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Who We Are

JCUA is a community of changemakers working to transform Chicago and Illinois into a home for all of us. We harness our values, traditions, and experiences as Jews to organize for systemic change and work to ensure that everyone in our region has the safety, dignity, and resources they need to flourish.

We do this by:

Developing powerful leaders to shape the future of our city and state
Mobilizing our community to take action for racial and economic justice
Building a world free of racism, antisemitism, and white supremacy

Our Work

JCUA brings together the Jewish community to pursue justice in partnership with our neighbors across Chicago and Illinois. Rooted in Jewish values, traditions, and experiences, we organize for systemic change and ensure that everyone in our region has the safety, dignity, and resources they need to flourish.

We support the growth of powerful leaders.

JCUA provides training, mentorship, and political education to our 2,000 members who become powerful social justice leaders.

We build a multiracial, intergenerational Jewish community

JCUA celebrates and sustains the diversity within our Jewish community. We bring together Jews of Color in our Kol Or Caucus and young Jews in our Youth Caucuses.

We organize for transformative change

JCUA mobilizes Jewish individuals and institutions to participate in campaigns that address inequitable and unjust systems of power and resource distribution.

We strengthen neighborhoods across Chicago

Through our zero-interest loan program, JCUA funds affordable housing and economic development projects in neighborhoods across the city.

We build the world as it should be

JCUA confronts the growing threats of racial injustice, antisemitism, and white supremacy, and build a future where all of us are safe.

Our People

JCUA’s power comes from our people. We are a multiracial, multigenerational community of activists, educators, clergy, artists, parents, children, and neighbors from across Chicago and Illinois — sharing a common purpose and vision for our region. As a member-driven organization, JCUA's nearly 2,000 members are advocates and coalition partners working to address the root causes of disparity and oppression in Chicago. We mobilize our members to take action in partnership with community organizations in order to create a more just and equitable city.

JCUA's Board of Directors

President — Karyn Bass Ehler

Vice President — Sara Cantor

Treasurer — Rich Amend

Secretary — Cydney Wallace

Immediate Past President — Rabbi Fred Reeves

Founder — Rabbi Robert J. Marx (z"l)*

Directors

Daniel Epstein

David Feinberg

Sonje Hawkins

Karen Jacobs

David Levinson

Benetta Mansfield

Jessica Nepomiachi

Matthew Owens

Rabbi Steven Philp

Jackie Rassner

Gregory Rothman

Steve Rothschild

Randi Stern

Jeff Zaluda*

Emeritus Board

Kay Berkson

Rabbi Capers Funnye*

David Graham

Sidney Hollander*

Steve Keen*

Peggy Slater*

Nikki Stein*

*Past President

JCUA Staff

Judy Levey | Executive Director | judy@jcua.org

Marla Bramble | Associate Director and Director of Organizing | marla@jcua.org

Brian Gladstein | Director of Development & Advancement | brian@jcua.org

Jackie Baldwin | Director of Antiracism & Equity | jackie@jcua.org

Jonathan Elbaz | Director of Communications & Engagement | jonathan@jcua.org

Maetal Gerson | Field Organizer | maetal@jcua.org

Joe Grant | Community Organizer | joe@jcua.org

Jonah Karsh | Avodah Organizer | jonah@jcua.org

Becca Lubow | Community Organizer | becca@jcua.org

Julie Mansfield | Development Manager | julie@jcua.org

Mauricio Román | Database Manager | mauricio@jcua.org

Jimmy Rothschild | Community Organizer | jimmy@jcua.org

Anna Rubin | Political Director | anna@jcua.org

Rose Shapiro | Community Development Manager | roseshapiro@jcua.org

asia smith | Community Organizer | asia@jcua.org

Hannah Sugarman | Communications Associate | hannah@jcua.org

Mara Wolkoff | Manager of Youth Engagement | mara@jcua.org