The Jewish Democratic Council of America, which defines itself as "the voice for Jewish Democrats and the socially liberal, pro-Israel values," was announced in August 2017 and officially launched in November 2017. JDCA was incorporated in Washington, D.C., in June 2017.
Purpose
The organisation's official mission is to serve as the voice for Jewish Democrats. According to its website, JDCA “promotes like-minded candidates and elected officials and embraces a platform that is grounded in fairness, integrity, the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam and a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.” JDCA claims that it “serves as the voice for Jewish Democrats and the socially liberal, pro-Israel values that Jewish voters hold dear.” The organization's platform lists policies on numerous topics; among them are education, health care, paid family leave, taxes, climate change, Israel, Iran, fighting anti-semitism, Holocaust education, immigration, criminal justice reform and reproductive rights.
Background
The JDCA was announced in August 2017 after President Donald Trump refused to condemn white nationalist and neo-nazi demonstrators for violence which took place during a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and formally launched in November 2017. Ron Klein, chair of the JDCA, has written that American Jews can not afford to be "complacent" in the wake of Donald Trump's election and must be "on the front-lines of fighting for justice and equality." In his fundraising appeal for the JDCA, he wrote that "President Trump must be held accountable." In its launch statement, JDCA said that it would "actively promote to Democratic officeholders and candidates national and local legislative policies consistent with the Jewish community’s values, as well as a strong US-Israel relationship". The organization's inaugural press release said that Trump's rhetoric and tolerance of neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and racists will "empower and embolden" such groups. It criticized the "deafening silence" from some members of Congress and Trump's cabinet and accused those who refuse to speak out of abdicating "their constitutional and moral obligation to our country and its citizens". U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer issued a statement saying he looks forward with working with the JDCA on "issues that are important to all Americans, including maintaining the strong U.S.-Israel relationship, curtailing Iran’s malign activities, and combating anti-Semitism."
Organization
The JDCA is chaired by former Florida congressman Ron Klein. In June 2018, JDCA announced it had hired its first executive director, Halie Soifer, a former staffer in the U.S. Senate and Congress. The board members are David Adler, Marc Stanley, Michael Adler, Carol Becker, Michael Gelman, Elaine Hamilton, Michael Horowitz, Barbara Goldberg Goldman, Israel Klein, Daniel Berger, Diane Feinberg, Peter Gillon, Benjamin Gordon, Steve Grossman, Ada Horwich, Beth Kieffer Leonard, Marcia Riklis, Joel Rubin, Jim Segel, Jeffrey Solomon, and Susie Stern. Several of the board members were also involved with the National Jewish Democratic Council and Jews for Progress.
Launch event
JDCA's launch event was attended by many high-profile members of Congress including Nancy Pelosi, Ben Cardin, Tim Kaine, Chris Murphy, Sherrod Brown, Steny Hoyer, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Over 20 elected Democratic leaders spoke at the event, which drew some 250 people. Senator Cardin, who is a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, stated the Democratic Party's objection to imposing "religious tests for who can come to America," but did not explicitly mention Trump's travel ban. Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer, who also attended the event, said the group was a "strategic asset" for Israel. Although Republicans have accused Democrats of moving away from their traditionally pro-Israel positions, Dermer disagreed saying that support for Israel within the Democratic Party was still strong.
The Republican Jewish Coalition sent an email to its supporters saying that JDCA was founded to revitalize two "failed liberal Jewish political groups." The RJC also said that founding a new organization would not reverse "the continued erosion of support for Israel within the Democrat Party." The JDCA responded by calling the letter "pitiful."
