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National Jewish Democratic Council

December 11, 2023

The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) was a political lobbying organization that advocated within the Democratic Party for viewpoints aligned with the American Jewish community and in support of the state of Israel, and within the political process generally, between 1990 and about 2016.

National Jewish Democratic Council
AbbreviationNJDC
SuccessorJewish Democratic Council of America (de facto)[1][2]
Formation1990
Dissolved2016 (functional, except for remaining litigation and debt payment processes)[3]
TypePolitical, Pro-Israel
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.
Location
  • United States
Websitewww.njdc.org/

Issues and activities edit

The NJDC's main issues were the U.S.-Israel relationship, separation of church and state (in the US),[4] and reproductive rights.[5]

The NJDC engaged in voter education efforts, and worked with secular and Jewish media to promote the Democratic Party and its ideals.

The organization also served as a resource to Democratic candidates nationally, educating them on issues of importance to the Jewish community. The NJDC served as a liberal watchdog on the lawful activities of the religious portion of the Right, acting to raise public awareness about efforts to undermine the wall between church and state.

In 2007, its Annual Washington Conference attracted every major Democratic candidate for president,[6] the Israeli Ambassador to the United States, and several party leaders, including Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.[7]

NJDC worked on the national level to help turn out Jewish voters in the 2004 elections, 2008 elections, and 2012 elections. NJDC also worked to send voter guides and direct mail to targeted Jewish households. In 2004, NJDC targeted 250,000 Jewish households in swing states with an intensive direct mail campaign.

Demise edit

Accumulating debts, a declining number of donors, outsourcing of functions, and a defamation lawsuit filed by Republican donor Sheldon Adelson against the NJDC (against which the group was ultimately successful[3]) led to the organization's decline between about 2014 and 2016.[8][1]

It effectively disappeared from the political scene prior to the 2016 presidential election, and in legal pleadings, stated that it continued to exist only to pay its bills and because of the continuing litigation against Adelson.[3] Some of its leadership campaigned for the 2016 Clinton presidential campaign under the Jews for Progress PAC banner.[2]

The group was replaced on a de facto basis in 2017 by the Jewish Democratic Council of America, which began its activities three months ahead of schedule because of President Donald Trump’s perceived equivocal response to the 2017 Charlottesville march and violence.[1]

Mission edit

The National Jewish Democratic Council was founded in 1990 as the national voice of Jewish Democrats. Its stated priorities included:[9]

  • Educating Jewish voters about the differences between their Democratic and Republican candidates for elected office through special reports and voter guides.
  • Informing candidates for public office about the need to address and support issues of concern to the Jewish community.
  • Advocating on behalf of Jewish and Democratic ideals on Capitol Hill and in Jewish and national media.
  • Fighting the radical right agenda at every turn through research and reports, grass-roots advocacy, working directly with lawmakers in Washington, and educating journalists.
  • Engaging and cultivating a new generation of young Jewish Democratic leaders by replicating the Washington-based Young Leadership program in other major cities, including New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and South Florida.
  • Expanding Jewish awareness of critical legislative activity through quarterly and bi-weekly publications, as well as Breakfast Roundtables and Domestic Issues Forums featuring Congressional and executive branch leaders.[citation needed]

NJDC leadership edit

  • Senator Ben Cardin, Honorary Chair
  • Senator Ron Wyden, Honorary Chair
  • Stephen Bittel, Vice-Chair, Miami, FL
  • Steve Rabinowitz, Vice-Chair, Washington, D. C.
  • Marc Winkelman, Vice Chair, Austin, TX
  • Sheldon Cohen, Secretary, Washington, D. C.
  • Sunita Leeds, Treasurer, Washington, D. C.

2008 election edit

In October 2008, the NJDC held a conference in Washington, D. C., at which then vice presidential candidate Joe Biden was the keynote speaker. Other notable speakers included Al Franken and Governor Howard Dean.

It was noted that "In 2008, the NJDC trained nearly 100 surrogates to speak around country, according to [executive director Ira] Forman, ran newspaper ad campaigns in pivotal swing states, sent 350,000 targeted pieces of mail to Jewish households, dropped 35,000 pieces of literature in key Jewish neighborhoods, and ran Internet and Google word search campaigns".[10]

In an article written on November 9, 2008, it was mentioned that "American Jewish voters have once again overwhelmingly supported the Democratic presidential nominee", and that "with Obama's victory, we selected a candidate who shares the values of the vast majority of American Jews, including the separation of church and state, a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, and reproductive freedom".[11]

During the final days of the 2008 presidential campaign, an article came out explaining that the "National Jewish Democratic Council is sending out more than 350,000 mailers to Jewish households in key swing states, re-asserting the Democratic nominees stance on a number of issues". This article includes many fliers put out by the NJDC in order to inform voters about Barack Obama and Joe Biden's positions on Israel.[12]

Marc Stanley, chairman of the NJDC, wrote an op-ed in the JTA entitled "Why Jews Voted for Obama". In the article, he gave two explanations: "First, Obama’s performance in the debates belied the GOP narrative that he could not be trusted, while McCain’s pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate undermined his Jewish support. Second, Jewish Democrats - the National Jewish Democratic Council, along with the Obama campaign and other independent efforts - were better organized than ever."[13] In 2008, exit polls showed that Barack Obama received 78% of the Jewish vote.[14]

Barack Obama presidency edit

The NJDC approved of the Obama administration's policies such as the 2009 stimulus package,[15] and the president's decision to pull out of Durban II,[16] the UN conference against racism which has been known to be a forum for anti-Israel agitation. The NJDC also declared its trust in Obama's support for Israel, and charged other organizations like the Republican Jewish Coalition of distorting information about Barack Obama and his support for Israel.[17]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Kampeas, Ron (June 15, 2018). "Meet the national security expert who is leading the charge to keep Jews voting Democratic". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Wilner, Michael (August 23, 2018). "Jewish Democrats hit refresh with new action group". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Kampeas, Ron (September 27, 2018). "Jewish Democratic group sues Sheldon Adelson for 'legal sadism'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  4. ^ . National Jewish Democratic Council. Archived from the original on 2014-06-18. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  5. ^ . National Jewish Democratic Council. 2009-12-08. Archived from the original on 2013-09-15. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  6. ^ "All major Dems to appear at NJDC con". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2007-04-13. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  7. ^ "NJDC's First Annual Conference". The Philadelphia Jewish Voice. 2007-05-23. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  8. ^ Guttman, Nathan (July 24, 2018). "What Role Do Jewish Democrats Have in the Coming Election?". Moment Magazine. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  9. ^ NJDC website
  10. ^ Kredo, Adam (November 12, 2008). . Washington Jewish Week. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011.
  11. ^ "Dem groups claim Obama win". Politico.
  12. ^ "Jewish Democrats Make Last Push For Obama". Huffington Post. 2008-10-29.
  13. ^ Stanley, Marc (November 6, 2008). "OP-ED: Why Jews voted for Obama". JTA.
  14. ^ . National Jewish Democratic Council (Press release). November 5, 2008. Archived from the original on 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
  15. ^ http://www.njdc.org/media/entry/NJDC_praises_eco
  16. ^ http://www.njdc.org/blog/post/ThankYouObamaDurban030309
  17. ^ . Archived from the original on 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2009-03-18.

External links edit

  • Official website

December 11, 2023
national, jewish, democratic, council, this, article, uses, bare, urls, which, uninformative, vulnerable, link, please, consider, converting, them, full, citations, ensure, article, remains, verifiable, maintains, consistent, citation, style, several, template. This article uses bare URLs which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting such as reFill documentation and Citation bot documentation August 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The National Jewish Democratic Council NJDC was a political lobbying organization that advocated within the Democratic Party for viewpoints aligned with the American Jewish community and in support of the state of Israel and within the political process generally between 1990 and about 2016 National Jewish Democratic CouncilAbbreviationNJDCSuccessorJewish Democratic Council of America de facto 1 2 Formation1990Dissolved2016 functional except for remaining litigation and debt payment processes 3 TypePolitical Pro IsraelHeadquartersWashington D C LocationUnited StatesWebsitewww njdc org Contents 1 Issues and activities 2 Demise 3 Mission 4 NJDC leadership 5 2008 election 6 Barack Obama presidency 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksIssues and activities editThe NJDC s main issues were the U S Israel relationship separation of church and state in the US 4 and reproductive rights 5 The NJDC engaged in voter education efforts and worked with secular and Jewish media to promote the Democratic Party and its ideals The organization also served as a resource to Democratic candidates nationally educating them on issues of importance to the Jewish community The NJDC served as a liberal watchdog on the lawful activities of the religious portion of the Right acting to raise public awareness about efforts to undermine the wall between church and state In 2007 its Annual Washington Conference attracted every major Democratic candidate for president 6 the Israeli Ambassador to the United States and several party leaders including Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer 7 NJDC worked on the national level to help turn out Jewish voters in the 2004 elections 2008 elections and 2012 elections NJDC also worked to send voter guides and direct mail to targeted Jewish households In 2004 NJDC targeted 250 000 Jewish households in swing states with an intensive direct mail campaign Demise editAccumulating debts a declining number of donors outsourcing of functions and a defamation lawsuit filed by Republican donor Sheldon Adelson against the NJDC against which the group was ultimately successful 3 led to the organization s decline between about 2014 and 2016 8 1 It effectively disappeared from the political scene prior to the 2016 presidential election and in legal pleadings stated that it continued to exist only to pay its bills and because of the continuing litigation against Adelson 3 Some of its leadership campaigned for the 2016 Clinton presidential campaign under the Jews for Progress PAC banner 2 The group was replaced on a de facto basis in 2017 by the Jewish Democratic Council of America which began its activities three months ahead of schedule because of President Donald Trump s perceived equivocal response to the 2017 Charlottesville march and violence 1 Mission editThe National Jewish Democratic Council was founded in 1990 as the national voice of Jewish Democrats Its stated priorities included 9 Educating Jewish voters about the differences between their Democratic and Republican candidates for elected office through special reports and voter guides Informing candidates for public office about the need to address and support issues of concern to the Jewish community Advocating on behalf of Jewish and Democratic ideals on Capitol Hill and in Jewish and national media Fighting the radical right agenda at every turn through research and reports grass roots advocacy working directly with lawmakers in Washington and educating journalists Engaging and cultivating a new generation of young Jewish Democratic leaders by replicating the Washington based Young Leadership program in other major cities including New York Boston Los Angeles Cleveland and South Florida Expanding Jewish awareness of critical legislative activity through quarterly and bi weekly publications as well as Breakfast Roundtables and Domestic Issues Forums featuring Congressional and executive branch leaders citation needed NJDC leadership editSenator Ben Cardin Honorary Chair Senator Ron Wyden Honorary Chair Stephen Bittel Vice Chair Miami FL Steve Rabinowitz Vice Chair Washington D C Marc Winkelman Vice Chair Austin TX Sheldon Cohen Secretary Washington D C Sunita Leeds Treasurer Washington D C 2008 election editIn October 2008 the NJDC held a conference in Washington D C at which then vice presidential candidate Joe Biden was the keynote speaker Other notable speakers included Al Franken and Governor Howard Dean It was noted that In 2008 the NJDC trained nearly 100 surrogates to speak around country according to executive director Ira Forman ran newspaper ad campaigns in pivotal swing states sent 350 000 targeted pieces of mail to Jewish households dropped 35 000 pieces of literature in key Jewish neighborhoods and ran Internet and Google word search campaigns 10 In an article written on November 9 2008 it was mentioned that American Jewish voters have once again overwhelmingly supported the Democratic presidential nominee and that with Obama s victory we selected a candidate who shares the values of the vast majority of American Jews including the separation of church and state a strong U S Israel relationship and reproductive freedom 11 During the final days of the 2008 presidential campaign an article came out explaining that the National Jewish Democratic Council is sending out more than 350 000 mailers to Jewish households in key swing states re asserting the Democratic nominees stance on a number of issues This article includes many fliers put out by the NJDC in order to inform voters about Barack Obama and Joe Biden s positions on Israel 12 Marc Stanley chairman of the NJDC wrote an op ed in the JTA entitled Why Jews Voted for Obama In the article he gave two explanations First Obama s performance in the debates belied the GOP narrative that he could not be trusted while McCain s pick of Alaska Gov Sarah Palin as his running mate undermined his Jewish support Second Jewish Democrats the National Jewish Democratic Council along with the Obama campaign and other independent efforts were better organized than ever 13 In 2008 exit polls showed that Barack Obama received 78 of the Jewish vote 14 Barack Obama presidency editThe NJDC approved of the Obama administration s policies such as the 2009 stimulus package 15 and the president s decision to pull out of Durban II 16 the UN conference against racism which has been known to be a forum for anti Israel agitation The NJDC also declared its trust in Obama s support for Israel and charged other organizations like the Republican Jewish Coalition of distorting information about Barack Obama and his support for Israel 17 See also editList of Jewish American politicians Jewish Democratic Council of America Republican Jewish CoalitionReferences edit a b c Kampeas Ron June 15 2018 Meet the national security expert who is leading the charge to keep Jews voting Democratic Jewish Telegraphic Agency Retrieved February 6 2019 a b Wilner Michael August 23 2018 Jewish Democrats hit refresh with new action group The Jerusalem Post Retrieved February 6 2019 a b c Kampeas Ron September 27 2018 Jewish Democratic group sues Sheldon Adelson for legal sadism Jewish Telegraphic Agency Retrieved February 6 2019 Separation of Church and State National Jewish Democratic Council Archived from the original on 2014 06 18 Retrieved 2014 08 26 NJDC Welcomes Defeat of Senate Amendment Restricting Abortion Coverage National Jewish Democratic Council 2009 12 08 Archived from the original on 2013 09 15 Retrieved 2014 08 26 All major Dems to appear at NJDC con Jewish Telegraphic Agency 2007 04 13 Retrieved 2014 08 26 NJDC s First Annual Conference The Philadelphia Jewish Voice 2007 05 23 Retrieved 2014 08 26 Guttman Nathan July 24 2018 What Role Do Jewish Democrats Have in the Coming Election Moment Magazine Retrieved February 6 2019 NJDC website Kredo Adam November 12 2008 Jews remain true blue Despite concerns voters flock to Obama Washington Jewish Week Archived from the original on July 21 2011 Dem groups claim Obama win Politico Jewish Democrats Make Last Push For Obama Huffington Post 2008 10 29 Stanley Marc November 6 2008 OP ED Why Jews voted for Obama JTA 2008 Jewish Vote for Obama Exceeds All Expectations National Jewish Democratic Council Press release November 5 2008 Archived from the original on 2009 06 25 Retrieved 2009 03 24 http www njdc org media entry NJDC praises eco http www njdc org blog post ThankYouObamaDurban030309 Petition Tell RJC to Stop Promoting Falsehoods About the Obama Administration NJDC Blog Archived from the original on 2009 06 27 Retrieved 2009 03 18 External links editOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title National Jewish Democratic Council amp oldid 1148960701, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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