Key Takeaways From Crossing the Country to Hear From You

In the past two weeks, we’ve held seven in-person events in four different states, where I had the chance to meet with, listen to, and engage with hundreds of you. While each stop on this JDCA summer tour has been slightly different, similar themes have emerged in terms of your feedback, questions, and concerns.

Jewish Americans overwhelmingly reject Donald Trump and his extreme policy agenda, which we view as a direct threat to our democracy and values.
Jewish Americans are struggling amid rising antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment, as well as growing concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The vast majority of Jewish Americans are looking for clear and bold leadership from Democrats to address these issues, and some are now searching for their political home.

My message to any Jewish voter who feels politically isolated, frustrated, or confused is that you’re in the right place with JDCA. You are home.

If Trumpism is anathema to you, and you are looking to support Democrats who share our values – defending democracy, protecting freedoms, pursuing justice, providing economic opportunity, combating antisemitism, and standing with the Israeli people – then JDCA is exactly where you should be. Serving as a “political home and voice of Jewish voters in support of Democrats who share our values” is our mission, and we’re building, cultivating, and aiming to secure this political home with all of you.

The good news about this “home” is that we have an incredibly strong foundation laid by pillars of the Jewish community across the country. We have weathered storms, won elections (112 in 2024 alone), renovated and grown, and demonstrated great resilience together. Perhaps most importantly, we’re continuing to build on this foundation, providing you with the tools to change the direction of our country, all under one roof. Each day, you can take action with JDCA because we believe that action is more powerful than despair. So let’s get to work.

Our home has an open door, with a mezuzah affixed to it, and we want to continue to speak with you directly about the challenges we’re facing as voters, activists, Democrats, and American Jews. Whether you joined a JDCA in-person event this summer or not, please join our virtual “JDCA Members Open House” on Monday, August 11 at 12:00-1:30 pm ET, to continue and build on the conversations that we’ve started around the country this summer.

JOIN JDCA OPEN HOUSE ON AUGUST 11 AT 12:00 PM ET

This event is a townhall conversation (not a webinar), an open house (join when you can), and an opportunity for JDCA members (membership starts at $180/annually) to hear from us and all of you. It also happens to be eight years – to the day – since neo-Nazis marched in Charlottesville, chanting “Jews will not replace us.” This neo-Nazi demonstration, in which Donald Trump saw “good people on both sides,” led to the launch of JDCA in 2017.

As we mark eight years since this dark moment in American history, we hope you’ll join us as we lay the groundwork for a more promising future.

All JDCA 2025 members are invited to join us on August 11, and will receive a Zoom invitation. If you’re not yet a 2025 member, please join us. And if you’re already a member, please consider upgrading your membership level, which helps us do even more and have an even greater impact.

Now Let’s Talk About Israel

In our summer events, we have heard questions and concerns about where Democrats stand on key issues, including antisemitism and Israel, and we have two thoughts to share on this difficult issue. First, let’s not adopt Republican talking points as our own. This is exactly what Donald Trump wants us to do, and his vision for the U.S.-Israel relationship and how to address the rise of antisemitism – which he has exacerbated – is not aligned with ours. Trump wants us to question, despair, and divide among ourselves, and we won’t let him.

Second, the Democratic Party, Democratic Leadership, and the vast majority of Democratic members of Congress align with the Jewish community, oppose the rising threat of antisemitism, and have stood with Israel in the aftermath of the horrific Hamas attacks of October 7. This has not significantly changed in recent weeks, months, or years. Just as JDCA mobilizes Jewish Americans to help elect Democrats, we’re committed to ensuring Democrats continue to share the values and priorities of American Jews.

Yes, we are hearing increased concern from Democrats – and even President Trump – about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and it’s a concern we share. That’s why we’re speaking out, urging the Israeli Government, U.S. Government, United Nations, and all parties to do more to ensure the 2.1 million people of Gaza have access to food. This is in Israel’s best interest and consistent with our values.

We’re also encouraging Democrats to continue to support vital U.S. military assistance for Israel, which is why we issued a statement in advance of this week’s Senate votes, opposing efforts to block two sets of arms sales to Israel. We’re encouraging Democrats to approach the U.S.-Israel security relationship through the lens of longstanding U.S. support that has saved so many lives. We can also – simultaneously – encourage the Israeli government to do more to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and condemn settler violence in the West Bank, which we also did in our statement opposing these Senate resolutions.

As I said yesterday in The New York Times, “The U.S.-Israel relationship should be viewed through the lens of seven decades of the ties between our two countries…It’s a difficult time, and I do think that views — whether public opinion or among elected officials — will shift again once this war finally comes to an end.”

We want to hear from you about all of this and more, so please join us next Monday, August 11, at 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. ET for our “JDCA Open House Townhall” for members. If you’re not already a 2025 JDCA member, please join us to be a part of this movement.

And welcome home.

Shabbat Shalom,

Halie Soifer
CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America