Home » Wilk Announces BANJO Caucus at the Walnut Creek Council Meeting

Wilk Announces BANJO Caucus at the Walnut Creek Council Meeting

by CC News
Walnut Creek

At the December 5 Walnut Creek City Council Meeting, Councilmember Kevin Wilk announced the Bay Area Network of Jewish Officials.  El Cerrito City Council Member Tessa Rudnick was named one of three regional chairs.

During the meeting, Wilk shared why it was formed.

“With this rise of antisemitism and hate speech, there is a new caucus being formed officially within the Bay Area that is called the BANJO caucus, this stands for Bay Area Network of Jewish Officials,” said Wilk. “There is about 50 elected officials who are Jewish throughout the Bay Area and in light of some of the rising antisemitism that we have seen and anti-Israel feelings, this government entity that works closely with the government called the Jewish Relations Council has been working with elected officials from the local level to school boards up to our Congressmen and state senators, state assemblymembers from the Bay Area. So we are meeting on this to ensure we can continue to rebut any type of hate speech and unfortunately we have seen that locally.”

Wilk continued by saying they wanted to make this a welcoming community for everyone, regardless of ethnicity, religion, race or anything else.

“This is something we feel very strongly about and I know my fellow councilmembers also feel this way too,” said Wilk.

It was during the Oct 11 council meeting where Wilk called out “awful, vile leaflets” that appeared in Walnut Creek.

The antisemitic flyers appeared in a neighborhood in Walnut Creek along the Concord border during the Jewish High Holidays in Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The flyer stated “every aspect of the Ukraine-Russia War is Jewish” among other statements.

Here is his statements from the Council meeting on December 5:

 

BANJO Network announced on November 21.

JCRC Launches “BANJO” Network for Jewish Elected Officials

San Francisco, CA – The Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, Sonoma, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties (JCRC Bay Area) is excited to announce today the formal launch of the Bay Area Network of Jewish Officials (BANJO). This partnership between JCRC and Jewish elected officials from across the San Francisco Bay Area will support members strengthen relationships, develop and share best practices and policy priorities, and lead with a common Jewish voice. Though now launching formally, BANJO has been active since last year by hosting meetings to discuss antisemitic incidents in our communities and schools.

“When we gathered elected officials to discuss future partnerships, we found there was a need for Jewish officials to have a space to network, build skills, and speak out given the current environment, and that JCRC would be the perfect convener to do so. Leading up to today’s announcement, JCRC Bay Area held regional meetings in the North Bay, East Bay, and Peninsula,” Tye Gregory, JCRC Bay Area CEO, said. “BANJO members have also spoken at our four JCRC #HEREIAM county press conferences to date, and, just last week, more than 40 members attended the first-ever BANJO Conference in San Francisco.”

As of its official launch date, BANJO already includes more than 50 Jewish elected officials from across the nine counties of the Bay Area. Moving forward, JCRC will host regular networking and professional development gatherings, deepen Jewish elected engagement in Bay Area government, education, and civic spaces, and serve as a trusted resource for members.

Three regional chairs have been also selected: Belmont Mayor Julia Mates (Peninsula), San Rafael Vice Mayor Rachel Kertz (North Bay), and El Cerrito City Council Member Tessa Rudnick (East Bay).

“I am grateful to JCRC for creating this support system to help address the unique issues facing Jewish elected officials. BANJO is already building bridges and elevating issues of importance to the Jewish community in meaningful ways. I hope and expect that having this network will increase and encourage Jewish community activism and participation in civic life for years to come,” Mayor Julia Mates of Belmont said.

“As someone who grew up being the only Jewish kid in my class, it was hard being the sole voice of the Jewish community. Or at times not wanting to share that I was Jewish. Although as a city councilmember my experience is different, there are times that I still need to be that voice. BANJO and JCRC provide a support network that hasn’t previously existed,” Rachel Kertz, vice mayor, San Rafael, said. “As a member of BANJO we share experiences as well as challenges, discuss local, state and federal policies impacting the Jewish community and most importantly we celebrate our Jewish background.”

Tessa Rudnick, city councilmember, El Cerrito

“As JCRC saw rising antisemitism, we knew we needed a community-wide response. JCRC also recognizes that elected Jewish officials face unique challenges in public life – from simple misunderstandings about Jewish identity to outright discrimination. This new network for Jewish elected officials, BANJO, allows us to exchange ideas, strengthen relationships, share best practices, and speak with a common voice on issues of mutual concern,” Tessa Rudnick, city council member, El Cerrito, said.

JCRC Bay Area is the largest collective voice of Bay Area Jews. By building bridges and working in coalition with diverse ethnic, faith, political, and civic communities, JCRC is pursuing social justice based on Jewish values and strengthening the pillars that our society needs to thrive.

For more on the Jewish Community Relations Council, visit them at: www.jcrc.org

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