firm, where he focuses on corporate law, business formation, estate planning and nonprofit law. ²¹  Terry is also a managing partner with Gideon Law Group (formerly Goldfeder & Terry). ²²

Mark Goldfeder is the CEO and director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC). Goldfeder is a co-founder and senior partner with Gideon Law Group (formerly Goldfeder & Terry), a church law and nonprofit legal group. He is the founding editor of the Cambridge University Press’s Series on Law and Judaism. He has been a trustee of the Center for Israel Education and was an adviser to the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations. He is a special counsel for international affairs at the American Center for Law and Justice. He was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council in 2021. ²³

Other members of the board include ²⁴ Adam Belfer, managing director at H.I.G. Realty Partners; ²⁵ Stacey Burke, law firm marketing consultant; ²⁶ Renee Evans, a Jewish, Israeli, and political activist and head of the IHS Evans family foundation; ²⁷ Jordan Levin, CEO of OpenBet; ²⁸ Esther Panitch, a Democratic member of the Georgia State House of Representatives and former partner at the Panitch Ivory Law Group, PC; ²⁹ and Aaron Stein, merchandising vice president at the Home Depot. ³⁰

Funding

National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While NJAC does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the National Philanthropic Trust ($500,000 in 2023), ³¹ DonorsTrust ($250,000 in 2024), ³² and the Tina Snider Foundation ($250,000 in 2024). ³³