Jewish community relations professionals and lay leaders from across Florida gathered in Tampa for the annual retreat of the Florida Coalition of Jewish Community Relations Councils. Pictured (LR): Alexander Lewy, Eric Pastman, Liat Alon, Pat Robinson, Deputy Consul General of Israel in Miami Ayellet Black, Jonathan Ellis, Brandey Edelson, Alan Scher Zagier, Jeff Mendelsohn and Pamela Garron. Other attendees not pictured: Ryan Cox, Shep Englander, David Fried, Evan Goldman, Gary Gould, Lisa Koppel, Linda Maurice, Scott Rothenberg, Jodi Rothman, Ruth Swissa and Eric Trabin.
On July 13, 2026, 22 Jewish community relations staff and lay leaders from across Florida gathered for a day-long annual retreat of the Coalition of Florida Jewish Community Relations Councils at the Shanna & Bryan Glazer JCC in Tampa as well as virtually. Formed in August 2023, the coalition has grown to represent Jewish communities in 23 counties throughout the state. Members meet every other week on Zoom to collaborate on issues affecting Florida’s Jewish communities, including combating antisemitism, discrimination and hate; advocating for Israel; strengthening community security and sharing best practices for civic engagement, coalition building and community relations.
“The work done today will ultimately help strengthen Florida’s Jewish people and institutions. It will assist each community to work in an integrated fashion and even more cohesively on state and federal initiatives and issues and bring greater resources when needed to local matters. The coalition continues to grow within the state because our membership recognizes that we accomplish much more together,” said Jonathan Ellis, chair of the Coalition of the Florida Jewish Community Relations Councils as well as the chair of the Tampa JCCs and Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council.
During the course of the day, the group learned about plans for the 2027 Israel and Jewish Advocacy Days, scheduled for March 8-9 in Tallahassee. The annual advocacy mission brings Jewish lay and professional leaders from across Florida to the state capital to meet directly with elected officials and discuss issues of importance to the Jewish community. In the coming months, coalition members will work together to identify legislative priorities, recruit speakers and prepare community delegations for the event.
Participants also heard from Ayellet Black, deputy consul general of Israel in Miami, who provided a briefing on conditions in Israel and across the Middle East. Black noted the significant growth of the Israeli Consulate in recent years, including the addition of new diplomatic staff, expanded administrative operations to support an increasing number of official delegations and the creation of a new economic development office. She encouraged Florida’s Jewish communities to continue organizing missions to Israel, emphasizing the value of experiencing the country firsthand.
Jeff Mendelsohn, associate vice president of government relations and public affairs for Jewish Federations of North America, briefed the group on the Jewish American Security Act (JASA), bipartisan federal legislation designed to strengthen protections for Jewish communities and other vulnerable populations. The proposed legislation includes expanding annual funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to $1 billion, increasing support for law enforcement’s efforts to protect houses of worship, enhancing reporting on antisemitic threats, improving accountability for large social media platforms in addressing antisemitic content and strengthening Title VI civil rights protections for Jewish students in schools and on college campuses. Jewish federations across the country are currently engaging members of Congress to build support for the legislation, including right here in the Tampa Bay area.
Mendelsohn also discussed the new federal Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) tax credit program, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2027. The initiative allows taxpayers to receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit — up to $1,700 — for donations to approved scholarship organizations in their home state. Florida is among the participating states, and the program is expected to expand scholarship opportunities for eligible students from households earning up to 300% of their area’s median income.
The retreat also highlighted efforts to combat antisemitism in K-12 education. Liat Alon, chief learning and engagement officer for the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, shared several educational initiatives developed by her federation, including an intensive summer institute for educators that featured Holocaust survivor testimony and discussions with international experts, as well as an educational study mission to Germany that explored the historical events leading to the Holocaust.
Another area of focus was community mapping, a relationship-building strategy that helps Jewish community relations professionals and lay leaders better understand and engage the civic, nonprofit, educational, cultural and faith organizations that shape their communities. Participants discussed how intentional, ongoing outreach creates stronger partnerships that are better equipped to respond to challenges and opportunities together. Those interested in learning more about community mapping or contributing to this statewide effort are encouraged to contact Pamela Garron, director of intergroup relations at the Tampa JCCs & Federation, at pamela. garron@jewishtampa.com or Maxine Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Florida’s Gulf Coast at mkaufman@jewishgulfcoast.org.
The day concluded with participants sharing successful initiatives from their local communities. Among the highlights was the coalition’s collaborative effort to bring an Israeli Institute Fellow to the University of South Florida. Dr. Cody Levine began a two-year appointment last fall, helping expand Israel education and engagement on the regional university’s three campuses. Participants also exchanged ideas for strengthening interfaith and intercultural partnerships, reinforcing the coalition’s commitment to building relationships and responding collectively to the evolving needs of Florida’s Jewish communities.