Community Organizing

For six decades, JCUA has worked as a vital Jewish voice for social justice in Chicago. In 2014, we took a transformative step — becoming a member-driven, grassroots organizing organization. This shift put JCUA members at the center of our work, leading campaigns, shaping strategy, and driving real change.

Since then, our membership has grown to over 2,000 individuals, and we’ve built powerful, community-led campaigns for community safety, immigration rights, and housing justice, immigrant rights. Our power comes from its members—people like you—who show up, take action, and fight for a more just Chicago.

What is Community Organizing?

Community organizing is a proven method for social change that brings people together to build power, challenge unjust systems, and win real victories for our communities. Unlike direct service or philanthropy, which address immediate needs, organizing targets the root causes of injustice by shifting power and changing policies.

Organizing is based on intentional relationship-building—mobilizing people who share a stake in an issue and using their collective power to demand systemic change. At JCUA, we don’t just advocate for communities—we organize with them, recognizing that our liberation is interconnected.

JCUA organizes through:

✅ Coalition-building with frontline communities
✅ Grassroots lobbying and policy advocacy
✅ Direct actions like protests and demonstrations
✅ Canvassing and phonebanking to engage and mobilize
✅ Political education and leadership development

Our Issue Areas

JCUA members lead grassroots campaigns across three key issue areas:

📌 Immigration Justice – Fighting for a city and state that welcomes and protects immigrants
📌 Community Safety – Reimagining public safety through police accountability and fully-funded community services
📌 Housing & Economic Justice – Advancing policies that fight homelessness, prevent displacement, and expand affordable housing

Our Campaigns

JCUA’s campaign selection process is a democratic, member-led effort. Members identify pressing social justice issues in the region, conduct research, and collaborate with partner organizations to understand the landscape. Through community meetings, they deliberate on potential campaigns, weighing their strategic impact, and ultimately vote on new campaigns, ensuring that our organizing remains community-driven and aligned with our values. This process builds power and leads to meaningful systemic change.

JCUA campaigns must meet key criteria to ensure our work is impactful, strategic, and aligned with our mission:

✔️ Led by directly impacted communities – We follow the leadership of those most affected.
✔️ Addresses the root causes of injustice – We push for systemic change, not just short-term fixes.
✔️ Builds power – Every campaign should strengthen our organizing capacity.
✔️ Achievable and winnable – We take on fights where we can make a real difference.
✔️ Reflects our Jewish values – Our organizing is rooted in justice, dignity, and collective liberation.

Get Involved

Over the past 11 years, we’ve built a powerful, intergenerational, multiracial Jewish community that has won historic victories for police accountability, immigrant rights, healthcare, and workers’ rights. In 2025, we need you to help us continue this work. JCUA members build community, take action on key justice issues, and shape the future of our organizing. Whether you attend trainings, join a campaign, or simply make an annual contribution, you are part of a movement fighting for a more just and equitable Chicago.