Jewish Labor Committee

US Senator Elissa Slotkin will be a special guest at the 2025 JLC Annual Awards Gala. We’re also welcoming AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, United Steelworkers President David McCall, and other distinguished speakers who will help make this a truly memorable gathering. In response to the attack in Australia less than a week ago, we have added to our program Australian Senator Don Farrell, Australia’s Minister for Trade and Tourism, who will address the antisemitic attack in Sydney.

At a moment when workers’ rights are being challenged nationwide, from federal employees to workers in the fields, and when antisemitism and hate crimes against communities of all backgrounds are on the rise, it is more important than ever for the labor movement and the Jewish community to stand together. This gathering is an opportunity to support the work of the JLC and reaffirm our commitment to justice and solidarity.

Register here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jlc2025gala

December 15, 2025 – New York, NY:

The Jewish Labor Committee is horrified by the antisemitic terrorist attack on the Jewish community event in Bondi Beach, where a large group had gathered to celebrate the first night of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, often called the Festival of Lights.

In sorrow, we extend our sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives and the dozens injured at this terrible scene of murder and attempted murder, and also to the entire Jewish community of Australia. We can only hope that all of those touched by this tragedy will be able to recover, physically and spiritually, and achieve a renewal of faith and community solidarity in the wake of this heinous assault.

We must also note the extreme bravery of Ahmed al Ahmed, a local shopkeeper, who, while a bystander to this horrific event, selflessly ran up to one of the attackers who was holding a rifle, tackled him, wrestled the gun away, and was himself shot and injured in the confrontation.

The Jewish Labor Committee, formed in 1934 to combat the rise of Nazism and violent antisemitism in Germany, recognizes that the attack in Sydney comes, not as an isolated incident, but the most recent of a rising tide of antisemitic attacks in Australia, and around the world.

We call on our colleagues near and far to speak out when Jews are attacked, even killed, simply because they are Jews, participating in Jewish life -- whether in Bondi Beach, in Manchester, England, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, or Brooklyn, New York.

October 13, 2025 – New York, NY:

Two years after Hamas broke the preexisting ceasefire with its brutal attack on Israel, we can now celebrate the return of hostages, an end to the war in Gaza, and what promises to be the first step toward a permanent peace.

We applaud the U.S. Administration's efforts as well as those of Qatar, Egypt and others in bringing this about. We mourn the loss of life and suffering endured these past two years by Israelis and innocent Palestinians.

Much work is ahead as we move ahead to the next phases: the establishment of an interim body to oversee governance and reconstruction in Gaza, secured by a coalition of international forces to disarm Hamas and other terrorist groups. Pressure needs to be brought to bear to make sure commitments are abided by: Hamas must lay down its arms and not be part of a new governing body; the Palestinian Authority must be reformed.

Yet, as we await these next steps, Israelis and Gazans have a right to celebrate, and we can hope that this will lead to a long-term solution of two sovereign states, where both can live in peace and harmony.

Monday, July 28, 2025 – New York, NY:

The massive starvation among the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, especially children, needs to be addressed.

Notwithstanding the welcome and necessary decision by the Israeli Government to have a temporary cease-fire in three areas in Gaza and let in more food, this is and will not be sufficient to alleviate the starvation in Gaza.

The flow of food, water and medicine needs to be continuous and widespread. There needs to be more secure routes for aid to enter and there needs to be many more distribution centers. Air drops and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation efforts are inefficient at best, and at least as far as the GHF, has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people in Gaza, as well as condemnation by many international humanitarian agencies with experience in dealing with such crises.

We call on the political leadership of the State of Israel and the Palestinian people, and their supporters and people of good will around the globe, to immediately allow for and expedite the flow of food, water, medicine and other humanitarian needs, and that this political leadership work with the United National and its many aid agencies, as well as others, to open and maintain more secure routes for aid to enter Gaza, and to immediately set up many more humanitarian aid distribution centers, with the support and guidance and involvement of major humanitarian agencies.

Once the massive transmission of this vital aid is secured, Israel, the United States and other interested parties need to work out the political details for a permanent ceasefire, the release of the remaining hostages seized on October 7th, 2023, for Gaza to be rebuilt to accommodate its ravaged population, and a post-Hamas administration established to secure a peaceful future for both Palestinians and Israelis.

Past President of the Jewish Labor Committee
and of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union

Wednesday, June 4, 2025 – New York, NY: We note with sadness the death of our friend and colleague, former president and mentor, Lenore Miller, who passed away on Monday, June 2nd, after a period of declining health. On behalf of the officers and staff, we send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jessica, and her extended family of relatives, colleagues within the labor movement, and friends.

Lenore Miller was a leader in our organization, as JLC President from 1990 through 1998. She continued her service as a Vice President and an active Executive Committee member.

JLC President Stuart Appelbaum said that “Lenore Miller was an eloquent and outspoken advocate for the cause of dignity and justice for working people everywhere. Lenore proved how much you can accomplish when you speak out forcefully for what you believe.

“On a personal level, she was a caring and loving human being; I will be eternally grateful that she was part of my life. She was my North Star, as she was for so many other people who had the privilege of knowing her. May her memory be a blessing - as her life was for so many who came in contact with her.”

Continue reading "Mourning the Death of Lenore Miller" »

Thursday, May 22, 2025 - New York, NY: Arieh Lebowitz, Executive Director of the Jewish Labor Committee, issued the following statement earlier today:

We are horrified and heartbroken at the murder Wednesday evening of Yaron Lischinsky an Israeli, and Sarah Milgrim, an American, as they were leaving an event at Washington, DC’s Capital Jewish Museum. These two young people, who were about to be engaged, were staff people at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC.

We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and co-workers of Mr. Lischinsky and Ms Milgrim, and all whose lives were impacted by this hateful criminal act.

Such violence cannot be tolerated, excused, or rationalized in a democratic society. As we have seen in recent years, hate-speech all too often leads to violence. Antisemitism, on the rise in the United States and around the world, must be condemned, and as we do so, we call on all of our colleagues and friends to do so as well. It has already taken a toll in fear and division, and we cannot let those who promote it win against community and solidarity.

The victims were killed as an act of antisemitic terrorism. We cannot permit violence to sabotage our hopes for an end to the war in Gaza, and for an ultimate peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

It's ironic that the victims had just attended an event about “turning pain into purpose,” with members of the Multifaith Alliance and IsraAID nonprofits, exploring how a coalition of organizations - from the region and for the region - are working together in response to humanitarian crises throughout the Middle East – making these murders all the more senseless.

Friday, February 14, 2025: Founded in 1934 to oppose Nazism in Germany and Fascism elsewhere in Europe, the Jewish Labor Committee knows all-too-well the history of forced displacement. The JLC categorically opposes President Trump's proposal to expel 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and to involve the United States in seizing the territory for its redevelopment.

Under his plan, President Trump has stated that the Palestinians would not be allowed to return to the Gaza Strip. The forced deportation of a civilian population is not only a violation of international law, but also a war crime. We join with others in the international community in opposing President Trump's plan in its entirety.

Gaza is not a real estate opportunity. It is part of the land that is destined to become an independent Palestinian state.

We have for many years expressed our support for the two-state solution to this conflict, recognizing the legitimate rights of the Jewish people and the Palestinian people to live in independent countries in their ancestral homelands. And we support a negotiated solution to the many challenges of land and border disputes, etc., -- understanding that both peoples have the right to national self-determination.

Unlike their understanding of the connections between the Jewish people and their ancestral homeland, President Trump and supporters of his plan do not understand the historic as well as contemporary connections of the Palestinian people and their land.

Apparently, President Trump did not consult with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Defense Department, or U.S. allies in the Middle East, including the Government of the State of Israel, before making his plan public. His proposal is incendiary, fueling adamant objections from Egypt and Jordan, countries Trump expects to take in the expelled Palestinians, as well as from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Were Egypt and Jordan to relent under massive pressure from the Trump Administration, it would destabilize those two U.S. allies, leading to more havoc in the region.

Gaza certainly needs to be rebuilt, both structurally and politically, without Hamas as the governing body, and rendering Hamas incapable of ever mounting an October 7th kind of attack again. But President Trump's plan is absolutely not the way to do it.

Friday, February 7th, 2025: The Jewish Labor Committee, as part of a broad group of American Jewish communal organizations representing an array of perspectives, constituencies, and communities, signed the following statement:

"We are joining together to express our deep alarm over recent attacks on democratic norms and values — attacks that fundamentally threaten the freedoms and safety of all Americans.

"We will continue to stand up for these core principles and act as national and local bulwarks against attacks on democracy — because we know where this leads, and because our safety and our values demand no less."

Below is a list of the organizations and congregations signing onto this statement.

Continue reading "JLC joins over 100 Jewish groups voicing deep alarm over recent attacks on democratic norms and values" »

January 22nd, 2025 - Los Angeles, CA: We have all watched with horror and dismay the fires in Greater Los Angeles and nearby communities that have destroyed homes, neighborhoods, communities, schools, livelihoods, and lives.

Unions, congregations, and individuals continue to help the vast number of people affected by the fires in Southern California, in a massive outpouring of mutual aid.

Several organizations and projects are providing crucial assistance in this crisis. Consider making donations to one or more of these:

- Los Angeles Fire Relief Fund, set up by Labor Services Los Angeles, associated with the Los Angeles Labor Federation;

- Wildfire Crisis Relief, of the Jewish Federation Los Angeles;

- LA Fire Relief, an initiative of NCJW|LA, a section of the National Council of Jewish Women;

- California Fire Foundation – more about the foundation here.

All of the above have resources for individuals and families who need help, and are providing essential aid. Now they need our support.

Graphic by Brittney Willis-Bauduy

For Hanukkah - the Festival of Lights, from the eve of December 25, 2024 through the eve of January 2, 2025 - here are some gifts from the JLC:

1) JLC National Board member Ralph Seliger on the holiday itself - http://tinyurl.com/Seliger-on-Hanukkah
2) A classic latke recipe from YIVO - https://tinyurl.com/YIVO-Latkes
3) Reclaiming Chanukah, by Judith Seid - https://judithseid.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/reclaiming-chanukah/
4) "The Secret Jewish History Of Rosie The Riveter," by Emily Schneider - https://forward.com/culture/art/403145/the-secret-jewish-history-of-rosie-the-riveter/ and
5) "Rosie The Riveter – The Jewish Connection," by Nelson Mellitz - https://www.jwv.org/rosie-the-riveter-the-jewish-connection/
6) "Every American Hanukkah special, movie and TV episode worth knowing about," by Benyamin Cohen - https://tinyurl.com/Every-AHS
7) 18 stories from 18 languages - http://tinyurl.com/18languages
8) "Chanukah, the shape-shifting holiday," by Ilana Debare - https://tinyurl.com/Seventh-Day-Gift
9) A Ladino and English Song of Hanukkah Hope and Miracles - http://tinyurl.com/Song-of-Hope-and

To RSVP, click on invitation, above, or here

We are thrilled to announce that House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries will be joining us at tomorrow’s Jewish Labor Committee’s VIRTUAL Annual Human Rights Awards Gala tonight, Thursday, December 12th, 2024!

We’re also welcoming AFT President Randi Weingarten, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond, along with other inspiring speakers.

For more information, if you have any questions, or want to contribute via check, wire or ACH, reach out to Elise Convy Madison at rsvp@jewishlabor.org .

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, is a time for self-examination and renewal. Mindful of the approaching anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attack, we are watching with alarm and sadness the escalating violence in the Mideast and the heavy toll of suffering it has brought to innocent victims on both sides.

It is traditional in Jewish communities around the world to say L'Shana Tova, in Hebrew, expressing the hope for a “Good New Year.” Or, as Yiddish-speakers would say, Gut Yohr. But just now we all, and especially those who have relatives and friends on the front lines of conflict, face a worrying, uncertain future.

So, this year, we send our heartfelt hopes for a Shana Yoter Tova – a Besserer Yohr – a better year ahead, one that will bring an end to the attacks and violence, and the prospect of peace and safety for all.

You can help us in our work - a New Year's contribution would be deeply appreciated! Online here: https://bit.ly/3r4nerJ Whether you donate $360, $180, $100, $72, $36, $18 or another amount, whatever you give will make it possible for us to continue our work into the New Year. You can make a one-time contribution, or arrange for an automatic monthly or quarterly donation. Again, just click here: https://bit.ly/3r4nerJ

* How can workers defend themselves today in their workplace?
* What protections does joining a union provide?
* How do workers gain the opportunity to join unions?

Adam Obernauer and Debbie Goldman explored these issues in a lively discussion of how working people are organizing to improve their lives on and off the job.
Our co-sponsor, Uri L'Tzedek, recorded this program - you can watch it on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/13Bh6MpmlUc1tGbEj0M79n?si=0ccb8a9a3ca4416b
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/work-workers-workers-rights-and-unions-a-joint/id1603706369?i=1000669853602
YouTube: https://youtu.be/dUkXVMndCY8

After introductions by JLC President Stuart Appelbaum and Uri L'Tzedek President Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz. Adam Obernauer, organizing director for the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, a union organizer for about 12 years who has been involved in organizing major retail chains, such as Zara, as well as the Guitar Center, independent bookstores, and, more recently REI and Barnes and Noble -- and has been in the fight to organize workers at Amazon, spoke with Debbie Goldman, former Research Director and Telecommunications Policy Director for the Communications Workers of America (CWA); Ms Goldman is the author of the just-published book, "Disconnected: Call Center Workers Fight for Good Jobs in the Digital Age" (University of Illinois Press, 2024).

Photograph by Andrew Tilson

September 7th, 2024 - New York, NY: Notwithstanding the chance of rain - and it did come down for moments during the parade - the United Hebrew Trades-New York Jewish Labor Committee contingent marched up Fifth Avenue this morning, near the head of the procession. Among the JLC marchers were members of the Civil Service Technical Guild Local 375, District Council 37, AFSCME, the Organization of Staff Analysts, NYC's United Federation of Teachers, and representation from The Forward Association and the Manhattan Jewish Historical Initiative.

And, of course, as every year, additional JLC members and supporters at the parade were marching with their union locals or other groups, such as the New York Labor History Association.

New York, NY – September 1, 2024: The Jewish Labor Committee is outraged and heartbroken at the news of the murdered Israeli and American hostages, killed before they could be brought home to Israel.

Today’s catastrophic state of affairs in the region in the wake of Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7th must not continue.

We support the call by the Histadrut, Israel’s General Federation of Labor, for a General Strike, to start tomorrow – Monday – over the failure of the Netanyahu Government to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza seized on October 7th.

JLC President Stuart Appelbaum said “we wholeheartedly agree with Histadrut's head, Arnon Bar-David, that bringing the hostages home must be the government’s priority.

“The lack of real progress in returning the hostages to Israel has been tearing the fabric of Israeli society apart,” continued Appelbaum.

“It’s long past time for the suffering of the people to end, in both Gaza and Israel.”

“A change in direction is imperative; and Prime Minister Netanyahu must take much of the responsibility.”

“We join with the Histadrut in calling on Netanyahu to immediately conclude negotiations to secure the release of the hostages in Gaza and a cease-fire, and to allow the international community to bring in the humanitarian aid so needed by the people in Gaza.”

by Arieh Lebowitz - August 4, 2024

Lately I've been thinking of two books, with political lessons for today: Timothy Ryback’s Takeover: Hitler’s Final Rise to Power (2024), which “sets out to show how the Nazi leader came to power in a functioning democracy, enabled by rivals and fair-weather allies who either underestimated him or thought they could `tame’ him once he took office,” as Andrew Silow-Carrol notes in his review, “A historian describes the lessons learned — and ignored — from Hitler’s rise to power” (JTA, July 31, 2024). Also Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny, which came out in early 2017, exploring the threats posed by the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and suggesting how we can look back to the 20th century for lessons on how to overcome them. NPR's Robert Siegel talked with Snyder in “'On Tyranny' Explores New Threats Facing American Political System.”

But right now, I’m thinking about the Olympics. Not the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, but rather the 1936 World Labor Athletic Carnival, held on August 15th and 16th at New York’s Randall’s Island, to protest the holding of the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany. The two-day event, organized by the recently-formed Jewish Labor Committee with the active support and cooperation of a number of unions and other labor bodies, brought together over 400 athletes from across the United States to compete in what became known as the “Counter-Olympics.”

Honorary co-chairs of the event included New York Governor Herbert Lehman, NYC Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, American Federation of Labor President William Green and Judge Jeremiah Mahoney, former President of the Amateur Athletics Union of the United States and a leader of the “Move the Olympics” movement, who resigned from the American Olympic Committee to protest the selection of Berlin as the 1936 Olympics site. Chairing the Labor Committee of the Carnival was Isidore Nagler, Vice President of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.

The story of this little-known episode in both labor and Jewish history begins in late 1934, when the Jewish Labor Committee (JLC), founded earlier in the year, learned about plans to hold the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The JLC, headed by leaders of a number of New York-based unions and labor-oriented Jewish organizations, made every effort to alert the world to the dangers posed by the Nazis and their allies.

Early in 1935, founding President of the JLC, Baruch Charney (B. C.) Vladeck was invited to join the “Move the Olympics” campaign. Soon thereafter, JLC Executive Secretary Isaiah Minkoff and Vladeck began organizing a massive anti-Nazi event. It would be a “Counter Olympics,” held at the newly-opened Municipal Stadium on Randall’s Island in New York while the Berlin Olympics were taking place..  It brought  together amateur athletes from various sectors in the United States and abroad: students, club members, union-sponsored teams, and others. The event gained the imprimatur of the Amateur Athletic Union, the highest body certifying such competitions. 

Continue reading "A Counter-Olympics that Challenged Tyranny:
Labor's Response to the 1936 Nazi Olympics in Berlin
" »

[History of the Needlecraft Industry, 1938, by Ernest Fiene (Detail)]

March 25, 2024 - The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, that terrible man-made tragedy that took place in New York City a bit over a century ago, is being memorialized in programs across the country. And that is why we commemorate it on March 25th this year, at the site of the fire, on the corner of Washington and Greene Streets, just east of Manhattan's Washington Square Park. On March 25, 1911, 146 garment workers, mostly young, mostly women, mostly Jewish and Italian immigrants and children of immigrants, died as a result of this calamity, either by being burned or as a result of jumping to their deaths. Most of the workers could not escape because managers locked the doors to the stairwells and exits to keep them from leaving early. The fire trucks' ladders of that day could only reach the sixth floor - those who perished were on the eighth, ninth and tenth floors.

Occurring in the midst of five years of labor organizing in the clothing industry in a number of cities across the United States, the fire shocked the city, the country and the world. Legislation requiring improved factory safety standards was passed in the immediate aftermath of the fire. The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, and other unions had been fighting for better and safer working conditions for working men and women in all workplaces. And today’s unions are still fighting.

Many of our grandparents and great-grandparents played a critical role in building a strong and vibrant labor movement, with the hope that it would endure and remain a permanent feature of American life. Through their actions and their struggle, our lives and the lives of many Americans were made better. Today, alas, those hard-fought gains are still under threat in communities across the United States.

Continue reading "The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: From 1911 to 2024" »

On March 14th, 2024, Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader of the U.S. Senate, delivered a strongly-worded speech on the Senate floor, focusing to a great degree on on the violence of the October 7th terrorist attack against Israel, the Israeli response in Gaza, and his thoughts on "the path forward to secure mutual peace and lasting prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians." {See "Schumer Urges New Leadership in Israel, Calling Netanyahu an Obstacle to Peace," NYT, March 14, 2024.}

On March 19th, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (COP) held a special, off-he-record briefing with Senator Schumer and COP member organization presidents and CEOs; JLC President Stuart Appelbaum and Executive Director Arieh Lebowitz participated in that briefing. Later that day, the chair and CEO of the COP issued a terse statement, saying it remains ‘distressed’ with Schumer's call for elections in Israel, as one headline put it.

On March 20th, the Jewish Labor Committee joined with the lay and professional leaders of Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, the Association of Reform Zionists of America, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Union for Reform Judaism, and Women of Reform Judaism, as well as, signing on as individuals, the chair, and president and CEO, of HIAS in a statement of our own:

"We are deeply disturbed by the condemnatory statement issued yesterday by the Conference of Presidents (COP) following a meeting with Majority Leader Schumer. Though the critical COP statement was made in the name of the CEO and President, it claims to speak for COP `membership' when in fact it clearly fails to reflect the diversity of views within the COP.

"Each of us has slightly different takes on Senator Schumer’s speech: many of us welcomed his forceful condemnation of Hamas, his passionate call for the hostages’ release, his expression of pain for the humanitarian crisis gripping innocent Gazans, and his vivid critique of PM Netanyahu’s rejection of eventual demilitarized Palestinian statehood and sovereignty. Others have taken a different view.

Continue reading "JLC and other Conference of Presidents Members Rebut COP Statement on Majority Leader Schumer Meeting" »

Image from The Unfinished Business of the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Movement Lesson Plan

by Stuart Appelbaum
{Note: this article was originally published 11 years ago.}

This year, U.S. Jews, like other Americans, will mark Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by remembering him as a powerful voice against racism and for civil rights. But, for Jews, Dr. King was also something else: a uniquely important ally in the fight against anti-Semitism and for a secure Israel.

Today, Dr. King’s close bond with the Jewish community is treated only as a small footnote of his life and work. But, toward the end of his life, Dr. King devoted significant time and energy to strengthening what were becoming increasingly strained ties between black Americans and U.S. Jews. One issue Dr. King was particularly concerned with was the growing mischaracterization of Zionism as racism.

Dr. King spoke and wrote often about Israel. However, the true depth of Dr. King’s commitment to Israel was readily apparent in a September, 1967 letter he sent to Adolph Held, then president of the organization I now lead, the Jewish Labor Committee. Dr. King wrote Held after the Jewish leader contacted him regarding press accounts of a conference that Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference participated in. At the meeting, strongly worded resolutions blasting Zionism and embracing the position of the Arab powers had been considered.

Understanding Held’s worries, Dr. King explained that, beyond offering opening remarks, he had no part in the conference. But, Dr. King said, had he been present during the discussion of the resolutions “I would have made it crystal clear that I could not have supported any resolution calling for black separatism or calling for a condemnation of Israel and an unqualified endorsement of the policy of the Arab powers.”

Continue reading "A Special Bond: Martin Luther King, Jr., Israel and American Jewry" »