Shanah tova! We’re pleased to welcome the new year with some exciting announcements about JCUA’s new 501(c)4 — our sibling political organization that will equip us with tools to hold our elected officials accountable and co-govern with leaders who share our vision of the world.

First off, we have a name: JCUA Votes! We thought long and hard about what to call our new organization. Members and staff proposed and deliberated over more than a dozen possibilities. We have collectively decided upon JCUA Votes — a name that is direct, active, and aligned with our longstanding and widely-known JCUA brand.

While our civic and political arms will have different capabilities, governance structures, and organizing strategies, they will be rooted in the shared values, vision, and history of our JCUA community. The name JCUA Votes reinforces a deep connection to our existing work while highlighting a new electoral focus.

Do you want to learn more about what inspired us to launch JCUA Votes, how it will build our power, and what’s next? Check out our conversation with Benetta Mansfield (she/her) and Andie Linker (she/her), who we’re thrilled to share are becoming the co-chairs for the JCUA Votes Board of Directors!

Benetta and Andie have been amazing members of the JCUA community for years. They will bring the experience, wisdom, passion, vision, and persistence we’ll need to build JCUA Votes into a powerful force in Chicago and Illinois politics.

Along with Benetta and Andie’s new roles, I’m excited to share that I’ve taken on an expanded role within JCUA. After five years on staff (six if you count my year as our Avodah organizer), I am proud to become JCUA’s first Political Director, where I will lead JCUA Votes and its work to transform our region into a place where everyone can flourish. I am honored to get to collaborate with current and future members, staff, and partners to build JCUA Votes from the ground up.

We have a lot of work ahead, and I can’t wait to do it together.