The JCRC of Greater Washington's is the chief government advocate and community relations resource for our Jewish community. We partner with local and state organizations to reach out to government officials to advance the legislative agenda of our community in the Greater Washington area.
What We Do
Advocate
The JCRC partners with local and state organization to reach out to government officials at the federal, state, and local levels to advance the Jewish community’s legislative priorities. We provide opportunities for community members to meet with and engage with elected officials. We assist local organizations, agencies, and synagogues in securing government funding.
Educate
The JCRC convenes programs on selected issues of concern to our community, including security briefings and candidate forums.
Activate
The JCRC convenes and mobilizes the Jewish community to make their voices heard on issues of importance to both the Jewish and broader community. We frequently lead and participate in rallies, demonstrations, and other actions to speak out on issues of critical importance. We mobilize synagogues, organizations, and community members to live out Jewish and American values through civic activism.
Communicate
The JCRC serves as the chief public face and voice of the organized Jewish community in our nation’s capital, articulating our collective policy priorities and values to government officials, coalition partners, and the media.
2024 SUBMITTED TESTIMONY
Other Legislative Information
2023 Maryland & Virginia Legislative Sessions
JEWISH VOTER'S GUIDES
JCRC is proud to have worked with Adas Israel Congregation in gathering over 200 Jewish leaders and organizations to condemn the Uyghur genocide and call on President Biden to hold China accountable for it. Follow the link here to read the letter and add your name or organization as signatories.
View Recent Webinars
2022 Maryland and Virginia Advocacy Webinar Series
To kick off our 2022 advocacy in Maryland and Virginia, the JCRC is hosting a series of webinars, Legislatively Speaking in Maryland and 2022 Virginia Advocacy with the JCRC in Virginia.
In case you missed the programs, watch recordings of the sessions below:
Legislatively Speaking Part 1 Featuring Montgomery County Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz and Maryland House Majority Leader, Delegate Eric Luedtke, D-14
Legislatively Speaking Part 2 Featuring Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen
Legislatively Speaking Part 3 Featuring the Honorable Jamie Raskin (MD-8), the Honorable John Sarbanes (MD-3), and the Honorable David Trone (MD-6)
Northern Virginia Legislative Kickoff to the 2022 General Assembly Featuring Speaker of the House, Eileen Filler-Corn
2022 LEGISLATIVE TESTIMONY FOR DC, MARYLAND, AND VIRGINIA
The 2022 Legislative Sessions are underway in both Maryland and Virginia. As part of this year’s virtual sessions, the JCRC is submitting testimony on a wide range of initiatives that support community priorities.
2021 Maryland and Virginia Advocacy Webinar Series
Legislatively Speaking Part 1: Maryland's Senators; The Honorable Ben Cardin and The Honorable Chris Van Hollen
Legislatively Speaking Part 2: Maryland's Representatives; The Honorable Anthony Brown (MD-4), The Honorable Jamie Raskin (MD-8), The Honorable John Sarbanes (MD-3), and The Honorable David Trone (MD-6)
Legislatively Speaking Part 3: Maryland State Elected Officials; Senator Susan Lee (District 16) and Delegate Al Carr (District 18)
Legislatively Speaking Part 4: Montgomery County Council Members; Executive Marc Elrich, President Tom Hucker, and Vice President Gabe Albornoz
2021 Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day
2021 Virginia Advocacy with the JCRC: Environmental Initiatives Webinar
2021 Virginia Advocacy with the JCRC: Housing Initiatives
2021 Virginia Advocacy with the JCRC: Criminal Justice Reform Initiatives
2021 Legislative Testimony for DC, Maryland, and Virginia
The 2021 Legislative Sessions are underway in both Maryland and Virginia. As part of this year’s virtual sessions, the JCRC is submitting testimony on a wide range of initiatives that support community priorities.
Submitted Testimonies
Taking White Supremacy to Court
The Charlottesville Case
Thank you to the hundreds of people who joined us on August 10th, 2020—the eve of the third anniversary of the Charlottesville violence—for a discussion of Integrity First for America's groundbreaking lawsuit and the fight against white supremacy. Speakers included: ERIC WARD, Western States Center; ROBERTA KAPLAN, Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP; KAREN DUNN, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP; and AMY SPITALNICK, Integrity First for America.
Thank you to the following organizations who sponsored the program: Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, ADL, Western States Center, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Southern Poverty Law Center, NAACP Fairfax, Bend the Arc, AJC, ADL Washington DC, Adas Israel Congregation, Agudas Achim Congregation, B’nai Israel Congregation, B’nai Shalom of Olney, Bender JCC of Greater Washington, Bethesda Jewish Congregation, Capital Jewish Museum, Congregation Har Shalom, Edlavitch JCC of Washington DC, Hill Havurah, The Interfaith Families Project of Washington DC, Interfaith Youth Core, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, The Kemp Mill Synagogue, Kol Shalom, Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia, Sixth&I, Temple B’nai Shalom, Temple Beth Torah, Temple Rodef Shalom, Temple Shalom, Tifereth Israel, TzedekDC.