The nation's largest statewide coalition of Jewish organizations, advocating for Jewish communal issues and values in Sacramento. Repping over 40 Jewish orgs
California
Joined October 2013
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Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
Two New Laws Advance Security for California’s Diverse Communities
@CAgovernor @BauerKahan @AsmJesseGabriel @SFJCRC @ADL @JFedLA @Jewish_Cal @CAJewishCaucus
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
Is Judaism a Religion or an Ethnicity? (California Just Weighed In)
If two-thirds of Jewish Americans view their Jewish identity through culture or ancestry rather than religion, why do government agencies only track Judaism as a faith or religion?
In this episode of Can You Believe?, host Brad Pomerance sits down with @davidbocarsly, Executive Director of Jewish California, to discuss the historic, unanimous passage of California Senate Bill 1387. California has officially become the first state in the nation to recognize Judaism as an ethnic and ancestral category in state data collection.
David addresses the real concerns surrounding government lists of Jewish people, explains how this ethnic data may unlock vital funding opportunities for Jewish social services and medical research, and shares Jewish California's vision to expand this groundbreaking model to the other 49 states as well as the federal government. @JewishLifeTV
Watch it here: youtu.be/Vk8w2imILqo
For all episodes & podcast platforms: canjewbelieve.com Subscribe and rate 5 stars!
#podcast #jewishpodcast
🤖 Made with AI
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
MAJOR WIN: We are only one signature away from SB 1387 becoming law!
Thank you @SenHenryStern and @Jewish_Cal for making this historic bill possible.
🚨 HISTORIC: The CA Legislature just passed SB 1387 (Stern)! The bill passed the Assembly 62-0, with 17 abstentions, and the Senate 38-0, with 2 abstentions.
California is now on the verge of becoming the first state in the nation to recognize Jewish identity as an ethnicity in law. Thank you to Senator Stern for authoring this bill.
The bill now heads to Governor Newsom, who has until September 30 to sign it into law. #JewishCalifornia
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
Amazing news! Thank you to all the legislators who supported this bill!!
🚨 The CA Senate just passed AB 1853 (Pellerin, Berman) 31-0, with 9 abstentions! This bill bars hate speech from California’s official voter guides.
Next stop: Assembly Floor to approve the amendments made in the Senate. #JewishCalifornia
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
Hen — This is an important policy priority for our CA Jewish community, to track health, public safety, and education outcomes. It’s also about being recognized and seen the way other disenfranchised groups are. Before you criticize, please consult with the Jews impacted on the ground — you would expect no less from us about what happens inside Israel.
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
A great win today. Thank you AG @RobBonta for taking on this malicious attempt to undo the rights of Jewish students that we at @SFJCRC and @Jewish_Cal fought for.
GREAT NEWS: A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging AB 715, California's landmark law to combat antisemitism in K-12 schools.
This ruling, and the fact that the case has been dismissed with prejudice, affirms that AB 715 is a strong, legitimate approach to protecting Jewish students — and all students — against harassment and discrimination. The court has decisively rejected claims that AB 715 violates first amendment rights or that it is in any way exclusionary.
We are grateful to Attorney General @AGRobBonta and his office for their strong defense of the bill and commitment to protecting California students from antisemitism and discrimination. This clears the way for the law to move forward as intended.
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
GREAT NEWS: A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging AB 715, California's landmark law to combat antisemitism in K-12 schools.
This ruling, and the fact that the case has been dismissed with prejudice, affirms that AB 715 is a strong, legitimate approach to protecting Jewish students — and all students — against harassment and discrimination. The court has decisively rejected claims that AB 715 violates first amendment rights or that it is in any way exclusionary.
We are grateful to Attorney General @AGRobBonta and his office for their strong defense of the bill and commitment to protecting California students from antisemitism and discrimination. This clears the way for the law to move forward as intended.
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
🚨 ACTION ALERT: Six @Jewish_Cal priority bills are at a critical stage in Sacramento, and we need your voice to help move them forward next week.
ACTION 1: Urge the Senate Appropriations Committee to advance five priority bills protecting safe worship, strengthening nonprofit security, supporting religious observance, ensuring equal access to public events, and combating hate.
👉 Take action: secure.everyaction.com/9cf0x…
ACTION 2: Urge the Assembly Appropriations Committee to advance SB 1387, which recognizes Jewish identity as an ethnicity in California law and demographic data.
👉 Take action: secure.everyaction.com/SBBaj…
Each action takes less than 30 seconds. Make your voice heard and share with your community!
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
.@Jewish_Cal CEO @DavidBocarsly writes in a new @jewishsf op-ed:
"At its base, SB 1387 is about being seen. The secular Jew, the Israeli American, the Jew of color, the atheist who finds meaning in the pursuit of justice. All of us deserve to look into the state's own mirror and recognize ourselves in it."
JCRC proudly supports SB 1387, which would help ensure California's data reflects the diversity of the Jewish community and leads to better public policy. Jewish Californians deserve to be counted.
Read the full op-ed: jweekly.com/2026/07/16/good-…
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
Thanks to the hard work of @Jewish_Cal and all its partners, $80 million has been secured for the state's synagogues and Jewish nonprofits. jweekly.com/2026/07/06/despi…
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
HUGE NEWS! 🎉
California's synagogues and nonprofits will now have $80M in permanent security funding annually.
Thank you @CAgovernor and the legislators who fought to include this provision in the state budget.
🎉 GENERATIONAL WIN. For years we fought for security funding one budget at a time. Today, that changes forever. 🔐 California has made nonprofit security grants permanent — $80M every single year, guaranteed. A 160x increase in a decade. This is what advocacy makes possible. #jewishcalifornia
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
GREAT NEWS! 🎉 SB 1287, California's landmark campus safety and civil rights law that updated codes of conduct and strengthened protections for students, is no longer at risk of being repealed.
After Asm. Sade Elhawary introduced AB 2551 with language to repeal SB 1287, our partner @jewish_cal mobilized a statewide advocacy effort. More than 8,000 community members and 57 organizations spoke out, and the repeal language was removed from the bill.
Thank you to Chair @senatorsrp and Senate Leader @MoniqueLimonCA for listening to our community and helping protect this important law!
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
Jews are more than a religion. We're also a people, with a shared history, culture, heritage, and identity.
On Tuesday, California's Assembly Judiciary Committee unanimously passed SB 1387, which would ensure Jewish identity can be included when the state collects ethnicity data.
The bill does not create a protected class or require anyone to identify as Jewish. Instead, it gives Californians the option to more accurately reflect their identity and helps ensure Jewish communities are better represented in data on issues such as hate crimes, education, and healthcare.
Thank you to Assemblymembers @AsmRickZbur (coauthor) and @AsmStefani for speaking in support of SB 1387, Senator @SenHenryStern for authoring the bill, and the Committee for passing it.
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
ADL was at @JPACcalifornia Capitol Summit in Sacramento this week to meet with elected officials, community leaders, and advocates, and push for real protections for all Californians. That includes AB 2664, creating safe worship zones so people can enter and leave their place of worship safely and without intimidation. In 2025, 90 synagogues in California were targeted in antisemitic incidents. Silence is no longer an option.
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
At a @Jewish_Cal virtual forum Sunday, five candidates for state superintendent staked out positions on AB 715, the safety of Jewish students in public schools, and a proposal that would strip the very office they’re running for of its independence. Read more at @jewishsf: tinyurl.com/2ja9y4s3
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
Who will be the next leader of California’s public schools?
Last night, we joined our partners at @jpaccalifornia to host the five candidates for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction for a powerful conversation on the issues impacting the Jewish community most, including AB 715 implementation and rising antisemitism on college campuses.
Thank you to our fellow sponsors @adlcalifornia, @ajcnorcal, @jfcsorg, @jewishbayarea, and @jfedla for helping make this important forum possible.
Missed it? Watch the full recording here:
youtube.com/watch?v=q9W_8Wxq…
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
Northern California @StandWithUs staff & lay leaders joined hundreds of #Jewish community members in Sacramento today at the @JewishCalifornia #CapitolSummit to advocate for a set of bills designed to fight #antisemitism & make #California safer for everyone  #CAJewishVoice
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
In #Sacramento today for @JPACcalifornia 2026 #CapitolSummit on behalf of @BizFed listening to @NathanHochmanDA.
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
Members of @JPACcalifornia stopped by my Capitol office this week to advocate on behalf of the estimated 1.2 million Jews residing within our state.
Jewish California (formerly JPAC) retweeted
Happy Jewish American Heritage Month!
Yesterday, I joined Rabbi Noah Farkas for a fireside chat at the @JPACcalifornia’s Capitol Summit.
We discussed how California is proud to celebrate and stand with the Jewish community, as well as the vital role Jewish Americans have in shaping our state and nation.
