Jews For Racial & Economic Justice is a 6,000-member grassroots organization and the home of New York’s Jewish Left. For 36 years, JFREJ members have organized alongside our neighbors to transform New York from a playground for the wealthy few into a real democracy, free from all forms of racist violence, (with playgrounds for all of us!)
Who We Are
We are the New York Jewish Left. Wherever you are from and whatever being Jewish means to you, if you share our values, you are welcome here.
JFREJ at 36 Years
In 2025, our political landscape fundamentally changed with the rise of fascism nationally, and the Left taking power locally. In 2026, our task is to strategically seize the opportunities we’ve created, and defend against the threats we face. We have an opportunity and responsibility to show the entire world what it looks like to have a government working in partnership with the grassroots to ensure everyone’s basic needs are met, no exceptions.
Our Goals
- Improve the lives of all New Yorkers.
- Model an alternate vision of government for the entire country.
- Build the power of the Left for the long haul.
Collective Liberation
While our strategy and tactics have evolved since our founding in 1990, a common thread of our organizing has been showing up as Jews in solidarity with all New Yorkers – from Arab and Muslim New Yorkers illegally surveilled by the NYPD post-9/11, to Black and Brown New Yorkers killed by police, to immigrants being abducted and deported when they appear for their legal court cases.
We know that our liberation is bound up with everyone else’s. Our work is important in its own right, but also because Jewish values and Jewish interests are consistently misrepresented in our politics and our media. At JFREJ, we know that New York’s issues are Jewish issues. From healthcare to labor, public safety to housing, when New York flourishes, Jews thrive.
Addressing Antisemitism
New York’s large Jewish population also means that our campaigns and organizations face unique challenges. Bad-faith or inflated accusations of antisemitism leveled at movement leaders — especially people of color — are a favorite tactic of our opponents. Said tactics also make it harder to address real antisemitism which is on the rise, especially as the white Christian nationalist movement has taken power in the US.
Electing Mayor Mamdani
JFREJ’s decades of strategic and dedicated organizing perfectly positioned us to help elect Zohran Kwame Mamdani, a socialist Muslim and pro-Palestine activist, as Mayor of NYC. We spoke to almost 100,000 Jewish voters to help elect Mayor Mamdani. Now, we are leveraging this historic victory to transform our city from a playground for the wealthy few into a real democracy for all.
It took 36 years to get us to this point where the wider Left – and the Jewish Left – are ascendent in New York. As we see it, we have 36 months, or 3 years, to work with the administration to accomplish our goals before the next election year in 2029. This is our moment to lean in and take full advantage of the power we’ve built.
Join us. Together, we will win the New York of our liberated dreams.
JFREJ Action ("JFREJ") is a 501c4 non-profit organization building the Jewish left in New York and beyond. For information about our 501c3 sister organization, JFREJ Community, click here.