JCPA endorses Title VI as campus tool to counter anti-Semitism

DETROIT (JTA) — The Jewish Council for Public Affairs endorsed using federal law to counter anti-Semitism on American college campuses.

During the organization’s annual plenum in Detroit, the JCPA and its 14 national member agencies and 125 community relations councils adopted a resolution that calls on campus leaders to do more to make students safe from anti-Semitism.

“In such circumstances, it is important for the Jewish community to serve as a resource and to offer campus groups assistance, as needed, to help them develop and implement strategies to protect Jewish students on campus and allow them to openly express their support for Israel,” the resolution stated.

Particularly, the resolution highlights provisions under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in federally funded programs.

It noted that “although religion is not an enumerated category, an October 2010 letter from the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights clarified that Title VI offers students protection from a hostile environment ‘on the basis of actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.'”

Resolutions adopted by the JCPA, the umbrella body for Jewish public affairs groups, are arrived at through consensus.

Also adopted were resolutions that support collective bargaining for public employees, oppose gender segregation in secular public spaces and promote equal education opportunity.

In addition, the JCPA elected Atlanta Jewish community activist Larry Gold as its new chair to succeed Dr. Conrad Giles.

“Over the years, I have been proud of my involvement with the JCPA, which through its model of community relations created interfaith and civic partnerships on such important goals as protecting the vulnerable and defending Israel,” Gold said in a statement. “I look forward to deepening my involvement as we pursue our essential work.”