Jewish Heritage Month Resolution
Thanks to Councilwoman Lisa Kaplan, the Sacramento City Council passed a resolution proclaiming May as Jewish Heritage Month. A group of us attended the meeting to show our support and remind our representatives of the significance such resolutions have for our community. As Federation CEO Mariela Socolovsky said during her remarks, “Let this resolution serve as a reminder that history is not just something we study—it is something we shape together.”
Hearing on Assembly Bill 715
After extensive work and negotiations, the Jewish Legislative Caucus reached a historic agreement with the diversity caucuses to move forward with AB 715—a new bill addressing antisemitism in K–12 education. While we previously supported AB 1468, this new bill represents a more systemic and impactful approach.
As JPAC Executive Director David Bocarsly explained, “When done right, ethnic studies can foster empathy and cross-cultural understanding—creating safer schools for all, including Jewish students. But in too many cases, the field has been exploited to promote antisemitic, biased, and factually inaccurate narratives.”
This past Wednesday, our community mobilized: over 100 people showed up in person to testify at the hearing, and thousands submitted letters of support. The result? AB 715, a landmark bill to combat antisemitism in public schools, passed the Assembly Education Committee unanimously with a bipartisan 9-0 vote.
JPAC Summit 2025
This year’s Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California Summit was one of the largest to date, drawing over 600 participants from across California. Together, we gathered at the State Capitol, the heart of legislative power, to advocate for our community and amplify our collective voice. The Federation and JCRC proudly brought a delegation of 15 people, and we’re eager to grow that number next year.
Some participants shared their reflections:
Steve Polansky appreciated the engaging panels and outstanding speakers. Roy Schutzengel, Lori Nalangan, and Marion Leff all cited their meetings with legislators as the most meaningful aspect of the experience. Lori shared, “It was important for me to participate because the issues—especially unbiased ethnic studies—will shape the course of antisemitism in this country for generations. We owe it to them. I owe it to my children not to sit on the sidelines.” Marion added, “I left with the optimistic feeling that my presence made a difference.”