Honoring and commending the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Philadelphia for its critical role in promoting intergroup harmony and social justice within the City of Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, Since its founding in 1939 as the Anti-Defamation Council, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Philadelphia has been an outstanding asset to this City and region; and

WHEREAS, The mission of the JCRC is to work on behalf of the Jewish community to address the concerns of Jews here and abroad through strengthening intergroup understanding, promoting the peaceful resolution of conflicts and enhancing a just and pluralistic society; and

WHEREAS, Through its co-founding and continuing co-leadership of the Black-Jewish Coalition of Philadelphia, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Philadelphia has received national recognition for improving race relations between African Americans and Jews and has been cited as an example of a “human relations model that works”; and

WHEREAS, Over its illustrious 64 year history, the JCRC has played an instrumental role in securing civil liberties and fair practices in city neighborhoods through its investigations of patterns of institutional discrimination, its protests against racist and anti-Semitic practices and its pioneering work on fostering intergroup relations during periods of social and institutional upheavals. It has championed human rights for all, been a vehicle for bringing together Christians, Muslims and Jews to work for interfaith understanding and the common good, and been a strong advocate for social justice and equality; and

WHEREAS, This Council is persuaded that it is in the interests of the entire City of Philadelphia that the Jewish Community Relations Council continue to offer the full range and quality of its programs and services and that any diminution in the scope and range of the JCRC's work would be detrimental to the citizens of our city; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby honor and commend the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Philadelphia for its critical role in promoting intergroup harmony and social justice within the City of Philadelphia.

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