JCUA Blog

Making Chicago a true “sanctuary city”

| By Jonathan Elbaz
Categories: Other
Donald Trump uses the phrase “sanctuary city” to disparage American urban centers. In Chicago, we consider the term a badge of honor — though it means we still have important work to do to keep immigrant communities safe. Check out Avodah Organizing Fellow Emily Isaacson’s stirring Shabbat address about JCUA’s work on immigration justice. The …

Read More

Meet Summer Organizing Intern Hannah Berger

| By Hannah Berger
Categories: Interns & Internships
Hi! I’m Hannah Berger and I am the social work intern at JCUA this summer. Social Work is a very broad field, and encompasses everything from the clinical therapy to community organizing, which I am so excited to engage with this summer. I am currently a graduate student at the University of Michigan, studying Management …

Read More

Meet Summer Organizing Intern Bevy Daniel

| By Bevy Daniel
Categories: Interns & Internships
Bevy Daniel profile pic
Hi! My name is Bevy Daniel, and I’m an Organizing intern for JCUA this summer. I’m so excited by the way JCUA matches its Jewish values to its actions, and can’t wait to learn more about and contribute to the organizing team’s efforts.  I grew up in McLean, Virginia a few miles from DC and …

Read More

Meet Summer Organizing Intern Maisie Smith

| By Maisie Smith
Categories: Interns & Internships
Maisie Smith profile pic
Hi! My name is Maisie Smith and I am super excited to be an Organizing Intern for JCUA this summer. I can’t wait to learn more about how JCUA engages Jewish communities in work towards change around the issues that are most pressing to them. About me – I grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts …

Read More

Standing With My Community

| By Jess Ashley
Categories: Other

“No cop academy! 95 mil for a community!” The chants of passionate Chicagoans filled City Hall the morning of March 13. I found myself surrounded by angry members of my community as city council decided whether or not to fund Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s $95 million cop academy. We stood around for hours, shouting relentlessly in …

Read More