July 18, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BI-PARTISAN PROGRESSIVE NEW JERSEY PAC SUPPORTING JEWISH CANDIDATES & ELECTED OFFICIALS LAUNCHED

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – In 2021, New Jersey had its highest ever recorded number of incidents of antisemitism at 370, with areas as diverse as Bergen, Ocean, Middlesex and Union leading the counties with numbers in the 30s and Monmouth, Morris, Essex, and Mercer not far behind with numbers in the 20s (Anti-Defamation League, 2022). Also in 2021, a lawsuit against the government of Jackson Township in Ocean County was launched by the U.S. Department of Justice suing the township alleging systemic discrimination targeting the local Jewish community (U.S. Department of Justice, 2022). The township later settled in 2022. In 2019 as officials should have been more focused on a burgeoning pandemic, Trenton City Council officials used the term “Jew Down” to refer to their desired behavior from their Jewish lawyer (Weisgerber, 2019). Capital City officials defended their use of this term for far too long, and they continued to decline to censor themselves after education and resources were provided to show the hurtfulness and bigotry of their language (Wildstein, 2019). These examples are just the tip of the iceberg for our state.

With rising antisemitism across New Jersey, emboldened by political divisions, and the continuing prevalence of the normalization of antisemitic tropes in public discourse, a new progressive Political Action Committee has been launched: Justice Equity Wins, doing business as JEW PAC.

Why are we called JEW PAC? Because like our PAC name, we are unabashedly Jewish, proud to be Jews, and are eager to support current and developing candidates who are of the same mind.

Who is JEW PAC? We are a group of New Jersey Jews from all sides of the political and religious spectrum who have recognized the need for a united Jewish voice in New Jersey and the unique challenges that Jewish candidates and elected officials face. We are made up of an advisory board, PAC co-chairs, and all of our donating members.

“My co-chair, our advisory board, and I all know how important it is to be sure all voices are represented in politics, and with the recent rise in antisemitism in New Jersey and across the country, I am looking forward to ensuring that a louder, more unified Jewish community’s voice is heard at all levels in our State,” notes Miranda Meyers, co-chair of JEW PAC.

How can I help JEW PAC? Follow our social media on Facebook and Twitter @JewPacNJ, give to us to support Jewish candidates (https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jewpac), and stay tuned for up-coming events and ways to get involved.

If you are a Jewish candidate or elected official who wants to get involved, please reach out to the PAC via email (jewpacnj@gmail.com).

References
ADL. (2022, April 26). ADL: Antisemitic Incidents in New Jersey Reach Highest Levels Ever Recorded in 2021. ADL. Retrieved July 2, 2022 from https://nynj.adl.org/news/2021-audit-nj/
U.S. Department of Justice. (2022, June 15). Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Against Jackson Township, New Jersey, for Discriminatory Ordinances Targeting Orthodox Jewish Religious Schools. Department of Justice. Retrieved July 2, 2022, from https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-resolves-lawsuit-against-jackson-township-new-jersey-discriminatory
Weisberger, J. (2019, September 18). Trenton City Council member under fire for using anti-Semitic slur. New Jersey Jewish News. Retrieved July 2, 2022, from https://njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com/trenton-city-council-member-under-fire-for-using-anti-semitic-slur/
Wildstein, D. (2019, September 15). Trenton councilman defends McBride, says ‘Jew down’ is just a ‘statement of speech’. New Jersey Globe. Retrieved July 2, 2022, from https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/trenton-councilman-defends-mcbride-says-jew-down-is-just-a-statement-of-speech/