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Zioness

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Zioness is a left-of-center group 1 that advocates for “the inclusion of Zionists in social justice spaces.” 2

Among its political stances, Zioness claims that Jewish law requiring doctors to provide medical care in certain circumstances applies to “healthcare which affirms someone’s gender.” 3

Background

Zioness claims to be a “multiracial coalition of Jewish activists and allies who are unabashedly progressive and unapologetically Zionist.”  The website lists testimonials from author Yossi Klein Halevi, U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and board member Elisha Wiesel, the son of late Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel. 2 4

Positions

Zioness takes left-of-center stances on several issues including environmentalism and climate change; expanded immigration and refugee admissions; “LGBTQ+ equality, inclusion, visibility, and safety”; policing, sentencing, bail, and pre-trial detention policy; and other policy areas. 5

Immigration and Refugees

Zioness supports the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, as well as rights for “DREAMers,” people who arrived to the U.S. as children and have lived in the U.S. their whole lives, “including a path to citizenship.” Zioness also supports city programs for finding housing for migrants and opposes policies that cause migrants “to be treated without dignity or honor,” including detention along the southern border in inhumane conditions. 6

LGBT Advocacy

Zioness claims that “gender affirming care is part of saving a life.” On Zioness’s one-pager regarding this stance, it claims that the Torah references people who are neither male nor female, and “prophets specifically call for their inclusion in society.” The one-pager also claims that Jewish law requiring doctors to provide medical care applies to “healthcare which affirms someone’s gender.” 6

Zioness advocates for a broader definition of bereavement, family, and new child leave laws “so that LGBTQ (and immigrant) families” can have access. The group’s platform supports access to shelters and emergency and social services in individuals “regardless of their gender identity or the make-up [sic] of their family.” 7

Policing, Sentencing, Bail and Pre-trial Detention

Zioness claims that current “pre-trial systems do not assume everyone is innocent, or even equally innocent, until proven guilty.” The group also opposes private prisons, claiming that they have “been proven repeatedly to have more biased outcomes and less accountability.” 8 Zioness also supports restorative justice and sentencing reforms. 8

Financials

In 2022, Zioness reported $1,151,013 in revenue and $1,250,860 in expenses for a net loss of $99,847. 9 It received several donations in the 2020s from private foundations. 10

While Zioness’s publicly disclosed tax forms for 2023 were not available by early December 2024, several foundations’ tax forms show donations to Zioness. The largest donation recorded on a 2023 tax form was from the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin & Sonoma Counties, which gave $36,000. 11 The Koret Foundation in California gave $25,000 earmarked for “organizing fellowship.” 12 The Rose Community Foundation in Colorado gave $13,500 13 and the Feldman Foundation of California gave $15,000. 14

Zioness also received $21,600 through the donor-advised Jewish Communal Fund in 2023. 15

Leadership

Executive director Amanda Berman founded Zioness. She is a writer and civil rights attorney. 16

As of December 2024, Zioness’s website listed Chidera Anugwom as the program manager, Josh Steinberg as the chief operating officer, Justin Arnold as the organizing manager, and Nick Canfield as the national vice president of organizing. 4

Before coming to Zioness, Canfield worked as President Joe Biden’s deputy national organizing director. He has also worked for Vote Rev, formerly known as Vote Tripling, as national field director, and for Citizens of the World as a senior advisor. 17

References

  1. Zioness Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022, Part 1, Line 1 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/824360952/202343109349302059/full
  2.  Unabashedly Progressive. Unapologetically Zionist. Zioness.org.” 2022. Zioness Movement. 2022. https://zioness.org/.
  3.  “Policy Platform: Inclusion of Trans Individuals.” Zioness, zioness.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/INCLUSION-OF-TRANS-INDIVIDUALS-ZIONESS.pdf.
  4. “Staff & Board of Directors | Zioness Movement.” Zioness Movement, 2024, zioness.org/staff-board-of-directors/.
  5. “Policy Platforms | Zioness Movement.” Zioness Movement, 2024, zioness.org/advocacy-at-zioness/.
  6. “Policy Platform: Immigrant and Refugee Justice.” Zioness, zioness.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/POLICY-PLATFORM-IMMIGRANT-AND-REFUGEE-JUSTICE-ZIONESS.pdf.
  7.  “Policy Platform: LGBTQ Equality, Inclusion, Visibility & Safety.” Zioness, https://zioness.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/LGBTQ-EQUALITY-INCLUSION-VISIBILITY-AND-SAFETY-ZIONESS.pdf
  8. “Policy Platform: Policing, Sentencing, Bail and Pre-Trial Detention.” Zioness, https://zioness.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/POLICING-SENTENCING-BAIL-AND-PRE-TRIAL-DETENTION-REFORM-ZIONESS.pdf
  9. Zioness Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/824360952/202343109349302059/full, Lines 12, 18, 19.
  10. Suozzo, Andrea. “Nonprofit Explorer – ProPublica.” ProPublica, 9 May 2013, projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?sort=-year&q=%22zioness+movement%22&submit=Apply.
  11. Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin & Sonoma Counties, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/941156533/202431369349314563/IRS990ScheduleI, Schedule I, Part II, Section a, Line 1036.
  12. Koret Foundation Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990PF), 2023, Schedule I, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/941624987/202422499349100902/IRS990PF
  13. Rose Community Foundation Return of Organization Exempt from Income tax (Form 990PF), 2023, Schedule I, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/840920862/202422819349301242/IRS990ScheduleI.
  14. Feldman Foundation Return of Organization Exempt from Income tax (Form 990PF), 2023, Schedule I, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/473798908/202401369349104155/IRS990PF
  15. Jewish Communal Fund Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, Schedule I https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/237174183/202410969349301036/IRS990ScheduleI
  16. “Amanda Berman | Zioness Movement.” Zioness Movement, 31 Jan. 2020, zioness.org/members/amanda-berman/.
  17. “Nick Canfield | Zioness Movement.” Zioness Movement, 31 Jan. 2020, https://zioness.org/members/nick-canfield/
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