Last night, anti-zionist Jewish protestors gathered outside of the Jewish Community Relations Council in San Francisco to condemn the non-profit’s actions.
The Jewish Community Relations Council — or JCRC — is a non-profit in San Francisco. They call themselves the largest collective voice of Bay Area Jews, but on Tuesday evening two Jewish orgs — Jewish Voice for Peace Bay Area and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network — gathered outside of the JCRC offices to condemn the org’s actions.
“To JCRC and the Jewish Federation, we say, you don't speak for us, you don't act for us. Your interests and your agenda oppose our commitment to justice and collective liberation.”
That’s Sara Kershnar, one of the founders of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.
“The JCRC has used its enormous financial resources and political power in the Bay Area to suppress anyone who has tried to speak out against this injustice, targeting Arab and Palestinian organizations and leadership from local BIPOC communities who demand a ceasefire, and as I mentioned before, targeting even Arab language studies throughout S-F-U-S-D offered by AROC.”
Organizers from various backgrounds spoke at the protest. Among a number of demands, they are calling for a permanent ceasefire and arms embargo on Israel. Something that most Americans also support.
After the speeches, more than a hundred protestors participated in a public “Tashlich,” a Jewish ceremony to “cast away sins”.
“And so we are gonna partake in a different kind of Tashlich, and hopefully some challah has been, um, spread around.”
There was a kiddie pool in the middle of the crowd.
“We are gonna invite people to take a piece of challah, a big piece of challah, or a small piece of challah, dip it in the water and throw it at this building. And in doing so, we are casting JCRC sins right back to them.”
Protestors came up at one at a time, dipped their challah in the pool, and threw it at the front doors of the JCRC headquarters. If you listen closely, you can hear the wet challah hitting the building.
“Shame, shame. "
"We cast off the JCRC for running smear campaigns against Black and Brown Bay area leaders, elected officials, organizations, and communities."
"Don't you see. You'll never speak for me. "
"You'll never speak for me.”
