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Baltimore Jewish Council (BJC)

Type:

Community Advocacy Group
Executive Director:

Howard Libit

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The Baltimore Jewish Council (BJC) is the Jewish Federation of Baltimore’s political and community relations arm and a coalition of approximately 50 member organizations. 1 The group has supported left-of-center causes including abortion access and “antiracism” and runs a Social Justice Teen Fellowship for high school students to discuss antisemitism and racism. 2 3 4

Background

The Baltimore Jewish Council is a community advocacy coalition focused on education opportunities for Jewish students while also teaching about interfaith relationships, advocacy based around the State of Israel, combating antisemitism, and leadership development. 5

Its member organizations include several Baltimore-area synagogues and religious organizations including America-Israel Public Affairs Conference (AIPAC) the Baltimore chapter of Americans for Peace Now, J Street, and Jewish Women International. 1

Finances

In the fiscal year ending in June 2023, Baltimore Jewish Council reported revenues of $1,134,089 and expenses of $1,151,723 for a deficit of $17,634. 6

Leadership

Howard Libit is the executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, serving in the role since 2016. Previously, he served as the chief of public affairs and director of strategic planning and policy in the Mayor’s Office for the City of Baltimore in the administration of former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D). Howard also worked for the Baltimore Sun for 15 years as a reporter and editor. 7

Elizabeth Green was the first Orthodox Jewish woman elected president of the BJC and served for the 2022 to 2024 board term. 8 As of mid-October 2024, she was also the estate planning and administration team lead at Breza Law. 9

Robin Weiman was first vice president for BJC’s 2022 to 2024 board term. The organization’s website listed Amalia Honick, Benjamin Rosenberg, Rabbi Steven Schwartz, Melanie Shapiro and Rabbi Jonathan Seidemann as board members and Andrew Busch as past president for that term. 10

Tax forms from 2023 list Yehuda Neuberger as the previous president of the organization. 11 Neuberger’s wife, Anne Neuberger, was selected by President Joe Biden to be the deputy national security advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology. 12

In early October 2024, the BJC website listed Sarah Mersky Miicke as deputy director, Abigail Snyder as director of government affairs, and Megan Brantley as director of community relations. 13

Advocacy

The BJC has advocated in favor of Maryland state legislation including one requiring teachers and school administrators to learn about Islamophobia and antisemitism, one to restructure the Maryland Hate Crimes Commission, and another to assess the state of education on the topic of the Holocaust in Maryland. 14 15 The BJC also claimed responsibility for the Maryland General Assembly’s allocation of funding for Holocaust survivors. 16

BJC’s website offers “Antiracism Resources,” including a “Jewish Privilege self-assessment” and “We Are Family: Rethinking Race in the Jewish Community.” 3 The website also references the group’s “18 Day Exploration of Racial Justice,” organized by Sarah Mersky Miicke, Tracie Guy-Decker, and Yosef Webb Cohen. 17

Guy-Decker joined the Jews United for Justice Board in 2023 and co-chaired the Baltimore Fundraising Team. She has also written about the “normalizing of pronoun declaration.” 18

Webb-Cohen is also a participant of Jews United for Justice and a board member of Repair the World. 19 20 He has previously spoken against “white supremacy culture.” 19

References

  1. “Member Organizations – Baltimore Jewish Council.” Baltimore Jewish Council, 23 Sept. 2020. www.baltjc.org/about/member_organizations/.
  2.  Razzaque, Sarah. “BJC Statements – Baltimore Jewish Council.” Baltimore Jewish Council, 26 Sept. 2024, www.baltjc.org/news/statements/.
  3. Peterson, Matt. “Antiracism Resources – Baltimore Jewish Council.” Baltimore Jewish Council, 5 Nov. 2020, www.baltjc.org/what-we-do/community-relations/antiracism-resources/.
  4. “Community Relations – Baltimore Jewish Council.” Baltimore Jewish Council, 19 Apr. 2024, www.baltjc.org/what-we-do/community-relations/.
  5. What We Do – Baltimore Jewish Council.” Baltimore Jewish Council. September 17, 2020. https://www.baltjc.org/what-we-do/
  6. Baltimore Jewish Council, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521912836/202313469349300986/full, Part I, Lines 12, 18 and 19.
  7. Howard Libit – Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs.” Bcfausa.org, 2016, www.bcfausa.org/leadership/howard-libit/.
  8. “PK Law Member Elizabeth Green Elected President of the Baltimore Jewish Council.” PK Law, 8 July 2022, pklaw.com/news/pk-law-member-elizabeth-green-elected-president-of-the-baltimore-jewish-council/.
  9. “Elizabeth A. Green, Esq. – Breza & Associates, LLC.” Brezalaw.com, 2023, brezalaw.com/elizabeth-a-green-esq/.
  10. “Board of Directors – Baltimore Jewish Council.” Baltimore Jewish Council, 14 July 2022, www.baltjc.org/who-we-are/board-of-directors/.
  11. Baltimore Jewish Council, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521912836/202313469349300986/full, Part VII, Section A, Line 8.
  12. “Anne Neuberger Bio.” Council on Foreign Relations, cdn.cfr.org/sites/default/files/pdf/anne-neuberger-bio.pdf.
  13. Razzaque, Sarah. 2024. “BJC Staff – Baltimore Jewish Council.” Baltimore Jewish Council. June 24, 2024. https://www.baltjc.org/who-we-are/bjc-staff/.
  14. BJC Council Matters June 2024. Baltimore Jewish Council, June 2024.
  15. BJC Council Matters May 2024. Baltimore Jewish Council, May 2024.
  16. [1]BJC Council Matters May 2024. Baltimore Jewish Council, May 2024.
  17. “Sarah Mersky Miicke, Yosef Webb-Cohen and Tracie Guy-Decker – JMORE.” JMORE, 2 Oct. 2020, jmoreliving.com/2020/10/05/baltimore-jewish-council-launches-virtual-racial-justice-program/bjc-racial-justice/.
  18. Guy-Decker, Tracie. “What Pronouns Taught Me about Belonging – Jewish Museum of Maryland.” Jewishmuseummd.org, 31 Aug. 2020, jewishmuseummd.org/what-pronouns-taught-me-about-belonging/.
  19. Ellin, Simone. “Black Jewish Educator Yosef Webb-Cohen Takes on White Supremacy Culture – JMORE.” JMORE, 24 Feb. 2021, jmoreliving.com/2021/02/24/black-jewish-educator-yosef-webb-cohen-takes-on-white-supremacy-culture/.
  20. “Meet Repair the World’s Newest Board Members.” Repair the World, 7 Dec. 2020, werepair.org/press/meet-repair-worlds-newest-board-members/.
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