FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 18, 2020
Contact: Reynolds Graves | rgraves@skdknick.com | 313.205.8675
JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL OF NEW YORK JOINS NEW YORKERS UNITED FOR JUSTICE
First Faith-Based Member of NYS’s Foremost Criminal Justice Reform Coalition Brings Moral Urgency to the Fight for Equal Justice
NEW YORK — The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) announced today that it has joined New Yorkers United for Justice (NYUJ) – the state’s foremost criminal justice reform coalition comprised of local and national civil rights, legal, and social advocacy organizations fighting for common sense reforms to the criminal justice system. JCRC-NY’s membership underscores the faith community’s enduring support for meaningful reforms that improve public safety and create a better, fairer system for all – despite an uptick in criminal activity that has targeted faith communities and attempts by opponents of reform to exploit them.
“JCRC-NY is pleased to become part of one of the most effective and robust criminal justice reform coalitions in the nation,” said Bob Kaplan, Director of JCRC-NY’s Center for Community Leadership. “We are eager to engage in dialogue with our fellow NYUJ members to ensure that Jewish voices are heard in addressing an unfair criminal justice system for the poor and communities of color. Parallel to NYUJ, our own diverse Jewish coalition, with members across the political and religious spectrum, seeks a common sense criminal justice reform in New York for all,.”
“We are thrilled to welcome JCRC-NY to our growing and exceptionally diverse coalition,” said Alexander Horwitz, Executive Director of NYUJ. “JCRC-NY has long been a thought leader at the forefront of the promotion of equality and fairness in New York State, for Jewish communities, certainly, but also for communities of color and society at large. We cannot imagine a better partner and coalition member as we work together in support of these much needed reforms.”
JCRC-NY is the 15th organization to join the coalition. Its mission of proactively advocating for the rights, interests, and values of the New York Jewish community – while serving New Yorkers of all backgrounds and faiths – adds diversity, expertise, and a unique, faith-based perspective that will enhance NYUJ’s critical work.
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About The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY)
The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) serves as the central coordinating body and resource organization for the Jewish community in the metropolitan New York area and as an advocate for a strong and secure State of Israel. An active force in New York civic and communal life, JCRC-NY builds working relationships within the Jewish community, with other ethnic and faith communities, and with public officials and government agencies.