Dear Friends,

Governor Newsom and the State Board of Education just answered our call to alert all public schools in California to avoid discriminatory content in their ethnic studies curriculum.

In a letter to every public school, the Administration reminded them:

  1. Of the positive contributions ethnic studies can make towards inclusiveness among California’s diverse student body.
  2. That the state offers a widely-accepted model curriculum – which we spent three years working on – free from the "bias, bigotry, or discrimination" in the model curriculum's first draft, and includes the experience of Jewish Americans and other communities.
  3. Of the guardrails in AB 101 (the bill that mandates ethnic studies) that prohibit such discrimination from being included in any ethnic studies curriculum.
  4. That schools should be on the lookout for and refrain from using vendors who are promoting curricula similar to the rejected first draft of the model curriculum.

This is a major development. JPAC leads a broad coalition of Jewish organizations across the state who want to see a robust ethnic studies course taught in high schools, ensure it is free from antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and include lessons about the Jewish American experience.

In partnership with the Legislative Jewish Caucus, we urged the Governor and other state leaders to write this letter. You can find our request here, and see the diverse coalition of organizations that signed on.

The Governor, who has been a consistent ally for the Jewish community, particularly throughout the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC) development process, delivered yet again with this letter.
There is still a lot of work ahead to ensure ethnic studies is taught appropriately in all of California's schools. And we know the Governor will continue to work with us and be part of this effort. This is a major step in the right direction.

We thank Governor Newsom, the State Board of Education, and the senior administration officials who met with our coalition and maintained regular communication with us. We look forward to our continued work together to get this done right.

We will continue to share updates as they come.


Onward,

David Bocarsly
Executive Director, JPAC
REMINDER: Nonprofit Security Grant Program – Applications Available
In partnership with the Jewish Caucus, we secured another major investment from the state budget to continue the state's Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). Amidst a major budget deficit, the NSGP was still funded to the tune of $20 million.

The program RFP was just announced. Nonprofits at risk of hate-motivated violence can now apply for grants to secure their institutions of up to $250,000 for one site, and up to $500,000 for two sites.

The deadline to apply is Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 5:00 PM sharp.**
Find the application and more information about the process by clicking the button below. And please share this information with synagogues and other institutions who might benefit from this program.
We highly recommend that applicants attend one of the workshops, led by the California Office of Emergency Services, to learn how to best apply for this program.

**NOTE: The September 28th deadline is a quick turnaround under any circumstance, and it doesn't help Jewish institutions that it is in the middle of the chagim (Jewish holiday season). We are urging CalOES to extend the deadline to ensure that Jewish institutions have enough time to get their applications together. But please plan accordingly in case they are unable to do so.
JPAC is the voice of California’s Jewish community to the State Capitol, and the largest single-state coalition of Jewish organizations in the nation. We advocate in Sacramento on behalf of the Jewish community’s concerns and broadly shared values. Our member organizations collectively serve hundreds of thousands of Californians of all backgrounds and represent the interests of California’s 1.2 million Jews.
JPAC is a Coalition of California's Leading Jewish Community Organizations:
Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles • Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund • JCRC Bay Area • Jewish Family Service LA • Jewish Family and Children’s Services of SF • 30 Years After • American Jewish Committee • Anti-Defamation League • Bet Tzedek Legal Services • ETTA • Hadassah • HIAS • Holocaust Museum Los Angeles • JCRC of Jewish Silicon Valley • Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles • Jewish Center for Justice • Jewish Community Relations Council of Sacramento • Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay • Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Long Beach and Orange County • Jewish Family Service of San Diego • Jewish Family Service of the Desert • Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley • Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara • Jewish Federation of Orange County • Jewish Federation of San Diego County • Jewish Federation of the Desert • Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys • Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region • Jewish Free Loan Association • Jewish Long Beach • Jewish Vocational Service San Francisco • JVS SoCal