Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)
JCRC The Next Chapter: Continuing the Fight for a Just Society
New JCRC President Walter Spiegel gave the following address at the JCRC Annual Meeting in June. He shared his vision for the future of the organization, rooted in the mission of the organization throughout its 78-year history, to protect Jewish security, recognizing Jewish security depends on a just society for all.
While I am not a native of Cincinnati, the history and the mission of this organization – to protect the security of the Jewish people in our community, while recognizing that Jewish security depends on a just society for all people – is deeply personal to me; indeed, I would suggest that it is embedded in my DNA. It would not be a stretch to trace my connection to JCRC to a night well before I was born – specifically November 9, 1938, a night that would of course later become known as Krystallnacht. On that night, Nazi storm troopers stormed up the stairs of my then 14-year old mother’s apartment building in Nuremberg, Germany, banged on the door of my grandparents’ apartment, and demanded to speak to the Juden Schwein – the Jew Pig – Hans Wasserman. Fortunately, as a result of a tip from a non-Jewish business colleague, Hans was in hiding that night and not at home. Had he been home, he likely would have been beaten, or perhaps arrested and sent to the nearby concentration camp at Dachau, thereby condemning him and probably the rest of his family. Instead, Hans, Selma, and their two daughters – my mother and my aunt – were spared and later able to emigrate to the United States.
As the vicious antisemitism of the Nazi regime was swirling around my family and also becoming more and more clear to the rest of the world, Dr. Jacob Rader Marcus and other leaders of the Cincinnati Jewish community were responding by forming this organization – the Jewish Community Relations Council of Cincinnati. Its stated mission was to use education to eradicate antisemitism.
72 years after the end of World War II and 69 years after the establishment of a Jewish state in Israel, one would have thought that the need for a JCRC in Cincinnati or indeed anywhere else in the United States would have faded long ago. Sadly, that is not the case. To the contrary, the need for this organization to continue to fight for civil rights may be more pronounced today than at any time during my lifetime. According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents across the United States increased by 86% during the first quarter of 2017. Here in Cincinnati in 2017, we have seen swastikas painted on a sign at Hebrew Union College and the defacing of Withrow High School with antisemitic, racist, and homophobic messages. And in the past year, BDS resolutions have been proposed (but thankfully defeated due to the hard work of campus Hillels) at college campuses across the Midwest, including at Ohio State, the University of Michigan, and the University of Illinois.
So as we look forward, the core mission of this organization – the protection of the security of the Jewish community – is and will remain central to what we do. We will continue to speak out against acts of antisemitism within our community. We will enhance our relations with our elected officials and will increase our efforts to advocate on issues of concern. And we intend to increase our educational efforts to ensure that Jewish and non-Jewish students are fully prepared to address the fabrications that underlie anti-Israel activity such as BDS and transform legitimate debate on Israeli policy into thinly veiled covers for antisemitism.
But there is another lesson in my family’s history, and that is that the Jewish community is not an island. My grandfather likely would not have survived Krystallnacht had it not been for his relationship with a non-Jewish business colleague. Our mission statement recognizes that Jewish security depends on a just society for all. And so it is critical that we continue to invest in relationships with other communities, including other faith-based communities, ethnic communities, and the business community. We will do this because working together we can better address our mutual interests in developing a more just society. And we will do this because it is the right thing to do and consistent with our Jewish values.
Finally, as you heard from Rabbi Abrahamson, in this increasingly polarized time, it is more critical than ever that we in the Jewish community discuss and address divisive issues with respect and civility. Our community is not well served when we resort to personal attacks and question the motives and legitimacy of others in the community with whom we may disagree. Our goal at JCRC is to foster civil discourse within our community so we can work together to achieve common objectives. Our Board is representative of Cincinnati’s diverse Jewish community and congregations and serves as a forum for open, inclusive, and consensus-driven discussions. JCRC is well positioned to lead the community in addressing complex issues through respectful dialogue at a time when respect and civility are in increasing demand.
Two weeks ago, at the blessed age of 93, my mother passed away peacefully in Atlanta. She outlived the “Thousand Year Reich” by 72 years – which she regarded as the best possible revenge on the Nazi regime. That night in Nuremberg left an indelible impression on her for the rest of her life. But rather than becoming bitter about her experience, she dedicated her time to educating students about the dangers of intolerance. Similarly, the history of this organization is to stand up and speak out against acts of intolerance in the Cincinnati community, whether directed at the Jewish community or at other vulnerable communities.
Throughout the evening, you have seen that nine-decade history re-told in video snapshots. Tonight, we celebrate JCRC’s role throughout some turbulent times. But as we do so, we also recognize that we are now writing the next chapter for our community. What will our children and grandchildren say about the actions that we take in the years to come? It is in this spirit that we ask you to join JCRC as we continue to fight to create a just society for all people.
The Jewish Community Relations Council is one of over fifty programs and agencies funded in part by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati: We look at the whole picture, taking into account the diverse needs of the entire community. Together we can do almost anything.
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