Major Jewish Organizations Welcome Progress at NEA Representative Assembly

American Jewish Committee (AJC); ADL (the Anti-Defamation League); Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America; and StandWithUs congratulate the Jewish Affairs Caucus (JAC) of the National Education Association (NEA) for its leadership and success at this year's NEA Representative Assembly.

Jewish educators participated actively throughout the NEA Representative Assembly, and members of the JAC exemplified the highest standards of civic and communal engagement. Their strategy delivered concrete results: the caucus proposed, negotiated, and successfully advanced three amendments to the NEA Constitution and a resolution on Jewish education. Through dedicated member outreach and training, coalition building, principled advocacy on issues important to the Jewish community and the broader labor movement, and the successful advancement of three constitutional amendments, JAC members demonstrated that Jewish voices have a rightful place within the union. The JAC modeled respectful, constructive dialogue even on the most challenging and contested issues, strengthening not only its own community but the union as a whole.

We commend the important steps the NEA took to foster a more inclusive Representative Assembly this year. Those efforts reflect the union's stated commitment to the core values of solidarity and belonging for all.

Yet that experience does not yet reflect the reality facing many Jewish educators in their own communities. We continue to hear from educators across the country who report marginalization within their unions, hostile rhetoric, intimidation, and exclusion. Many feel compelled to conceal their identity simply to participate safely. That reality requires continued attention and action at every level.

This year's Representative Assembly provides reason for optimism. The work of the JAC demonstrates that organized, principled engagement can strengthen institutions and advance meaningful change. We hope this progress serves as both a model and a reminder that Jewish educators, like every educator, deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and a genuine sense of belonging within the union.