Jewish Caucus Announces Leadership for 2023-2024 Legislative Session
SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Legislative Jewish Caucus elected Senator Scott Wiener (D- San Francisco) and Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) as Co-Chairs of the Caucus and Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) as Vice Chair. They will assume their roles immediately.
“I am honored to help lead the Jewish Caucus and appreciate the faith my fellow legislators have placed in me,” said Senator Wiener. “At a time of growing antisemitism, it is more important than ever we have strong Jewish leadership in the Legislature. As a Caucus, we work to ensure California’s safety as a home for the Jewish people and to share our values of repairing the world, kindness, and caring for the stranger. These values will continue to inform our work and how we approach the issues our state faces. I am eager to get to work with Assemblymember Gabriel and Senator Becker to further our Caucus’s work.”
“I am tremendously proud of the work the Jewish Caucus has done to protect and strengthen our community and to repair the world,” said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel. “Thanks to our collective efforts, we passed major hate crimes legislation, expanded Holocaust education, and secured nearly $250 million to fund top Jewish Community priorities. We also collaborated closely with the other diversity caucuses to fight hate and bigotry and to uplift vulnerable Californians of all faiths and backgrounds. I look forward to partnering with my colleagues to continue this important work.”
“California is home to the third largest Jewish population in the world and over the past two years, the Jewish Caucus secured over $215 million in the state budget to serve our community,” said Senator Josh Becker (D-San Mateo), the Caucus’s new Vice Chair. “I’m looking forward to taking a more active role in the Caucus this year. Given the rise in anti-Semitism that we’ve seen in California and across the country in recent months, there is plenty of work to be done.”
The Jewish Caucus secured over $150 million dollars in the state budget last year, including funds to support elderly Holocaust Survivors, rebuild both Jewish and non-Jewish camps, continue the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, and improve Holocaust education. Through its Tikkun Olam Agenda,the Caucus also championed bills that ensure safer schools, repeal mandatory minimums, improve gun safety, and heal our environment.
Along with new leadership, the Legislative Jewish Caucus also welcomed four newly-elected members this year: Assemblymembers Dawn Addis (D – Central Coast) Josh Lowenthal (D – Long Beach), along with associate members Assemblymembers Gail Pellerin (D - Santa Clara) and Rick Chavez Zbur (D - Santa Monica).
Caucus membership now totals 18 legislators. In addition to the new leadership and members, the Caucus includes: Assemblymembers Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), Laura Friedman (D-Burbank), Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), and Chris Ward (D-San Diego) and Senators Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), Steve Glazer (D-Contra Costa), Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), and Henry Stern (D-Calabasas).