North American Jewish organizations to recruit 100 professionals to combat antisemitism

The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) announced on Wednesday that it plans to recruit 100 professionals to combat rising antisemitism across North America.

The $35 million project, called Frontline, aims to help 120 Jewish communities across the United States address antisemitism. The 100 professionals will take on advocacy and community relations roles, focusing on local and state advocacy, strengthening interfaith and intergroup partnerships, and addressing antisemitism in K-12 schools and higher education. They will also work with existing organizations to combat hatred across civic life.

Although Jews make up around 2% of the U.S. population, they are disproportionately targeted in hate crimes. JFNA reported that physical attacks against Jews reached record levels in 2025, with 64% of religiously motivated hate crimes targeting the Jewish community. The organization also noted that two-thirds of American Jews now consider antisemitism a significant problem, compared with 45% in 2020.

Shira Hutt, executive vice president of JFNA, emphasized the need for greater investment and resources to address antisemitism.

“Federations have been deeply engaged in the work of community relations and civic engagement for decades. Today, we require new strategies and increased resources to address the dramatic rise of antisemitism that is permeating every facet of civic life. Federations are on the ‘frontlines’ of this work every day,” Hutt said. “Frontline is a game-changing initiative that will equip Federations with the talent, support, and resources they need to confront the increasingly complex and growing challenges they face, whether in government, in educational institutions, in media, or our other civic spaces.”

The program will include year-round training sessions and data-driven guidance on community security and Israel advocacy. It will also incorporate the Student to Student high school peer education initiative, led by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), which operates in 50 U.S. communities and promotes connections between Jewish and non-Jewish teenagers. Over the past three years, the program has reached more than 60,000 students.

Julie Platt, chair of Frontline and immediate past board chair of JFNA, said the initiative reflects the changed reality facing American Jews since Oct. 7.

“In the aftermath of October 7, our community was very disappointed to see that many people we thought were our allies stayed silent. We learned the hard lesson that our civic engagement efforts must be more focused, more targeted, and more outcomes-based, and that is exactly what Frontline is designed to do,” Platt said.

“Only through deep, sustained, and strategic engagement can we ensure that antisemitism is neither tolerated nor normalized, and that our communities remain safe,” she added.