Prominent US law groups National Jewish Advocacy Center, Zachor Legal Institute to merge
The National Jewish Advocacy Center, a prominent Jewish legal rights group, acquires the Zachor Legal Institute, a legal think tank.
Courtrooms around the US have increasingly become a central battlefield in the fight against antisemitism, and the two groups heralded their merger as a step forward, as each brings its own expertise to the partnership.
“Zachor adds capabilities NJAC didn’t previously have at this scale: deeper policy and regulatory advocacy, and a well-oiled research engine,” Mark Goldfeder, the head of NJAC, says in a statement. “Combined with NJAC’s national platform and litigation capacity, this move makes our fight against antisemitism sharper, faster and even more effective.”
The acquisition means Zachor’s staff will merge with NJAC.
Both groups are registered nonprofits.
“The global Jewish community requires a unified and powerful legal advocate. Joining NJAC was an easy decision for us,” says Marc Greendorfer, the head of Zachor. “This combination strengthens the entire Jewish legal community.”
NJAC has become one of the leading legal advocacy groups for Jews in antisemitism cases, filing lawsuits against discrimination in areas like workplaces, campuses and synagogues.
One of its innovations is in applying the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, a law established to protect reproductive health care clinics and houses of worship, to specifically protect synagogues against protests.
The US Department of Justice later picked up on the tactic.
Last week, NJAC announced a partnership with the Community Security Service, a group that trains volunteer synagogue security guards.