Jews United for Justice (JUFJ) and the JUFJ Campaign Fund (CF) organize around social, racial, and economic justice issues, and this organizing is done through relationships. Relationships – with staff, volunteer leaders, partners, candidates, elected officials – are at the center of our work. We focus time and attention on striving to build relationships characterized by meaningful and authentic connection, trust, mutual respect, and understanding. These relationships are the foundation for the teamwork, partnerships, and community that power and sustain our work. Because of how critical these relationships are, how we are perceived and how we engage with others in our community is integral to our work; having our leaders represent us helps build our power and strengthen our community. To that end, we are sharing some guidelines about what it means for a leader to be an ambassador for JUFJ and/or the JUFJ Campaign Fund. These guidelines are important for people who have a formal leadership role, but the reality is that everyone who is identified as being a part of our community has an impact on our effectiveness. If you have questions about a specific situation or would like any clarifications of these guidelines, please contact a staff member.

• For issues that are part of our advocacy agenda, please only identify yourself as representing us if you are working with our staff on messaging and strategy. Situations where this might arise include testimony, meetings with legislators and/or partners, rallies, and press conferences. How leaders should identify themselves in testimony may differ by jurisdiction and/or coalition strategy — please seek guidance from staff if you have questions.
• For issues outside of our advocacy agenda, please do not identify yourself as representing JUFJ or the Campaign Fund, even if the issue is supported by our partners and/or legislator allies. This means not introducing yourself as a JUFJ/CF leader or member, saying you are acting on behalf of JUFJ/CF, mentioning affiliation with JUFJ in testimony, or wearing our apparel (buttons, t-shirts, etc). This is not to deter you from working on other issues you care about, but to ensure clarity and transparency with all stakeholders about what issues we work on.
• When working on an issue that we have taken a position on and/or are advocating around, it is important to coordinate with staff — especially if you have a position that diverges from ours or are not representing us. Since our leaders regularly interact with elected officials and other stakeholders on behalf of JUFJ and/or the Campaign Fund, stakeholders might assume you are acting on our behalf — even when you explicitly say that you’re not. In these instances, clear communication and collaborative strategy is necessary to minimize confusion around our position.
• JUFJ and the Campaign Fund are organizations rooted in Jewish tradition and we honor the rhythms of the Jewish calendar, which means we are closed on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Our policy is to refrain from participating in meetings, hearings, and other events from sundown on Friday night (or the evening a holiday begins) until an hour after sundown on Saturday night (or the evening a holiday ends). We are home to Jews with a wide range of religious observance, as well as non-Jewish allies, and our Shabbat and holiday policy is meant to provide everyone in our community with time to celebrate, rest, and recharge. If you choose to participate in events on Shabbat or Jewish holidays, please do not wear our apparel or otherwise identify yourself as representing us.
• If someone from the media approaches you at an event or otherwise contacts you for a comment about a JUFJ/CF issue, please consult with a staff member before giving a statement. Our usual approach is to center the perspective of our partners when talking to the media, so we will want to discuss the best way to handle the media request before responding.
• If you choose to include JUFJ/CF in your social media bio(s), please include something along the lines of “views are my own,” to clarify that you do not speak on behalf of the organization.
• Tone is important, both in private and in public (including social media). We engage with elected officials and community leaders from the perspective of a long-term relationship: we work with them when we have shared goals, and we are clear with them when we disagree with their positions. We do both with the expectation that we will have future interactions, which means that when we need to apply pressure, we speak about the problem with someone’s political choices rather than condemning or criticizing them as a person.
• The same dynamic is true with organizations and advocates outside of our coalition spaces. Any differences of opinion with coalition partners about the work we do together should be worked out in those coalition spaces and not publicly, and it is critical to coordinate with staff when navigating coalition dynamics. Given the importance of the issues we work on, finding the right tone can be challenging at times. Please reach out to staff to talk through any questions about tone and to develop a plan of action for whatever issue has arisen.
• JUFJ is our 501c3 organization and the JUFJ Campaign Fund is our 501c4 organization. The tax status of each organization limits the type of work we can do: issue advocacy for JUFJ and electoral work for the JUFJ Campaign Fund. It is important for legal compliance to use the correct organization name, logo, and apparel for communication and actions. When you are participating in issue advocacy with JUFJ, please only wear JUFJ apparel (blue with white text) and do not use the name, logo, or social media handles of the JUFJ Campaign Fund. When you are participating in electoral work with the JUFJ Campaign Fund, please only wear JUFJ Campaign Fund apparel (blue with yellow text) and do not use the name, logo, or social media handles of JUFJ.

If you have any questions about these guidelines and how they apply to you as a Board member, please contact Jacob Feinspan. If you have questions about how these apply to you as a Leadership Council member, please contact the Field Director for your jurisdiction.