About JCRC

Building relationships. Connecting communities. Meeting challenges.

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) is a nonprofit public affairs agency working on behalf of the Southern New Jersey community, representing synagogues and Jewish organizations on critical issues affecting Jews as individuals and as a community. JCRC creates consensus and leads advocacy efforts in the organized Jewish community, ensuring that our voices are amplified and heard. We build bridges with other faith, interest, and ethnic based groups that share our passion for social justice, forging relationships based on the issues our community cares about most. JCRC of Southern New Jersey is one of 125 Jewish Community Relations Councils in the country. Together, these JCRCs form the grassroots of the national umbrella organization, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

How We Operate

As the umbrella body for local member organizations, synagogues, and at-large members appointed by the Jewish Federation, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) unifies, mobilizes, represents, and is responsible to the Southern New Jersey Jewish community.

Members are charged with reporting on issues discussed at JCRC meetings to the organizations they represent and articulating them to the larger Jewish community, as well as the greater community. JCRC works on behalf of the Jewish community to address the concerns of Jews here and abroad through strengthening inter-group understanding, promoting the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and enhancing a just and pluralist society. 

The JCRC Mandate

Address through education and advocacy, the following issues:

• U.S./Israel relations
• Anti-semitism
• Separation of church and state
• Jewish security
• Tolerance education
• Inter-group relation

We work toward:

• Developing consensus within the Jewish community on issues of policy.
• Protecting, preserving, and promoting a just, pluralist, and democratic American society.
• Safeguarding the rights and security of Jews here, in Israel, and around the world.
• Maintaining relationships on an ongoing basis with law enforcement and communicating with local Jewish organizations on issues of security.
• Developing relationships with other groups in the local community to build bridges and coalitions of understanding and goodwill.

JCRC Departments