Jewish Community Relations Bureau | American Jewish Committee (JCRB|AJC) recently joined Jewish leaders and advocates from across Missouri at the State Capitol for Missouri Jewish Advocacy Day, a coordinated effort to elevate the needs and concerns of Missouri’s Jewish community directly with lawmakers.
The event was co-sponsored by a broad coalition of Jewish organizations, including JCRB|AJC, ADL Heartland, AJC St. Louis, JCRC of St. Louis, Jewish Federation of St. Louis, NCJW St. Louis and the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum. Together with these partnering agencies, a delegation of community members traveled from across the state to Jefferson City to participate in meetings with legislators and their key staff.
The central focus of the day was advocating for full funding of the Missouri Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Participants shared firsthand perspectives on the growing need for security resources to protect houses of worship, day schools, community centers and other nonprofit institutions. These conversations were timely given the continued rise in hate-motivated threats and incidents targeting religious and minority communities.
Advocates emphasized that nonprofit security is not an abstract concern, but a pressing reality for communities across Missouri. By speaking directly with elected officials, attendees helped ensure that Jewish voices were heard clearly and collectively in the policymaking process.
JCRB|AJC Kansas City is planning a Kansas Advocacy Day in Topeka for early March and encourages community members to email for more information.
