Our Story

Antisemitism is rising in every corner of American life-on campuses, in schools, in the streets, and even in public institutions. Yet the organizations American Jews once relied upon-the ADL, AJC, Federations, and JCRCs-have too often chosen silence or appeasement. This failure has left Jewish communities exposed and vulnerable.

 

Dr. Charles Jacobs and Avi Goldwasser saw this crisis firsthand after decades of working inside the system. They realized they had a moral duty to act. In 2022, they founded the Jewish Leadership Project (JLP) to build a fearless new movement of Jews and allies who would not stay silent.

 

At first, JLP pressed legacy institutions to change course. But even after October 7, as open Jew-hatred exploded, those institutions refused to lead. The lesson was clear: Jews could no longer wait for failed leadership-they would have to organize for themselves.

 

By 2025, the danger was undeniable. Anti-Zionism had become a socially acceptable mask for Jew-hatred, embedded in America’s cultural and educational institutions. Elements of the far right embraced neo-Nazi rhetoric, while many conservatives, Christians, Hindus, Persians, Africans, and others stood with Jews and Israel.

 

The attack on Jews is not just an assault on a people-it is an attack on America’s values, freedoms, and future. JLP 2.0 was born out of this urgency: to defend Jews, forge strong alliances, train courageous leaders, and reframe the fight against antisemitism as a fight to save America itself.