I have been a volunteer with JUFJ in DC for the past two and a half years. I was drawn to JUFJ because I wanted to get involved with working for local change in DC. JUFJ is an incredibly effective organization in organizing for legislative and policy change in support of racial, economic, and social justice in DC, Baltimore, Montgomery County, and statewide in Maryland.
JUFJ is also excellent at engaging volunteers - whether you just want to volunteer with them occasionally or you are looking for a more serious volunteer commitment that will build leadership and other skills, JUFJ's organizers are great at finding an opportunity that will work for you.
327 Pageviews Read Stories
- EIN 52-2346578
- info@jufj.org
- 202-408-1423
- 1100 H St NW, Suite 630 Washington DC 20005 USA
- www.jufj.org
- Facebook page
- jufj
- Add to Favorites
Promote This Nonprofit
Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Civil Rights, Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy, Judaism, Religion
Mission: Jews United for Justice (JUFJ) leads Washington-area Jews to act on our shared Jewish values by pursuing justice and equality in our local community. JUFJ was founded in the spring of 1998 by a group of long-time Jewish activists and younger union and community organizers who were inspired by a class on the social justice teachings of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. JUFJ builds relationships and mobilizes the Jewish community through educational forums, programs and advocacy campaigns. We demand and win meaningful change for all area residents on economic and racial justice issues like workers' and immigrants' rights, affordable housing, and fair city budgets.
Results: We have been involved in successful campaigns for marriage equality, paid sick leave, higher minimum wages, more and more deeply affordable housing, police accountability, criminal justice reform, protections for renters, paid family leave, immigrants’ rights and protections, equitable budgets, government transparency and accountability, and many other issues of local concern. We lead the Paid Family Leave Coalition in DC, which will give half a million people access to this needed benefit. We have also build a rich and strong community of activists in DC, Baltimore, Montgomery County and, increasingly, throughout the state of Maryland.
Geographic areas served: Greater Washington area, Montgomery County, Maryland, the Greater Baltimore Area, and throughout Maryland
Programs: JUFJ’s focus is work in coalition and partnership with grassroots and advocacy groups around the region, especially those led by and accountable to people of color, to build and win policy campaigns—such as for Paid Sick Days, Criminal Justice Reform, or Paid Family Leave. These are most often 2-3 year projects to achieve specific goals such as passing laws or increasing local government investments in key programs. JUFJ’s grassroots leaders work with our staff to plan events, advocate at the city, county, and state level, mobilize their neighbors and friends, and shape tactics and strategies designed to win real changes in people’s everyday lives. In these coalitions, JUFJ plays a diverse set of roles depending on what the circumstances demand, but in all cases, we seek to advance the power and well-being of those most affected by the issues at hand, and to work in partnership with organizations made up of and/or accountable to working-class and poor people of color who have been systemically barred from democracy, power, opportunity, and resources. While we cannot take on everything, at key moments, JUFJ is there with our local and national partners for targeted actions, protests, and one-time events. These events allow us to show up proudly as Jews alongside our neighbors, or to provide extra power at a crucial moment. From public rallies for refugees and immigrants to a fair budget to asserting women’s power, to providing testimony to implement and enforce laws, JUFJ mobilizes Jews to be a visible, powerful presence for justice. In these moments, we work with local and national planners to create Jewish spaces and to center the leadership of women, people of color, and those working locally and at the grassroots.