An old proverb states that if you are not at the table, you may end up on the menu. That may best sum up what it means for the Wisconsin Jewish Conference to be “present.” It has been successfully safeguarding the interests of our statewide Jewish community since 1987.
When the conference was created, it was an effort, for the first time, to provide a voice for Wisconsin’s Jewish community. To show that the Jewish community is here, that it is present.
The founders envisioned an organization that could not only bring greater awareness to the issues affecting the Jewish community, but also build bridges between communities throughout the state.
Today, the WJC is a clearinghouse to address important public policy issues, a resource for Wisconsin communities to respond to acts of discrimination and anti-Semitic incidents, and a means for coalition-building and outreach between the Jewish community and the broader faith community as well as the general public.
Until 1988, Wisconsin state statutes provided very little recourse for victims of hate crimes. The WJC’s first bill enhanced penalties for crimes motivated by racism or bigotry. This statute was brought before the U.S. Supreme Court and upheld unanimously — becoming the basis for all hate crime statutes nationwide.
Since then, WJC has worked to address a host of public policy issues that affect the Jewish and interfaith communities. It worked to pass a bill that protects students in our public schools and universities that miss academic work due to religious observance; ensured that all refugees, including those from the former Soviet Union, are not charged out-of-state tuition if they attend University of Wisconsin schools or the Wisconsin Technical Colleges within a year of arriving in their new country; and continues to advocate for the preservation of social safety net programs and freedom of religion.
There are countless examples of why it is so important for the Jewish community to be involved in public policy work. But still some have asked, why should the Jewish community get involved?
Decision-makers continue to debate the proper role of religion in politics, as we have seen in the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding an employer’s right to religious freedom and the continuing debate regarding marriage equality. If the Jewish community remains silent on the issues of the day, our voice will not be counted. Now, more than ever, it is important to show that “we are here.”
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs said it best: “It is legitimate, indeed desirable for religious groups and clergy to advocate policies that would shape society in ways that those faith communities view as fulfilling their ideal of the ‘good society.’ They have this right under the Constitution not only to advocate their views on public policy issues, but also to question candidates on their positions on those issues, to make their views known to their constituents and to the public at large…”
As a Jew, I realize that there is something beyond our personal lives which demands our response. Tikkun olam (repair of the world) refers to our responsibility, as individuals and as a people, to make the world a better place in which all of us may live.
I believe the WJC embodies both tikkun olam and hineni, and I hope that Wisconsin’s Jewish community will show that “it is here” by continuing to weigh in on important public policy debates and taking an active role in our political process.
Michael Blumenfeld is executive director of the Wisconsin Jewish Conference.
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