Jewish Psychologists for Justice Opposes APA Council Seat for the Association of Jewish Psychologists

Dear Members of the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives:

Jewish Psychologists for Justice (JPJ) is a newly formed group — already with hundreds of members — whose members are committed to Tikkun Olam, the Jewish call for the healing of the world. We write today, in advance of your upcoming vote, to express our strongest opposition to awarding the Association of Jewish Psychologists (AJP) a seat on the APA Council as an Ethnic Psychological Association (EPA).

To be clear, we are not taking a position here on whether a Jewish organization per se should hold a seat on APA Council. That is a separate discussion. Our current concern is solely and specifically with AJP because, despite its claims otherwise, AJP’s mission and priorities are not representative of large segments of the American Jewish community. AJP is not an organization that most of our members could comfortably be a part of due to its ideological underpinnings. If AJP is awarded a Council seat, it will legitimize one specific group of Jews while excluding, delegitimizing, disenfranchising, and potentially risking harm to many other Jewish psychologists.

AJP’s Mission Excludes Large Portions of the American Jewish Population Including Psychologists

For example, AJP’s mission statement claims that all Jewish people share an identity “rooted in a common identification with [the] Jewish homeland, now found in modern day Israel.” But Jews, in fact, have a wide range of relationships with the state of Israel, including many who do not identify with it at all and, instead, vehemently oppose its actions. Indeed, it is commonly held to be antisemitic to automatically associate American Jews with the state of Israel. If APA were to promote this myth by granting AJP a seat on Council, it could reinforce rather than counter antisemitic assumptions about Jewish communities in the United States. Jewish people who “stand with Israel” regularly claim that this stance is inherent to Jewish identity and overstate the proportion of Jewish people who share this commitment. In fact, in a recent AP-NORC poll, only 36% of adult Jewish respondents said that “Supporting Israel” was extremely or very important to their Jewish identity, while 37% said it was not very or not important at all to their Jewish identity. This survey also confirmed the widely reported generational divide among American Jews, with younger Jewish respondents seeing Israel as less central to their Jewish identity than older Jewish respondents. These data indicate that many Jewish members of APA, and particularly our student and early career members, who hold less power, will be marginalized and excluded if AJP is named as the Jewish EPA for APA.

AJP’s Priorities Do Not Include the Greatest Threats to Jewish People and Society at Large

Antisemitism is a very serious issue that demands timely and substantive engagement by the APA. We applaud Council’s 2026 Resolution on Antisemitism for acknowledging this and reiterating APA’s commitment to addressing antisemitism. However, we are concerned that AJP’s statements and actions seem to focus almost exclusively on criticizing support for Palestinians and critiques of Israel rather than addressing white supremacy, authoritarianism, attacks on free speech, and militarism, all of which are on the rise and are tied to antisemitism and other forms of oppression and harm.

We also want to highlight that the peril faced by Jews today includes being targeted, blacklisted, and silenced for speaking out as Jews against Israel’s war crimes and the essential role of the United States in providing military and political support for the ongoing assault on the Palestinian people — or even for merely teaching about the experiences of Palestinians. Our members have shared their experiences of being attacked by AJP members for their divergent views in ways that have led them to step back from involvement in APA. We believe it is important that the APA not contribute to these personal and professional harms by embracing AJP, an organization that has failed to oppose the weaponization of accusations of antisemitism against those, including other Jews, who stand up for human rights, accountability, and an end to impunity.

Rejecting This New Business Item (NBI 15A) Aligns with Universalist Jewish Values

At JPJ, as with many other Jewish organizations (see excerpts from statements from numerous Jewish organizations below), our advocacy is rooted in founding principles that include radical inclusion, solidarity, democratic participation, and intersectional awareness. As one minority group in a multiracial, multiethnic democracy, we understand that true safety for Jews can only be achieved through forms of security that can be shared with other minority groups, and through efforts that promote justice and equality for all. We therefore stand in solidarity with the existing EPAs that represent Black, Latinx, Indian/Indigenous, Asian, and Arab/MENA psychologists. We regard these groups as our allies, with whom we must be in right relation in our shared efforts toward well-being for all our communities. Through its past dismissive and sometimes hostile treatment of these EPAs and their mission, it seems apparent that AJP does not share this commitment. Further, our members stand in the tradition of Jewish ancestors who opposed ethnonationalism and authoritarianism and who promoted solidarity and shared struggle with all oppressed groups in the diaspora. Therefore, AJP’s past actions opposing ethnic studies in California high schools and opposing APA Council’s 2024 statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza are counter to the shared Jewish values that motivate our members.

With these considerations in mind, we are asking you to oppose awarding an EPA seat to the Association of Jewish Psychologists. Please do not elevate and empower an organization that, through its priorities and advocacy, has marginalized and possibly endangered a large segment of the American Jewish community.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Jewish Psychologists for Justice Organizing Committee

U.S. and Canadian Jewish Organizations Committed to Collective Liberation (and Not to Unconditional Support for Israel)

American Council for Judaism (https://acjna.org/about-us/)

The ACJ offers Jewish education, intercommunal connections, and religious guidance beyond nationalism—free from the Zionist idea of Judaism as a nationality or the elevation of one nation above others. We support individuals, locally rooted groups, and synagogues in cultivating Jewish ritual spaces and practices grounded in justice, solidarity, and humility…The ACJ promotes Judaism that is rooted in an ethical core, nurtures diverse interdenominational and intercultural Jewish life, is free from Zionist and other nationalist ideologies, and fosters solidarity beyond nationalism.

Bend the Arc (https://www.bendthearc.us/antisemitism)

While antisemitism targets and harms Jewish people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds directly, it isn’t an issue for Jewish communities to address in isolation. Antisemitism is used to deflect blame for the failures of those in power, to remove fundamental freedoms, and to weaken democracy. It is a core component of white supremacist and white nationalist ideology that is used to directly undermine movements for social, economic, racial, and gender justice…We cannot dismantle antisemitism without addressing anti-Black racism and all other forms of institutionalized oppression. And the reverse is true as well; we cannot dismantle anti- Black racism, nor any other form of institutionalized oppression, without addressing antisemitism.

Black Jewish Liberation Collective (https://www.blackjewishliberation.org)

We are a collective of Black Jews based in the United States who amplify our voices and uplift our cultural and political organizing. We do this by creating space for community building and strategizing to support Black people who are working towards liberation and dismantling white supremacist patriarchy, racialized capitalism, and antisemitic violence.

Diaspora Alliance (https://diasporaalliance.co) Diaspora Alliance challenges divide-and-rule politics that ultimately hold little regard for actual Jews or the security of Jewish communities. We reject approaches to fighting antisemitism that have not only failed to be effective in stemming the spread of antisemitic ideology or incidents, but have also become a cover for right-wing movements and attacks on Palestinians and their supporters. In so doing, we offer pathways for tackling antisemitism alongside other forms of oppression and racist ideologies and violence.

Halachic Left (https://www.halachicleft.org/about) Halachic Left is a Diaspora organization working within observant communities to change the narrative on Israel and Palestine. Our commitment to halacha compels us to speak out against the right-wing voices twisting our traditions to their own ends. Similarly, we add Jewish religious voices to the American left, demonstrating that observant people can and do play a key role in progressive movements…Jewish supremacy, settler violence, and the Israeli occupation are unacceptable…Jewish safety and Palestinian safety are intertwined, and our futures are bound together…Censoring criticism of Israel in Jewish communities harms the Jewish future and prospects for peace in Israel and Palestine.

If Not Now (https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/why-we-organize) We must detach our rich Jewish tradition from this cycle of violence and end our support for the ongoing Nakba — the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes beginning in 1948 and continuing today. And we must reject the tools maintaining this larger system of oppression: the ongoing military occupation in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, as well as the hierarchy of race, class, and ethnicity in Israeli civil society. We must end our complicity with the alliance of U.S. military, financial, and political interests that exploits Jewish fear to protect Israel’s system of apartheid…Despite ever-increasing grassroots Jewish support for equality, justice, and human rights for all people, undemocratic Jewish institutions and leaders claim to speak for us…As we were dehumanized by the oppression we faced, we are now dehumanized by that which we inflict.

Independent Jewish Voices Canada (https://www.ijvcanada.org/)

A grassroots organization grounded in Jewish tradition that opposes all forms of racism and advocates for justice and peace for all in Palestine-Israel…IJV stands in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and with all marginalized peoples in Canada against racism, settler colonialism and white supremacy. IJV also works to combat antisemitism and distinguish it clearly from critiques of Zionism and Israeli policies…IJV believes that no one should have to choose between embracing Judaism or Jewishness and supporting Palestinian rights.

Jewish Diaspora Movement (https://www.jewishdiasporamovement.org/purpose)

The Jewish Diaspora Movement is a constellation of communities, projects, and leaders who embrace life-affirming, vibrant, diverse expressions of Jewishness and a commitment to all peoples’ liberation. We aspire to be a hub for Jewish cultural and religious projects that reject the assumption that Jews need an insular culture or a militarized ethnostate. The Jewish Diaspora Movement (JDM) is a participatory network advancing an ethical future for Jews, Jewishness, and Judaism rooted in the solidaristic diasporic traditions that have been the core of Jewish life for millennia. We connect and amplify the growing constellation of Jewish cultural and spiritual organizations that reject ethnonationalism and proudly value universal freedom and the sanctity of all life.

Jewish Faculty Network (https://www.jewishfaculty.ca/)

We are Jewish faculty from universities and colleges across Canada who share a strong commitment to social justice in support of an ethical life, whether defined through religious observance or secular action…We insist on an energetic defense of academic freedom. In the context of Israel/Palestine, academic freedom entails respecting a diversity of Jewish voices as well as the views of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim faculty and students…As members of a people that has experienced discrimination and persecution over many centuries, we oppose the intervention on campuses that level spurious charges of antisemitism from organizations claiming to represent a singular “Jewish community.” Not in our name.

Jews for Tikkun Olam (https://jewsfortikkunolam.com/)

A collective of Jewish social workers, therapists and spiritual leaders committed to social justice and Palestinian liberation. J4TO was formed in the aftermath of October 7 and the escalating genocide, to provide a home for Jewish practitioners who recognize ethical care necessitates political responsibility…As social workers, therapists, and spiritual leaders witnessing a genocide, we are navigating profound moral injury and ethical distress.

Jewish Voice for Peace (https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/resource/zionism/)

The Zionism that took hold and stands today is a settler-colonial movement, establishing an apartheid state where Jews have more rights than others…Zionism has meant profound trauma for generations, systematically separating Palestinians from their homes, land, and each other. Zionism, in practice, has resulted in massacres of Palestinian people, ancient villages and olive groves destroyed, families who live just a mile away from each other separated by checkpoints and walls, and children holding onto the keys of the homes from which their grandparents were forcibly exiled…We learn from the anti-Zionist Jews who came before us, and know that as long as Zionism has existed, so has Jewish dissent to it. Especially as we face the violent antisemitism fueled by white nationalism in the United States today, we choose solidarity. We choose collective liberation. We choose a future where everyone, including Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, can live their lives freely in vibrant, safe, equitable communities, with basic human needs fulfilled.

Judaism On Our Own Terms (https://jooot.org/about)

Judaism On Our Own Terms (JOOOT) is a cross-national organization and movement that aims to create and build a network of student-governed and liberation-aligned Jewish communities on campuses across the so-called North American continent. We work to build Jewish communal life that is free from dictates of the legacy Jewish institutions that constrain us and distort Judaism. The Jewish communities that we seek to collectively empower are both in solidarity with all oppressed and colonized communities across the world and radically inclusive of many different notions of, experiences within, and ways of relating to Judaism…This necessitates an anti-Zionist politic, which we see as a rejection of a manufactured piece of Jewish identity propagated by the Jewish establishment.

National Campus Jewish Alliance (https://www.nationalcampusjewishalliance.org)

We are a national network of diverse groups of Jewish higher education workers – led by faculty, PhD students, and staff – united by our commitments to critical inquiry, freedom of expression, and multiracial democracy on our campuses and beyond. We organize against the misuse of Jewish history, memory, and identity to erode higher education, silence dissent, and advance authoritarian projects locally, nationally, and internationally. We fight for academic freedom, which includes the right to research, teach, and interrogate concepts such as apartheid, genocide, settler colonialism, Zionism, antisemitism, racism, and gender…We reject institutional censorship and government repression directed at members of our university communities, especially those who are targeted under the pretext of ensuring Jewish safety: international students, scholars, and staff and those engaged in Palestine solidarity work.

New Jewish Narrative (https://www.newjewishnarrative.org/this-moment) We are living through a moment of crisis and moral reckoning. In Israel and Palestine, the suffering is profound. In the United States, authoritarianism threatens our democratic heritage and the promise of a better future…The narratives that got us here have failed. They told us that you had to be either pro-Israel or pro-Palestine. They said that you had to choose between the Jewish community and the progressive community. They created a discourse that was fractured and polarized…We are American Jews, deeply rooted in the story of our people and the history of our struggle for peace and justice. In our narrative, peace and justice are the birthright of Israelis, of Palestinians, and of all people.

Rabbis for Ceasefire (https://rabbis4ceasefire.com/about/)

R4C understands that Judaism is not the same as Zionism or the State of Israel and we challenge their conflation. Resisting this conflation is strategically important to undermine the ways Judaism is used to justify Israel’s actions and is communally, individually, and morally important for Judaism’s future.

Smol Emuni US (https://www.smolemunius.com/)

Smol Emuni US is a community of Orthodox and observant Jews committed to justice, equality, and dignity for Jews and Palestinians alike. Rooted in Torah, we are building a courageous Orthodox Jewish voice for peace and to end the occupation…We are committed to the foundational religious principle that all people are created in the image of God. We consider the pursuit of justice, equality, and dignity for Jews, Palestinians, and all people a fundamental religious imperative. We believe that extreme nationalism and socio-economic disparities breed racism and cruelty in the US and Israel.

T’ruah: Rabbinic Call for Human Rights (https://truah.org)

We recognize the impact and consequences of Israel’s creation for the Palestinian people, and the many decades of suffering incurred by leaders prioritizing power over people. Since 1967, Israel has maintained a violent military occupation of Palestinian land, violating the human rights of millions each day. To ensure the long-term security, dignity, and prosperity of both Israelis and Palestinians, the occupation must end.