Jewish Council on Urban Affairs - JCUA

06/01/2026

05/28/2026

Acts of Change is officially sold out. 🎉

Nearly 400 people are coming together on June 14th to support JCUA's organizing for justice across Chicago and Illinois.

If you can't be with us in the room, you can still be part of the campaign. Acts of Change is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and giving now will power our work for the year ahead.

Donate to the campaign at jcua.org/donate

05/27/2026

What could Illinois do with four billion dollars?

The state legislature has five days to pass a budget for the year. We've given them four proposals to tax the rich that could raise $4 billion to fund housing, schools, healthcare, and more.

Tell you state legislator: tax the rich and fund our communities.

jcua.org/taxtherich.

05/26/2026

Get ready for a meaningful day at our Youth Immigration Workshop on May 31st 2:30-4! at Sketchpad (4411 N. Ravenswood Ave, 3rd floor)🎉

Come hang out, enjoy some great food, and connect with other teens while learning about ways you can take action to protect our immigrant neighbors from ICE through the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights platform. We’ll be getting creative with ICE whistle kit making, so you’ll leave with something cool and useful for you and your community.

We are asking that everyone bring a donation item for our Mutual Aid supply drive! Items that are welcomed are cleaning supplies, socks, nonperishable goods, first aid supplies, and toiletries. Teens of all faiths are invited to join us for a mix of learning, creativity, action.

!!VOLUNTEER HOURS PROVIDED!!

05/22/2026

JCUA is a proud member of the Treatment Not Trauma coalition, which is fighting to expand public mental health services in Chicago.

We have already won important victories, including re-opening the Roseland clinic, expanding services in Garfield Park and Pilsen, and making the CARE crisis response teams available citywide.

Our work is not done! Join us on June 2nd at 6:00 pm to learn more about navigating care in Chicago today, the history of disinvestment in public mental health care, and how to take action to support public mental health services.

jcua.org/public

05/21/2026

ACTION ALERT

The bullies and grifters who have taken over the federal government are evicting thousands of Illinoisians from their homes. At the same time, the state is proposing $12M in cuts to housing funding.

We can do better. We can make billionaires pay what they owe, and fund the housing our communities need.

Contact your legislators today: jcua.org/taxtherich

05/20/2026

Chag Shavuot sameach and gut yontif! JCUA wishes you a joyful holiday of learning, celebration, and dairy.

Two JCUA members are leading learning sessions tomorrow night. Board member Nia Crosley will teach on public mental health care at the Lakeview Tikkun (Anshe Emet Synagogue, 3751 N. Broadway). And JCUA member Marty Levine will be teaching on economic justice at the Galus Tikkun (Bethany UCC, 4250 N. Paulina St.).

Wishing you a revelatory holiday!

05/19/2026

Last weekend, we joined our friends at The People's Lobby and Grassroots Collaborative to shut down an Amazon warehouse in Bridgeport.

Tomorrow, join JCUA, ONE Northside , and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago for an action in Lakeview to demand that Illinois lawmakers make big corporations pay what they owe to fund our communities' needs.

jcua.org/may20

05/15/2026

Yesterday, JCUA stood with our partners in the Treatment Not Trauma coalition to celebrate a big organizing victory: the City of Chicago is expanding the CARE non-police mental health response team to all 22 police districts!

This is what people power looks like. Years of pushing by community members, mental health workers, and people with lived experience made it possible.

AND we're not done. CARE still only runs weekdays, from 10 am to 4:30 pm, and we know that crises happen on weekends and at night. Join us as we continue fighting for round-the-clock mental health coverage for every neighborhood in Chicago!

05/06/2026

Applications are open for Or Tzedek, JCUA's Youth Organizing Fellowship!

If you are or you know a Jewish teen who's passionate about social justice and excited to take action, Or Tzedek is an amazing opportunity to:

— Learn community organizing skills through a Jewish framework
— Deepen an understanding of social justice from a systemic, root-cause perspective
— Participate in grassroots campaigns around community safety, housing justice, and immigration
— Build a justice-oriented Jewish community with other teens

Learn more and apply by June 1st at jcua.org/youth