EVENTS
JCRC at the ONE Community Point of Pride Summit
On Friday, June 21st, JCRC's Paul Rockower and Amanda Garcia supported ONE Community at the Point of Pride summit. We celebrated diversity, equity, and inclusion while learning how to be active allies. We learned various strategies for exercising our power as allies...
JCRC volunteers at AFN Heat Relief Event
On Sunday, June 23rd, JCRC brought the Jewish community out to help the Arizona Faith Network for an afternoon of community service. Volunteers filled hundreds of bags to be handed out to those in need of heat relief. Each heat relief bag included bottled water,...
Latino Jewish Seder
The Latino Jewish Seder brought together almost 100 guests on April 17th for a meaningful evening of food, music and shared values. The event presented a unique opportunity to celebrate diversity, promote unity, and explore the rich tapestry of cultures that...
United Against Hate event
The JCRC's Executive Director Paul Rockower was honored to take part in the Department of Justice/U.S. Attorney's Office United Against Hate event on February 21, alongside representatives from ADL AZ, ASU Hillel, FBI Phoenix Division, Phoenix/Scottsdale PD, Phoenix...
Lunar New Year to connect Jewish, Chinese communities
The JCRC was honored to partner with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Greater Phoenix to host a special Lunar New Year dinner to connect Jewish and Chinese Community leadership. On hand for the Jewish community were representatives from JCRC, ADL Arizona (not...
JCRC at JNF Breakfast
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix board members and distinguished guests demonstrated unity at the JNF Breakfast for Israel! Grateful to share insights and conversations with dedicated individuals like AZ State Treasurer Kimberly Yee, State...
Tour of Maricopa County Elections Facility
The JCRC was proud to spearhead a tour of the Maricopa County Tabulation & Elections Center, in partnership with A More Perfect Union. We are grateful for our partners at the Board of Rabbis of Greater Phoenix, National Council of Jewish Women Arizona, Maricopa...
ONECommunity UNITY Pledge
The JCRC was proud to sign on to the ONECommunity UNITY Pledge, and were proud to take part in the campaign: Leading Valley Jewish Groups Gather to Sign the UNITY Pledge Our ‘Open for Worship’ coalition continues to grow. We are so honored to be with these Jewish...
Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury Inclusion Week Panel
JCRC ExecDir Paul Rockower took part in a panel discussion for the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury organizations for their Inclusion Week around the MLK holiday. He joined Valley of the Sun leaders to discuss what they do every day to make Phoenix a more equitable...
PHX Black-Jewish Cohort at the ILOJC Conference
In December 2022, the Phoenix Black-Jewish Cohort was honored to speak on panels at the International Lions of Judah Conference in Scottsdale. The Black-Jewish Cohort spoke about the initiative to create proximity between the Black and Jewish communities, and the trip...
AZ Jews for Pride
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix was a proud sponsor of AZ Jews for Pride at the Phoenix Pride Parade. We were proud to march today with one of the biggest contingents, AZ Jews for Pride, at the Pride Parade. The Phoenix Jewish Community...
PHX Black-Jewish Cohort’s DC Trip
Following the brutal murder of George Floyd, the JCRC created the Phoenix Black-Jewish Cohort to build lines of communication between young Jewish and African-American leadership in the greater Phoenix area. That effort was launched by facilitation grant by Vitalyst...
Addressing the Hopi “Gathering the Clans” Event
On Sunday May 1, 2022, JCRC Executive Director Paul Rockower was honored with an invitation to address the Hopi Tribe's Gathering of the Clans event at Steele Indian School Park. The event included dignitaries from other tribes, including the Apache, Navajo and Zuni...
Jewish Community visit to LDS Mesa Temple
The JCRC was proud to have helped spearhead the visit for both Jewish community professionals and Board of Rabbis to tour the LDS Mesa Temple for its rededication. This visit was a great example of interfaith outreach, community bridge-building and communal...
Glendale Proclamation for tolerance and inclusivity
After vile, hateful flyers were left in Glendale and other cities in the West Valley, the JCRC was proud to lead a coalition of community partners to push back against hate. We are grateful for our partners at Arizona Faith Network, CAIR-Arizona, Chicanos Por La Causa...
Jewish News/JCRC Webinar with FBI/DOJ to demystify fight against extremism
The JCRC was proud to partner with the Jewish News to host representatives Special Agent Dan Johnson, SSA Kyle Roberts of the FBI and the Department of Justice's William Voit to discuss the fight against extremism. In light of recent antisemitic incidents across...
ASU Jewish Population Survey program
The JCRC was pleased to partner with the Jewish News to present Arizona State University's Jewish Community Population Survey in an online presentation of Arizona State University's 2019 survey of Maricopa County's Jewish population -- the first comprehensive study of...
Neo-Nazi Rally in Phoenix
The JCRC was heavily involved in countering the neo-Nazi rally that took place on April 17, 2021. Thankfully, it all passed peacefully and uneventfully. Barely a dozen neo-Nazis came out, and the counter-protest against them was measured. Nothing escalated, and the...
JCRC at the AACCC Press Conference on Voting Rights in AZ
The Jewish Community Relations Council was honored to take part in the African American Christian Clergy Coalition's Press Conference on protecting the right to vote in Arizona. These are ExecDir Paul Rockower's remarks: Shalom, my name is Paul Rockower, I am the...
History in the Making: Contemplating the Infinite Possibilities of the Abraham Accords
The JCRC is proud to partner with the AJC and Jewish Federations of Phoenix and Tucson on this historic event
American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) Intermountain Immigration Summit
The JCRC of Greater Phoenix was honored to co-sponsor the recent American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) Intermountain Chapter’s Immigration Summit, and helped arrange the Arizona Faith Network, of which we sit on the Board, co-sponsor as well. As the JCRC...
JCRC/JN program: How to guarantee your voice is heard
On Wednesday October 7, the JCRC was proud to partner with the Jewish News to host a webinar with AZ Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and All Voting is Local AZ Executive Director Alex Gulotta on how to be pro-active voters this election season, and how to guarantee...
#ERLunchChallenge
The JCRC board has been challenging boards across the Jewish community in the Valley of the Sun to participate in the #ERLunchChallenge! Our JCRC board recently chipped in $20 per person to provide Chompie’s lunch boxes for frontline hospital workers at Banner...
JFCS-LDS Connection
“The COVID-19 crisis is something that affects all communities in the Valley of the Sun, and only by all of our communities working together will we get through these difficult times,” Rockower said. “The JCRC was pleased to help connect Jewish Family and Children’s...
Joint Jewish Community Blood Drive
On April 20, 2020, the JCRC was proud to partner with the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, the Martin Pear JCC and the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus to host a joint Jewish community blood drive with Vitalant. The blood drive proved to be a great success, and...
IsraAID Breakfast Briefing
The JCRC was honored to host Seth Davis, the Executive Director of IsraAID, for a breakfast briefing with Phoenix-area Latino community leadership and AZ State legislators on IsraAID's incredible humanitarian work--with a focus on its disaster relief efforts in in...
Sharing the Light Concert
Thanks to everyone who came out for the Sharing the Light concert on Wednesday December 18, it was an AMAZING event. Over a thousand people filled the pews of Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church for a concert of Hanukkah and Christmas music. The program helped bring the...
JCRC Visit to IRC Phoenix Welcome Center
On Wednesday December 4, members of the JCRC Board, as well as representation from the Board of Rabbis and Jewish Community Foundation, visited the IRC Phoenix Welcome Center--which accepts asylum-seekers released from ICE Detention. The visit was an opportunity to...
Mini-Smart Justice Cafe
On Sunday November 17, the JCRC's Executive Director Paul Rockower and ACLU of Arizona's Smart Justice Campaign Coordinator Khalil Rushdan were hosted by a havurah associated with members from Congregation Or Tzion to hold a mini-Smart Justice Cafe. In the mini-Smart...
Briefing on German-Jewish Relations with former high-ranking German diplomat
The Jewish Community Relations Council was honored to host the distinguished former German diplomat Stefan Schlüter for a briefing and discussion on the relationship between Germany and its Jewish community, as well as Germany's connections to Israel and the Jewish...
Smart Justice Cafe
On Sunday September 8, the JCRC, Arizona Faith Network and ACLU hosted a Smart Justice Cafe for the Jewish community to address the situation of criminal justice reform in Arizona. The program began with JCRC Exec Dir Paul Rockower sharing Dostoevsky's famous remark:...
JCRC Partners on “A Celebration of Spirit”
The JCRC was proud to partner on the event "A Celebration of Spirit," which took place on Sunday June 30 at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in front of nearly 500 people. The "A Celebration of Spirit" concert and program was created in partnership by the Arizona Jewish...
JCRC Co-Hosts “80 Years Later – What Does ‘Never Again’ Mean?”
In commemoration of Yom HaShoah on May 2, 2019 the JCRC was proud to co-host the event, "80 Years Later - What Does 'Never Again' Mean?" with the Phoenix Holocaust Association and Bureau of Jewish Education. The program brought together two excellent panelists, Sheila...
JCRC Co-Hosts United Hatzalah Reception
On April 1, 2019, the JCRC was pleased to co-host, with the Arizona Israel Technology Alliance, a reception for Eli Beer--the Founder and President of United Hatzalah. United Hatzalah is a pioneer and innovator in the field of emergency medical response, and this...
MLK Walk 2019
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix was proud to organize and lead a strong contingent from the greater Phoenix Jewish community to participate in the MLK Walk on Monday January 21, 2019. A fundamental tenet of the JCRC's mission is to connect...
Strange Fruit: African American and Jewish Relationships
Screening of documentary Strange Fruit followed by facilitated discussion. Strange Fruit is a song performed by many African American musicians, most famously Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, and was written by a Jewish teacher, Abeel Meropol, protesting...
Newly incorporated organization serves as voice for Valley Jewish community
Jewish News Article on the JCRC • View the article below or HERE The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) continues to make progress on its mission to serve as a voice responding to issues affecting the Valley’s Jewish community. After recently being...
Valley Jewish organizations respond to recent violence on eve of Trump visit
Read about the how the Jewish Community Relations Council and other "Valley Jewish Organizations respond to recent violence on eve of Trump visit."