Montclair Jewish Community Relations Council

04/01/2026

Chag Pesach Sameach from the Montclair Jewish Community Relations Council

This Passover, we don’t just remember the story of liberation. We claim it. We honor the courage to stand up, to speak out, and to fight for dignity and freedom in every generation.

As we gather around our Seder tables, let us be reminded that the call of Pesach is not passive. It demands action. We are a people shaped by resilience, strengthened by community, and driven by the pursuit of justice.

May this holiday ignite within us the determination to confront hatred, uplift one another, and build a future worthy of our shared values.

Chag Pesach Sameach. May it be bold, meaningful, and empowering.

03/19/2026

Join us on March 26 at 7:30 PM for a timely conversation with Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, on antisemitism, democracy, and the work of protecting our communities.
Learn more and RSVP:
https://www.bnaikeshet.org/spitalnick

Jewish Council for Public Affairs

02/16/2026

Join Gil Hoffman as he shares his experience both reporting and critically observing Mideast news. As executive director and editor of HonestReporting and former chief political correspondent at the Jerusalem Post, Gil will reflect on how and why mistakes are made in war, and the complexities of reporting when differing priorities contradict one another. He will also discuss the impact of reporting about war on social media and AI platforms. Moderated by Bnai Keshet's Rabbi Ariann Weitzman.

Mideast Politics and Propaganda: An Insider's Look at the Military and Media Battlefields
Wednesday, February 18, 7:30- 9 pm (Doors open at 7 pm)
Bnai Keshet
99 South Fullerton Ave., Montclair

Please register here and get more information:

Mideast Politics and Propaganda: An Insider's Look at the Military and Media Battlefields Wednesday, February 18, 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm (Doors open at 7: 00 pm) Bnai Keshet 99 South Fullerton Ave, Montclair This event is free. RSVP below so we can plan headcount.

01/19/2026

We celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy and reaffirm our commitment to the mutual pursuit of justice, equality, and unity.

12/15/2025

Our hearts are shattered by the horrific antisemitic attack in Bondi, Australia. And still, we gathered to celebrate Hanukkah.

For thousands of years, our people have lit these candles in the face of hatred, remembering the miracle of the Maccabees’ victory over those who sought to erase us. Tonight was no different. We do not retreat. We do not hide. We endure.

Standing with us in the freezing cold—but with fire in their hearts—were our allies from NAACP (Diane Anglin) and OUT Montclair (Madeline Gale and Reubena Spence), shoulder to shoulder in a powerful display of solidarity.

We are deeply grateful to Mayor Renee Baskerville, Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, and Montclair Council Members Aminah Toler, Susan Shin Andersen, Rahum Williams, and Eileen Birmingham for standing with our community and affirming that hate has no home here. We also extend our sincere thanks to the Montclair Police Department and Fire Department for their presence and for keeping our community safe.

We are still here. And we will keep the lights burning. 🕎

11/14/2025

MJCRC Statement On the Arrest of Two Montclair Men for Trying to Join ISIS:

Many of us were understandably shaken by the news that two Montclair teens were arrested after allegedly pledging loyalty to ISIS and articulating specific plans for harming and killing members of our Jewish community. At the same time, the suspects are also alleged to have been associated with a group whose targets included members of the LGBTQ community. It is a chilling reminder that violent extremism endangers us all, and often hits close to home.

Both suspects passed through the Montclair school system in recent years - a connection that again raises serious questions about how antisemitism has been allowed to fester in our schools. We are encouraged, however, that the district has begun to make forward progress on its obligations under the Title VI settlement reached earlier this year.

Still, in K-12 education nationwide, there remains a broader problem of hostility to important aspects of mainstream Jewish identity, and this problem begs urgently for a response. Members of the National Education Association (NEA) continue to push an agenda that is opposed to Israel and its supporters.
Additionally, just last week, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) delivered a training about Israel containing ideologically-driven narratives and politicized materials replete with antisemitic tropes. This is unacceptable.

It is imperative that the next generation of American citizens receive education that is based on balanced facts, not ideologies, and free from bias and hatred.
Schools must not be used for ideological recruitment or one-sided instruction.
In that spirit, the MJCRC is committed to ensuring that Montclair's schools remain neutral places of learning, not training grounds for activism. We support open inquiry, rigorous debate, and the honest teaching of history - including the difficult parts.

We are deeply grateful for the intervention of law enforcement. The MJCRC remains steadfast in our commitment to work with district leaders, educators, and community partners to protect our students and keep Montclair a safe, inclusive place for everyone.

11/05/2025

Congratulations to Governor Elect, Mikie Sherrill!!!

09/22/2025

🍎🍯 Shana Tova U’Metuka! 🍯🍎

As we welcome the Jewish New Year, we reflect on the past and look forward with hope for sweetness, health, and renewal. May this year bring peace, joy, health, and prosperity to you, your loved ones, and our community.

Montclair Jewish Community Relations Council wishes you a happy, healthy, and meaningful 5786!

08/21/2025

When activism turns to criminality and hate, it forfeits its moral authority and undermines its validity.

The theft of the Israeli flag from the Hinck building in Montclair (and desecration of the American & Ukrainian flags) was not a policy critique—it was an act of hate and a message of exclusion aimed at Israelis and Jews who live in, work in, and visit Montclair. When protest morphs into hate, the harm is not limited to the intended target. A community cannot live up to its values of inclusivity if it does not object to hate directed against all of its citizens.

Flying the flag of Israel can mean many things, but it always symbolizes support of Zionism, which is the belief in the right of Jewish self-determination. There is nothing about a belief in Zionism that removes people from the protection of the law or makes them worthy of contempt.

The Montclair Jewish Community Relations Council condemns this vile act. Many members of Montclair’s Jewish community are justifiably distressed in the wake of this hate crime. Yet, we remain steadfast. We are not intimidated. We stand proudly as Jews.

The Montclair Jewish Community Relations Council remains committed to building a safe, inclusive, and respectful Montclair for all.






Montclair Local https://montclairlocal.news/2025/08/israeli-flag-twice-stolen-from-montclair-building-as-american-ukrainian-flags-torn-down/

08/20/2025

The theft of this flag is a violation of the Montclair community's stated ideals of inclusivity and pluralism, and will certainly leave many members of Montclair’s Jewish community justifiably distressed. Far from being a policy critique, this is a criminal act of hate, ultimately intending to exclude Jews and Israelis from our town by purposefully trying to undermine their sense of safety and belonging.

A man ripped down the American, Israeli and Ukrainian flags from atop the building, damaged the two of the banners and made off with the Israeli flag during the overnight hours of Aug. 13 into 14.

06/22/2025

A great day celebrating in representing Montclair Jewish Community Relations Council. Surprise visit by Mikie Sherrill!




Friends of the Howe House

06/20/2025

Join the MJCRC at our table tomorrow, June 21, in Nishuane Park for Montclair's Juneteenth Festival! 12pm-5pm.