RELEASE: Gottheimer Hosts Telephone Town Hall with North Jersey Jewish American Community

Discusses Combating Antisemitism, Looming Iran Deal, U.S.-Israel Relationship, and Affordability for Jersey Families

NORTH JERSEY — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a Telephone Town Hall with thousands of members of North Jersey’s Jewish American community to discuss and answer questions about the fight to combat antisemitic threats and hate, adressing the looming Iran deal, standing up for the historic, key U.S.-Israel relationship, the only democracy in the region, supporting our small businesses, and making life more affordable for families.

Gottheimer discussed critical action taken in Congress to help combat this drastic rise in antisemitism in New Jersey and nationwide. The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which he Co-Chairs, made up of 58 Members in the House of Representatives — equally split between Democrats and Republicans — endorsed and helped pass the bipartisan Never Again Education Act. This critical bill, which has now been signed into law, creates a new grant program within the U.S. Department of Education to provide teachers across the country the resources, tools, and training to teach about the Holocaust and the repercussions that hate and intolerance can have on our society. Gottheimer also helped lead a bipartisan resolution to condemn rising antisemitism and recognize the many contributions Jewish Americans have made to our great nation. The resolution passed the House of Representatives with sweeping bipartisan support in a 420 to 1 vote. 

Gottheimer has helped keep North Jersey’s houses of worship, synagogues, temples, and schools safe by helping claw back more than $8 million in nonprofit security grants to North Jersey while in office — the most out of every district in New Jersey. He also introduced a new bipartisan, bicameral bill this year, the Invest to Protect Act — to make critical, targeted investments in local police departments. It recently passed the Senate unanimously and I’m fighting for its passage in the House. The House version has 85 co-sponsors, including 27 Republicans and 58 Democrats.

Recently, Gottheimer returned from a bipartisan congressional trip to Israel with seven Members of Congress — four Democrats and three Republicans — to support our key ally, Israel. While there, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Head of the Opposition Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the United Arab List Party Mansour Abbas, and Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Mohammad Shtayyeh, national security experts, business start-ups, and the U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides.

Gottheimer led a bipartisan letter with 50 Members of Congress to President Joe Biden expressing deep concerns about reported provisions in a potential agreement with Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Concerns include weakening the effectiveness of terrorism-related sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and allowing Russia to have a role in Iran’s nuclear capabilities. The bipartisan group urged the Administration not to act before consulting with Congress first.

“My Telephone Town Hall allowed me to connect with thousands of Jewish American Fifth District constituents to answer their questions and discuss the rise in antisemitic threats and hate, the looming Iran deal, the historic, key U.S.-Israel relationship, my work supporting small businesses, and how I’m working to make life more affordable for Jersey families,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “We must combat antisemitism wherever it exists and ensure our synagogues, temples, and other locations associated with the Jewish community have the resources they need to stay safe and secure.”

Gottheimer was joined by by Rabbi Menachem Genack, Director of Jewish Community Relations Committee for the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey Alana Burman, Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League’s New York and New Jersey Office Scott Richman, and Bergenfield Councilmember Ora Kornbluth.

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