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Rabbi Gary Greenebaum recites the Chanukah prayer as some of AJC's Urban Affairs partner's look on (L to R): AJC Board of Governors member Naty Saidoff; Alycia Maldonado, Project Interchange participant; AJC Acting Director and Urban Affairs Program Director Saundra Mandel; Elizabeth and Joe Hicks, Vice President of Community Advocates, Inc; and Renee Smith and Anthony Maddox, Chief Neighborhood Officer, Los Angeles Urban League.
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AJC/LA builds bridges with our inter-group partners on issues of common interest such as education, immigration, transportation, social services, and prison/jail conditions. AJC/LA promotes better race and ethnic relations in Los Angeles and the region by establishing new and maintaining long-existing relationships with Latino, Asian & Pacific Islander, African-American and other ethnic community leaders.
Carol Katzman & Dean Schramm
Co-Chairs of the Urban Affairs Committee
Saundra Mandel
Associate Director
Get Involved
Members can get involved with a number of subcommittees based on a variety of issues. Members must commit to reading and becoming familiar with briefing materials, attending meetings, and being engaged with the organization's mission. Contact Saundra Mandel at mandels@ajc.org to get involved!
Issues discussed by the Urban Affairs Committee include:
- Education
- Public education
- Pre-school
- Immigration
- Sponsoring naturalization ceremonies
- Work with the chapter’s Government Relations Committee to determine appropriate legislation to support
- Transportation
- Social services
- Homeless
- Affordable housing
- Health care
- Prison/jail conditions
Past Urban Affairs Programs
AJC Leads Groundbreaking Mission to Birmingham and Atlanta
AJC led a delegation of Jewish and African American leaders from Los Angeles to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To get involved with this groundbreaking dialogue with the African American community, contact Saundra Mandel at mandels@ajc.org or 310-282-8080.
After an inspiring mission to Atlanta and Birmingham to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the assasination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., AJC with Brother Crusade, SCLC, and First AME Church hosted a seder at Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. The evening was highlighted with song, food, and a customized Haggadah that portrayed how both our communities embrace the Exodus narrative. LA TIMES. JEWISH JOURNAL. MORE HERE.
Catholic Jewish Women Dialogue
Lisa Billig, AJC's Rome Representative and Liaison to the Holy See, visited LA and met with Catholic Tidings and Los Angeles Times newspapers. READ STORY. Billig then spoke to AJC's Catholic Jewish Women's group about her efforts in Rome to promote greater dialogue between the two faiths. The following week, 100 women gathered at Loyola Marymount University for the Catholic Jewish Women's Conference, co-chaired by AJC's Associate Director Saundra Mandel. Entitled, ‘Knocking at the Door: Struggling for Inclusion…Past, Present, and Future’, the conferees heard keynote speakers Sister Judy Diaz Molosky and Carol Levy before breaking into small dialogue groups to discuss the barriers to inclusion for women in Judaism and Catholicism. CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
AJC Latino Jewish Policy Forum Presents an Analysis of AB 1381
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proposal to significantly change the structure and oversight of the Los Angeles Unified School District has created a lot of discussion and controversy in the community. In an effort to understand the issue better the AJC Latino Jewish Policy Forum organized a meeting entitled ‘Which Way, LAUSD?’ to discuss the Mayor’s proposal, Assembly Bill 1381, on August 10th. The panel was moderated by Professor of Political Science at Cal State Fullerton Dr. Raphael Sonenshein, and panelists were Kevin Reed, General Counsel for LAUSD, and Erin Walsh, Policy Analyst for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Over 40 attendees asked probing questions of the panelists to get at the core issues of governance, oversight, collective bargaining, performance in the school system, and many other issues.
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LAUSD General Counsel Kevin Reed articulates a point as Mayor Villaraigosa Policy Analyst's Erin Walsh looks on.
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Latino-Jewish Policy Forum
 The Los Angeles Chapter Latino Jewish Policy Forum hosted the Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent David L. Brewer on April 19, 2007. Attendees included a broad group of people representing Jewish and Latino community organizations and elected officials. Brewer, a former military Admiral, was recently hired to run the country’s second largest school district. Brewer spoke about his intentions to reform the district based on an independent evaluation identifying the areas for change. Brewer talked about his priorities for the district: innovating to create a 21st century education, ensuring that students are college prepared and career ready, sharing responsibility with teachers, parents, and the community, and providing school safety. Many expressed concern about the growing gang problem, particularly in the Latino community, and Brewer assured the group that providing outlets for students to stay out of gangs, particularly for young boys, was a top priority. He also answered concerns that the bureaucracy needs to be streamlined, noting that these changes do not happen overnight and the community needs to work with him to make sure these reforms are realized.
In October 2005 the AJC welcomed Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Governor Roy Romer to discuss California State Ballot Measure Y, the Safe and Healthy Neighborhood Schools Repair and Construction Measure. Subsequent to the meeting, AJC/LA endorsed Measure Y.
Contact Saundra Mandel at mandels@ajc.org to participate in the Urban Affairs Program through the Latino-Jewish Policy Forum (link to Latino-Jewish Policy Forum), the Promoting Tolerance Program, promoting public education in Los Angeles, or supporting immigrants’ rights.
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