community relations
Jewish Community Relations Council
The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) advocates for the rights and values of Jews individually and collectively, here and abroad. The Council implements a coordinated program of education, action, and advocacy for the Jewish community.
About JCRC
Our Mission
The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) envisions a just community that reflects American and Jewish values. Our mission is to speak as the representative of the Jewish community on issues of public affairs and public policy by convening and mobilizing the Jewish community through education, advocacy, social justice and support for Israel. We build bridges with other interfaith and community leaders, elected officials, and other organizations striving towards social justice for all.
The JCRC Council includes 23 organizational members representing Milwaukee area synagogues and Jewish organizations, at-large members, past presidents of the Council, and a board which includes officers. JCRC is a core function of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, served by the Community Relations department of Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). The JCRC also reaches out to many national Jewish organizations, including American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, and Jewish Council for Public Affairs.
We were founded in 1938 and became a core function of Milwaukee Jewish Federation in 2010.
Impact and Social Action
A Bridge to the Community-At-Large
The JCRC works with faith, ethnic, and community groups to address common concerns, aiming to promote religious freedom, tolerance, mutual respect, and understanding.
- Engages in powerful interfaith and intergroup relations through active dialogue groups and through Milwaukee’s interfaith organizations.
- Counters polarization by convening people for thoughtful and civil discussion.
Educating and Advocating for Israel
The JCRC works to increase knowledge and support for Israel in the Jewish community and community-at-large.
- Counters anti-Israel measures in civic, academic, and religious settings, and advocates for Israel with elected officials.
- Creates educational opportunities and facilitates civil and thoughtful conversations about Israel.
Influencing Public Policy
The JCRC acts as the eyes, ears, and voice of the Jewish community, mobilizing on key legislative issues.
- Works with elected officials at all levels of government.
- Participates in local, state, and national coalitions related to separation of church and state, poverty, civil rights, and discrimination.
- Holds community events for the Jewish community to meet with candidates and elected officials with the goal of educating voters and increasing familiarity and sensitivity to community concerns.
Safeguarding the Jewish community
The JCRC advocates for the rights of all Jews, monitoring and responding to antisemitic activity, and counters discrimination against all people.
- Holds institutions and communities accountable for antisemitic incidents by working with them to take necessary steps to counter bigotry against Jews and other minorities.
- Increases opportunities for teachers, elected officials, executives, and community leaders to learn about Jews and Judaism.
- Calls out hateful speech, bigotry, and incivility, regardless of its target.
Engaging in Tikkun Olam
The JCRC mobilizes Jewish volunteers to work together to strengthen our community and repair the world.
- Defends the most vulnerable members of our community by advocating for policy change and filling immediate needs.
- Galvanizes the Jewish community to help refugees and to stand in solidarity with embattled communities.
- Nurtures social justice heroes through its Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award.
Planning & Scheduling Guide for Community Members
Jewish Holiday Calendar
Scheduling around holidays is challenging; it is one of the ways that we express who is included and who is excluded, who is valued and who is not. The JCRC is pleased to provide a 5-Year Calendar of Major Jewish Holidays to help ensure a vibrant, respectful, and inclusive Milwaukee.
This calendar lists the dates of the major Jewish holidays. The Jewish calendar is based on an adjusted lunar calendar, so holiday observances vary from year to year on the Gregorian calendar. Please note that all Jewish holidays begin at sundown the evening preceding the holiday. During observance of the major Jewish holidays, work is traditionally prohibited. Therefore, members of the Jewish community may be unable to participate in school, meetings, conferences, or other activities.
The calendar is intended to be a useful tool for planning and scheduling activities, such as public meetings, conferences, major programs, performances, and school-related activities.
Alliances & Task Forces
The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) Alliances build bridges, develop allyship, and foster understanding between the Jewish community and the non-Jewish communities through cross-community engagement and advocacy. Each Alliance is supported by the leadership of the JCRC Executive Director, Director of Alliances and Advocacy, Program Coordinator, and the pairing of two chairs from the JCRC council and the ally community.
The Alliances include Jews of Color and community members of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and relationships.
The purpose of the alliances is to increase awareness and advocacy of issues affecting the Jewish community and communities in the alliance, explore commonalities in mission, encourage cross-alliance advocacy, counter antisemitism, bigotry, and anti-Zionism, and increase JCRC impact.
Alliances organize activities and events relevant to the needs and focus of that respective alliance in alignment with the JCRC and Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s mission to convene and mobilize the Jewish community through education, advocacy, social justice, and advocacy for Israel.
JCRC Task Forces are working groups focused on the Antisemitism Audit, Domestic Policy/Government Affairs, and Interfaith efforts. While Alliances are open to participation from the Jewish community at-large and the ally community at-large, Task Forces are only open to participation from the JCRC Board and Council members.
Interfaith Task Force
Chair: Rabbi Noah Chertkoff
Anstisemitism Task Force
Chair: Bonnie Krisztal
Domestic Affairs Task Force
Domestic Policy & Government Affairs Task Force
Chair: Sharon Grinker
Who We Are
2025-2026 Officers
Jill Plavnick, Chair
Sharon Grinker, Chair Elect
Bonnie Krisztal, Vice Chair
Craig Johnson, Immediate Past Chair
2025-2026 Board Members
Rabbi Noah Chertkoff
Brian DeNeve
Matt Friedman
Ann Jacobs
Moshe Katz
Lloyd Levin
Michael Maistelman
Greg Parrish
Ramona Tenorio
Constituent Organizations
Anshe Sfard Kehillat Torah
Beth Hillel Temple (Kenosha)
Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid
Congregation Beth Jehudah
Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun
Congregation Emanu-El of Waukesha
Congregation Shalom
Congregation Shir Hadash
Congregation Sinai
Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center
Hillel Milwaukee
Jewish Family Services
Jewish War Veterans
Milwaukee Association of Russian Speaking Jews
Milwaukee Free Loan Association
Milwaukee Jewish Day School
National Council of Jewish Women
Ovation
Own Your Judaism
RUACH
Temple Menorah
Tikkun Ha-Ir
Wisconsin Council of Rabbis
At Large Community Council Members
Brent Arnold
Liddie Collins-Siegrist
Brad Dallet
Michael Guralnick
Rabbi Joshua Herman
Donna Kleiner
Ed Levitas
Aaron Lippman
Margo Oshri
Liz Sumner
Benjamin Wagner
James Wiley
Life Members
Joyce Altman
Rabbi Jessica Barolsky
Brad Backer
Stephen Chernof
David Feiss
Susan Friebert
Ann Jacobs
Craig Johnson
Moshe Katz
Judy Kristal
Keith Lindenbaum
Joel Pittelman
Michael Pollack
Tom Schneider
Brian Schupper
Michael Waxman
2024 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation conducts an annual audit of antisemitic incidents across Wisconsin. Our annual audit includes events that occur in Wisconsin, are committed by individuals residing in Wisconsin, or are directed towards Wisconsin residents or institutions. All incidents have been corroborated.
Antisemitism
The JCRC protects the Jewish community and the rights of Jews everywhere, monitoring and responding to antisemitic activity and promoting tolerance. Below are resources for reporting and monitoring antisemitism provided by the JCRC.
If you have any questions regarding these resources, contact us.
What is considered antisemitic activity?
Antisemitic activity includes overt acts of expressions of anti-Jewish bigotry and hostility. Many incidents are not crimes. Activity can generally be categorized as follows:
- Expression – Written or verbal communication by groups or individuals, including public, elected, or religious figures. Includes publicly or privately directed letters, phone conversations, articles, speeches, e-mail, or other online communication
- Vandalism – Desecration, vandalism, or other criminal activity against property
- Harassment, Threats, and Assaults – Directed at individuals or institutions
- Discrimination – Employment, education, housing, or organizational membership
- Hate Group Activity – Rallies, recruitment, or other activities organized or sponsored by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, Skinhead, or other White Supremacist groups
These are not exhaustive or exclusive. We encourage you to report all incidents.
Please submit original documents, recordings, transcriptions of conversations, police reports, photographs, flyers, etc., to verify or substantiate reports.
How does the JCRC use this information?
- The professional staff attempts to verify or corroborate all incidents.
- We respect all requests for anonymity and/or confidentiality by those reporting incidents.
- We refrain from publishing or otherwise making available the names of individual victims or perpetrators. This policy may exclude public figures or comments made in the public domain.
- The JCRC may intervene or provide follow-up on reported incidents, but only in conjunction with the reporting party. This is done on a case-by-case basis.
- Based on reported incidents, the JCRC prepares and distributes an annual audit of antisemitic incidents to local Jewish organizations, agencies and synagogues, local media and national organizations, as deemed appropriate.
- The information is used to develop educational and outreach programming.
How we counter antisemitism
- Direct work of JCRC with schools, leaders, and institutions in response to incidents.
- JCRC is bringing ADL’s Words to Action programs to local youth and their parents. The training, previously known as Confronting Antisemitism, will reach youth from four local synagogues and also BBYO-Wisconsin this spring. This programming will include sessions for parents. We are working to share this with the community so that they can participate.
- Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center and Jewish Museum Milwaukee, both programs of Milwaukee Jewish Federation, serve many thousands of students and other community members.
- Jewish Family Services, a partner agency, is hiring a victim advocate for victims of antisemitism.
- Ongoing relationship-building and government affairs are all focused on defending Jews, individually and collectively.
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)
An overview of why the Milwaukee and Madison Jewish Federations support adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in Wisconsin, and how you can add your voice in support of anti-hate legislation.
Consensus Positions and Statements
The JCRC strives to speak as the representative of the Jewish community on issues of public affairs and public policy. Read the general statements and consensus positions below. For statements or positions prior to 2020, contact us.
Statements
2024 – 2025
2022 – 2023
2020 – 2021
2018 – 2019
- Statement HR246 (July 29, 2019)
- Joint Statement Addressing WI Family Action’s Comparison of the Pride Flag to the Nazi Flag (June 17, 2019)
- Statement on Otzma Yehudit Party (March 1, 2019)
- Nominees Sought for Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award (February 4, 2019)
- Updated Joint Statement on Baraboo High School Photo (November 13, 2018)
- Joint Statement on Baraboo High School Photo (November 12, 2018)
- JCRC Communications Regarding the State of Israel (September 28, 2018)
- Position concerning “Zero Tolerance” Family Separation Policy (June 21, 2018)
- Community Consensus Position on Racial Justice and Policing (March 9, 2018)
- Joint Statement on Congressional Candidate Paul Nehlen (February 2, 2018)
- Joint Statement on Incident at Franklin High School (January 23, 2018)
- Jewish and Latino Faith and Community Leaders Urge Congress Not to Delay DREAM Act (January 17, 2018)
2016 – 2017
- Latino-Jewish Alliance Leaders Call on City to Take Action on Hate (December 2017)
- Statement on Jerusalem (December 2017)
- Wisconsin Jewish Federations Statement on Anti-Discrimination Order (October 2017)
- Jewish Community Calls for United Response against White Supremacists (August 2017)
- Community Consensus Position on Hate Crimes (May 2017)
- Jewish Community Opposes Executive Orders Targeting Immigrants and Refugees (January 30, 2017)
- Jewish Community Relations Council denounces Bannon appointment (November 14, 2016)
- Jewish Community Relations Council looks forward after election (November 11, 2016)
- Responses to Violence: Group chooses reconciliation over revenge (September 21, 2016)
- Group Chooses Reconciliation Over Revenge: Parents Circle Families Forum Offers Message of Hope (September 7, 2016)
- Choosing simplistic solutions for complex problems (June 11, 2016)
- Danae Davis, to receive 2016 Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award (May 16, 2016)
- JCRC horrified by bus bombing in Jerusalem (April 18, 2016)
- Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Forum on March 29: Bradley no longer participating (March 22, 2016)
- Nominees Sought for Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award (March 22, 2016)
- Jewish Community Relations Council 2015 Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents (March 15, 2016)
2014 – 2015
- Jewish Community denounces hateful rhetoric, calls for compassionate treatment of refugees (December 10, 2015)
- Consensus Position on Syrian Refugee Crisis (December 10, 2015)
- Statement on the Jaume Plensa Sculpture in Shorewood, Wisconsin (November 13, 2015)
- Jewish Community Relations Council Statement on Terrorist Attacks in Israel (October 14, 2015)
- Jewish Community Relations Council Statement on Iran Agreement (July 14, 2015)
- Jewish community expresses shock and outrage at Charleston church shootings (June 19, 2015)
- Statement on Iran and PM Netanyahu’s Speech (March 3, 2015)
- Voting Rights Policy Position (January 26, 2015)
- MJF Denounces Paris Attacks (January 12, 2015)
- JCRC Statement on Dontre Hamilton (December 24, 2014)
consensus positions by topic
American Government and Pluralistic Democracy
- 2025 Preserving Our Democratic Institutions
- 2015-2014 Voting Rights
- 2011 State Budget Repair Bills
- 2011 Photo ID for Voting
- 2011 Concealed Weapons Carry
- 2005-2004 TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights)
- 2004 TABOR
- 2001 Election Reform
- 1996 Domestic Militia
- 1995 State Ban on Private Militias
- 1991 Gun Control
- 1983 Paramilitary Training Bill
- 1963 Sunday Closing Bill—Religious Freedom
Anti-Poverty
Anti-Poverty
- 2008 Payday Loans
- 2002 Opposition to Proposed Elimination of Discretionary State-Aid (Shared Revenue)
- 1996 Public Funding Strategy
- 1995-1996 Wisconsin Works
- 1995 Public Funding Strategy Task Force
- 1990 Violence–Threats
- 1989 Minimum Wage Legislation
- 1989 Principles on Welfare
- 1988 Hunger1987-1995 Welfare
- 1968 Civil Disorders
- Unknown Date Welfare Reform
Anti-Semitism and Hate Crimes
- 2017 Hate Crimes
- 2015 Paris Attacks
- 2015 Charleston Church Shooting
- 2015 Anti-Semitic Vandalism
- 2014 Anti-Semitism Increase
- 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing
- 2012 Sikh Temple Shooting
- 2000 Anti-Jewish Rhetoric and Violence
- 1996 Hate Crimes on the Internet
- 1986 Hate Crimes Legislation
- 1986 Meir Kahane
- 1977 Nazi Rallies
- 1977 Nazi Activity and County Parks
- 1968 Club Discrimination Part Two
- 1968 Club Discrimination
- (Unknown Date) Hate Crime Legislation
Arab-Israeli Conflict
- 1996 Arab-Jewish Dialogue
- 1994 Peace Process
- 1993 Peace Process Part Two
- 1993 Peace Process
- 1993 Arab-Jewish Dialogue Part Two
- 1993 Arab-Jewish Dialogue
- 1988 Violence in the Middle East
- 1977 Arab Boycott
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
- 2025 LGBTQ+ Rights
- 2018 Racial Justice and Policing
- 2006 Capital Punishment
- 2005-2004 Efforts to Define Marriage in Wisconsin Constitution
- 2000 Racial Profiling
- 1995 Federal Counter-Terrorism Act of 1995
- 1995 Amendment to the Federal Constitution on Religion
- 1994 Jonathan Pollard
- 1992 First Amendment Freedom of Speech
- 1990 Civil Rights Act of 1990
- 1990 AIDS
- 1972 Prisoners’ Rights
- 1972 Affirmative Action
Education
- 2011 School Vouchers
- 2001 Child Care/Early Childhood Education
- 1999 Public Education Charter School Movement
- 1998 Milwaukee Minority Ministerial Alliance
- 1996 Testimony to Special Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee
- 1996 Principles for Excellence in Public Education
- 1993 MPS Bond Referendum
- 1992 Tuition Tax Credits to Private and Religious Affiliated Schools
- 1986 Public Education Issues
- 1976 School Integration
- 1976 Metro Pupil Trade Milwaukee Sentinel
- 1974 Schools Committee Recommendation
- 1974 De Facto Segregation
- 1972 School Bussing
- 1971 Aid to Parochial Schools
- 1969 Public Funds to Private and Parochial Schools
- 1969 Parochial Schools
- 1967 School Board Election
- 1967 Jewish Education
- 1966 (February) De Fact School Segregation
- 1966 (January) De Facto School Segregation
- 1965 De Facto Segregation
- 1964 De Facto Segregation
Environmental Concerns
- 1996 Environment
- 1980 Energy
General Community Relations
- 1999 Community Relations
- 1995 Sherman Park Neighborhood
- 1986 Jewish Facilities
- 1986 County Jail
Health Care
- 2007-2006 Adult and Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Cloning for Therapeutic Purposes
- 2001 Mental Health Services
- 2000 Older Adult Services
- 1995 End-of-Life Decisions
- 1991 Access to Health Care
- 1987 (November 19) Family and Medical Leave Job Security Act
- 1987 (June 11) Family and Medical Leave Job Security Act
- 1987 (June 10) Family and Medical Leave Job Security Act
- 1972 Sex Education
Holocaust
- 2011 Holocaust Imagery in Madison Protests
- 1989 Carmelite Convent Issue
- 1965 Sister City Proposal
Immigrants and Refugees
- 2015 Refugees
- 2015 Syrian Refugees Statement
- 2013 Immigration
- 1989 Emigration Act
- 1982 Sanctuary
Inter-Group Relations
- 2018 Racial Justice and Policing
- 2015 Letter of Solidarity with Milwaukee Muslims
- 2015 Dontre Hamilton
- 2013 Race-Based Nicknames, Logos, Mascots
- 1995 Public Discourse
- 1995 American Indian Logos
- 1991 Municipal Service Fees
- 1990 Native American Treaty Rights and Racism
- 1989 Racism and Native Americans
- 1967 Religious and Racial Records
Inter-Religion Relation
- 2012 Proposed Brookfield Mosque
- 1992 Proselytizing
- 1975 New Vatican Guidelines
- 1973 Key ‘73
International Human Rights
- 2014 Iraq Religious Persecution
- 1999 Kosovo
- 1993 War Crimes in Bosnia
- 1986 Apartheid Part Two
- 1986 Apartheid
- 1969 Vietnam
Israel, International Relations
- 2015 Israel Violence
- 2015 Iran and Netanyahu
- 2015 Iran Agreement
- 2014 Presbyterian Church USA Divestment Decision
- 1991 Justice—Post Persian Gulf War
Labor
- 1985 Comparable Worth
Local Role in International
- 2018 JCRC Communications Regarding the State of Israel
- 1995 Role of MJCCR Vis à Vis Israel Part Two
- 1987 Role of MJCCR vis à vis Israel Part One
Separation of Religion and State
- 1994 Cross in City of Wauwatosa’s Official Symbol
- 1993 Role of Religion in Public Affairs in Wisconsin
- 1989 Religious Symbols on Public Property
- 1972 Released Time Program
- 1969 Humane Slaughter
- 1963 Sunday Closing Bill 362—Religious Freedom
- (Unknown Date) Religious Freedom
Women’s Issues
- 1979 Abortion and Reproductive Choice