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28 May 2025
In the following letter, a group of Jewish Federation and foundation leaders call for unity, civility, and collaboration in the face of the rising tide of hatred toward Jews.”
Dear Friends and Leaders of the Jewish Community,
We write to you today with urgency, with heartbreak, and with unwavering resolve. The time to unite is now, not tomorrow or next week but NOW.
At a time when antisemitism is rising at a staggering and dangerous pace—on campuses, in the streets, online, and tragically, again in deadly acts of violence—we must confront truth: those who seek to harm Jews do not ask us how we vote, how we feel about Israel, or what kind of kippah—if any—we wear.
Last Wednesday evening, in our nation’s capital, it was murder. Weeks earlier, arson was attempted at the home of a Jewish governor. From Pittsburgh to Poway, and across North America, we are victims of threats, vandalism, harassment, and intimidation with a frequency and intensity many of us never imagined we would experience in our lifetimes. Our community is deeply divided on many issues: on how best to or even if we can fight antisemitism, on the future of Israel and its war in Gaza, and on politics more broadly.
These are real and meaningful debates, and we must have them in good faith and with respect. But let us be clear: those who hate us rarely make such distinctions. To them, a Jew is a Jew. And history has shown us where that logic can lead. Throughout history, when Jews failed to unite in the face of existential threats, the consequences were catastrophic. The destruction of the Second Temple was not only the result of Roman power, but also of sinat chinam—baseless hatred and infighting among Jews. We cannot afford to repeat those mistakes. Our disagreements, however, deeply felt, must not overshadow our shared obligation to protect and uplift the Jewish people.
We are all in this together, and we must stop fighting each other. Now is the time to stand shoulder to shoulder—not in uniformity of opinion, but in unity of purpose. This is not the job of one Jewish organization or a few brave leaders, it is OUR responsibility. We, as Jewish leaders, choose unity over division.
We, the undersigned, call upon every Jewish leader—religious and secular, progressive and conservative, young and old—to find common cause in the most fundamental of obligations: to ensure the safety, dignity, and future of our people. Let our disagreements not divide us into paralysis or despair. Let them sharpen our thinking and deepen our commitments.
And above all, let us remember that in moments of crisis, Jewish strength has always come from Jewish unity.
Am Yisrael Chai.
With hope and determination,
(Names listed in Alphabetical Order)
B. Elka Abrahamson, Rabbi
President
The Wexner Foundation
Amanda Abrams
Executive Director
The Zalik Foundation
Marc Baker
President and CEO
Combined Jewish Philanthropies
Josh Donner
Executive Director
The Shapira Foundation
Lisa Eisen
Co President
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
Rabbi Noah Farkas
President and CEO
Jewish Federation of Los Angeles
Jeff Finkelstein
President and CEO
Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh
Barry Finestone
President and CEO
Jim Joseph Foundation
Julie Platt and Eric Fingerhut
Chair, President and CEO
Jewish Federations of North America
Deena Fuchs
Executive Director
Micah Philanthropies
Rachel Garbow Monroe
President and CEO
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
Rabbi David Gedzelman
President and CEO
The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life
Eric S. Goldstein
CEO
UJA-Federation of New York
Michael Hoffman
President and CEO
Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County
Stephen Hoffman
Chairman
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation
Steven Ingber
CEO
Jewish Federation of Detroit
Brain Jaffee
CEO
The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati
Jay Kaiman
President
The Marcus Foundation
Karyn Cohen Leviton
VP, Jewish Life and Engagement
One8 Foundation
Adam Minsky
President and CEO
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto
Yamit Taragan Nahami
Acting CEO
Aviv Foundation
Lonnie Nassiter
CEO and President
JUF Chicago
Adina Poupko
Executive Director
Natan Fund
Gil Preuss
CEO
The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
Dana Raucher
Executive Director
The Samuel Bronfman Foundation
Erika Rudin-Luria
President
Jewish Federation of Cleveland
Joy Sissisky
President and CEO
Bay Area Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund
Andrés Spokoiny
President and CEO
Jewish Funders Network
Marina Yudborovsky
CEO
Genesis Philanthropy Group