Press Release

Sacramento, CA – Today, the California Legislature observed Holocaust Remembrance Day at the State Capitol and hosted ten Holocaust Survivors who shared their stories on the Assembly floor. The California Legislative Jewish Caucus also held a press conference attended by Governor Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, leaders of the other ethnic caucuses, and other state legislators.

Sacramento, CA – The California Legislative Jewish Caucus released the following statement following the deadly mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand:

“We are outraged and heartbroken—we mourn with the Christchurch Muslim community and Muslims worldwide. Forty-nine Muslims were senselessly murdered in their holy space on their holy day by a white supremacist terrorist. We know all too well that Friday’s attack isn’t just another incident a world away; it is an attack on Muslims everywhere, and on all who suffer at the hands of this hateful, extremist ideology.

Sacramento, CA – The California Department of Social Services awarded $3.6 million in grants to six Jewish Family Service agencies across California to provide support for elderly Holocaust Survivors struggling to live out their days in dignity. Last year, the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, led by then-Chair Assemblymember Marc Levine and then-Vice Chair Senator Ben Allen, was instrumental in securing the funding requested by the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC) in the 2018-2019 State Budget.

The California Legislative Jewish Caucus stands united with the Tree of Life synagogue and with all communities imperiled by the cancer of anti-Semitism and hate. We will mourn for the victims and pray for their families and the congregation. What we will not do, however, is give in to fear.

Places of worship should be safe and filled with faith, family, and peace.