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Three wins in a week: NJAC's Passover Highlights
🏆 Three victories in seven days. Here's what the National Jewish Advocacy Center accomplished this week to protect Jewish civil rights during Passover. Passover is one of the most sacred times in the Jewish calendar. This week, we made sure that observing it didn't cost Jewish Americans their civil rights. 1. NYC Department of Parks & Recreation rescheduled its antisemitism training off of Passover. After NJAC intervened, the City agreed to move a training titled “Unders
3 days ago
Press Release: NJAC Secures Major Voting Rights Victory in Surfside Election Case, Expanding Access for Passover Observers
Surfside — US Census Bureau Miami, FL — The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) along with its partners at GS2 Law today secured a significant legal victory protecting the voting rights of Jewish residents in the Town of Surfside, Florida, in connection with the April 7, 2026 mayoral runoff election scheduled during Passover. Following an emergency hearing, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida recognized the serious burdens imposed on observant Jewish voters by holding
4 days ago
Free Beacon: ‘Potentially Materially Inadequate Disclosure’ on Harvard’s $675 Million Bond Offering Prompts ‘Anti-Fraud’ Warning
An anti-Israel protest at Harvard Law School, October 2023. Photo: Ira Stoll The disclosure to potential investors in documents for Harvard’s planned new $675 million tax-exempt bond offering doesn't give enough warning about the risks, a watchdog group says. The National Jewish Advocacy Center, a nonprofit legal group that works to combat anti-Semitism, wrote on Monday, March 30 to lawyers working on the bond offering...
Apr 1
Press Release: Emergency Lawsuit Filed to Block Surfside Mayoral Runoff Election Scheduled During Passover
Miami, FL — The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) and GS2 Law PLLC today filed an emergency lawsuit in the Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida, on behalf of Chabad of Surfside, Rabbi Zalman Lipskar, United Orthodox Synagogues of Surfside, and six individual registered voters of the Town of Surfside, seeking a temporary injunction to postpone the Town’s mayoral runoff election from April 7, 2026, to April 14, 2026, because
Mar 27
Press Release: National Jewish Advocacy Center Files Lawsuit to Block Northampton’s Unlawful Anti-Israel Divestment Resolution
Northampton, MA — The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), together with the Gevura Fund and Libby Hoopes Brooks & Mulvey, P.C., today filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts Superior Court on behalf of Northampton taxpayers challenging the legality of a City Council resolution directing City officials to make investment decisions based on improper ideological criteria. The Resolution directs the Northampton City Treasurer and City Retirement Board to divest from and refuse futu
Mar 26
Press Release: Landmark Lawsuit Filed Against U.S. Department of Education for Failure to Enforce Agreement Addressing Antisemitism in Philadelphia Schools
Philadelphia, PA — The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) and the Deborah Project today announced the filing of a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for entering into an arbitrary and capricious agreement with the School District of Philadelphia to resolve the alleged hostile antisemitic environment, and then failing to enforce even that inadequate agreement. OCR had previously investigated widespread allegations of antisemit
Mar 25
JNS: French teacher sues UN school in New York after enduring ‘15 months of hell,’ Jew-hatred
United Nations International School Photo credit : Transpoman via Wikimedia Commons. A Jewish woman, who taught at the United Nations International School in New York for about 30 years, is suing the school, alleging that it ignored her reports of experiencing Jew-hatred on campus and responded by subjecting her to a retaliatory investigation. Robert Weingrad told JNS that his wife, Nadine Sébag, 65, experienced “severe depression” as a result of what she experienced at the s
Feb 25
The Free Press: The Father Battling Palestinian Terror in Court
Taylor Force as a child (Photo courtesy Stuart Force) In 2004, the Palestinian Authority launched its “Martyrs Fund,” promising to pay Palestinians who died or were thrown in prison as a result of committing terrorism against Israel. These “pay-for-slay” payouts add up to hundreds of millions of dollars per year. And while President Mahmoud Abbas claimed last year that he would end the program , it was enshrined by the proposed Palestinian constitution he released earlier
Feb 23
NJAC CEO Mark Goldfeder testifies before the Commission on Civil Rights Feb 19 panel, "Antisemitism on America's College and University Campuses: Current Conditions and the Federal Response"
Panel: https://www.usccr.gov/meetings/2026/02-19-antisemitism-americas-college-and-university-campuses-current-conditions-and
Feb 19
Press Release: Tenured Jewish Teacher Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against United NationsInternational School
The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) today announced the filing of a civil action on behalf of Nadine Sébag, a tenured Jewish French teacher who served the United Nations International School (“UNIS”) for more than thirty years. The lawsuit alleges that UNIS failed to address antisemitic harassment by a Muslim non-tenured teacher and instead subjected Ms. Sébag to a prolonged, retaliatory investigation that ultimately forced her to leave her position. According to the C
Feb 18
Boston.com: Jewish groups sue Medford over values-based investment ordinance
Plaintiffs say the city’s policy unlawfully mandates divestment based on ideology. Two Jewish advocacy organizations have filed a federal lawsuit challenging Medford’s recent values-based investment ordinance , arguing the policy illegally forces the city to divest public funds for political and ideological reasons. The Gevura Fund and the National Jewish Advocacy Center, along with the law firm Libby Hoopes Brooks & Mulvey, P.C., filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in M
Feb 9
Memorandum in Support of 25-Foot Buffer Zone at Entrances to Places of Religious Worship
From the Executive Summary: The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), the Orthodox Union, the Rabbinical Council of America, and the National Council of Young Israel submit the attached Memorandum to affirm the constitutionality and necessity of legislation that would establish a 25-foot protective buffer zone for demonstrations around houses of worship and reproductive health facilities. (Part K of S.9005/A.10005 and S.8599/A.9335) (the “Bills”). We vigorously oppose the a
Feb 5
Times of Israel: Prominent US law groups National Jewish Advocacy Center, Zachor Legal Institute to merge
The National Jewish Advocacy Center, a prominent Jewish legal rights group, acquires the Zachor Legal Institute, a legal think tank. Courtrooms around the US have increasingly become a central battlefield in the fight against antisemitism, and the two groups heralded their merger as a step forward, as each brings its own expertise to the partnership. “Zachor adds capabilities NJAC didn’t previously have at this scale: deeper policy and regulatory advocacy, and a well-oiled re
Feb 3
JNS: National Jewish Advocacy Center acquires Zachor Legal Institute
(Feb. 3, 2026 / JNS) The National Jewish Advocacy Center told JNS exclusively on Tuesday that it acquired the Zachor Legal Institute, a think tank and advocacy organization focused on fighting Jew-hatred. “This acquisition is about building the kind of legal and policy capacity that matches the scale of the problem,” Mark Goldfeder, CEO of the center, told JNS. “Zachor adds complementary expertise and reach to NJAC’s litigation and advocacy, so we can move faster and act with
Feb 3
Freedom of Information Request of the Mamdani Administration regarding Democracy to the Arab World Now (DAWN) Communications
February 3, 2026 The State New York To: Office of the New York State Comptroller Attn : Records Access Officer New York Office: 110 State Street Albany, NY 12236 Via online submission RE: Freedom of Information Request Dear Sir/Madam: Pursuant to the New York Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6), I hereby request access to and copies of the following records:
Feb 3
Memorandum to Mamdani Administration re: Proposed 100-Foot Protective Buffer Zone Around Entrances to Places of Religious Worship
January 20, 2026 Via Email Mayor Zohran Mamdani City Hall New York, New York, 10007 Muriel Goode-Trufant Corporation Counsel of the City of New York New York City Law Department 100 Church Street New York, New York 10007 Re: Proposed 100-Foot Protective Buffer Zone Around Entrances to Places of Religious Worship Dear Mayor Mamdani and Ms. Goode-Trufant: The Mayor recently confirmed that he would support Speaker Julie Menin’s proposal for a 100-foot protective buffer around en
Jan 20
TOI: After probe into Betar, Jewish legal group demands similar investigation of anti-Zionist groups
Photo credit: wolpalestine.com After the New York State attorney general probed the far-right Jewish group Betar, a US Jewish legal group demands investigations into anti-Zionist activist groups. Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement in an investigation into Betar on Tuesday. She said the group had harassed people due to their Arab, Muslim and Jewish identities, had agreed to halt those activities, and would be ceasing operations in New York. In a letter to Ja
Jan 15
Third Circuit Nukes Biden Judge’s Blockade On Deportation Of Pro-Hamas Foreign Activist
Office of Representative Jim McGovern/ Wikimedia Commons In a major win for the Trump administration, a federal appeals court ended a Biden-appointed district judge’s blockade on the deportation of a pro-Hamas foreign activist on Thursday. In a 2-1 ruling , a panel for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals vacated orders from New Jersey-based District Judge Michael Farbiarz regarding the detainment and attempted deportation of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil . As l
Jan 15
Notice of Planned and Ongoing Antisemitic Teacher-Led Activity; Misuse of DOE Authority /Resources; Title VI/ DASA/ NYCHRL Compliance; Preservation Demand
January 15, 2026 Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels New York City Public Schools 52 Chambers Street New York, NY 10007 Asklegal@schools.nyc.gov Re: Notice of Planned and Ongoing Antisemitic Teacher-Led Activity; Misuse of DOE Authority/Resources; Title VI/DASA/NYCHRL Compliance; Preservation Demand Dear Chancellor Samuels: We submit this letter on behalf of Gevura Fund, NYC Public School Alliance, Queens Parents United, United Jewish Teachers, Parents Against Antisemitism, and Safe
Jan 15
Request for Investigation into Within Our Lifetime (WOL) and Al-Awda (Pal-Awda) Based on Violence, Intimidation, and Charitable-Oversight Concerns
January 14, 2026 Attorney General Letitia James Office of the Attorney General The Capitol Albany, NY 12224-0341 RE: Request for Investigation into Within Our Lifetime (WOL) and Al-Awda (Pal-Awda) Based on Violence, Intimidation, and Charitable-Oversight Concerns Attorney General James: We write to request that the Office of the Attorney General immediately open an investigation into two New York-based organizations—Within Our Lifetime (WOL) and Al-Awda (the Palestine Right t
Jan 14
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