BY GARY JONES, UJF JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL DIRECTOR

Your United Jewish Federation’s (UJF’s) Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) continues to expand its reach and impact on the Jewish community. I am excited to share an upcoming program that will be held on October 19 from 5:00 to 6:00 pm, as part of UJF’s Big Give event.

I am pleased to report that two local State Legislators with strong ties to the Jewish community will provide a “State of the Capitol” report addressing general issues and issues of specific importance to the Jewish community. State Senator Ryan Fazio and State Representative Matt Blumenthal will each have 15 minutes to discuss the last legislative session which ended in June and the new legislative session that will begin in February of 2026.

The remaining 30 minutes of the meeting will include an opportunity to highlight the priorities of the JCRC and plenty of time for community members to ask questions of the legislative leaders and reinforce the expectations of the Stamford, New Canaan and Darien Jewish community.

As you may know from reading this column on a regular basis, what happens at the State Capitol has a  substantial impact on the Jewish community in UJF’s area, especially now as we endeavor to confront the rising tide of antisemitism and protect our community from the consequences of that rising tide. As I write this message, we are still hopeful that our bill to establish a working group to study and recommend changes to protect Jewish students (and others) from antisemitism in K-12 public schools will be considered in the one-day Special Legislative Session anticipated to be held in early October.

This will be a rare occasion to have candid and intimate conversations about issues that are important to our community with legislators who care about our community. The more we educate our leaders, the better they will be able to fight for us. Please plan to join us on October 19 at 5:00 to thank Senator Fazio and Representative Blumenthal for their support and to help ensure that we send the right messages effectively.