Congressional Solidarity Sabbath Initiative Sees Dozens of Members of Congress Stand in Solidarity with the Jewish Community

AJC and Lantos Foundation invited Senators and Representatives to join the initiative amid surging antisemitism at home and abroad

June 20, 2024, Washington, DC – Throughout the month of May, which is Jewish American Heritage Month, dozens of Members of Congress participated in the Congressional Solidarity Sabbath, a special initiative launched jointly by American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice. At a critical time for the Jewish community, with the world experiencing a global surge in antisemitism and American Jews feeling alienated and often under attack, the initiative invited all Members of Congress, regardless of political party, religious tradition, or cultural background, to engage with the Jewish community during the month. Representatives and Senators responded enthusiastically, with dozens joining the call and showing their solidarity through a range of meaningful activities and engagements.

Members of Congress participated in the Solidarity Sabbath by speaking at Yom HaShoah (Holocaust remembrance) events, attending local synagogues and temples, taking part in shabbat dinners, meeting with rabbis and local Jewish leaders, engaging with Jewish students on university campuses, attending Jewish American Heritage Month celebrations on Capitol Hill and at the White House, addressing Jewish organizations, meeting with the families of hostages held in Gaza, making statements on the House and Senate floors in support of the Jewish community and Israel, cosponsoring legislation aimed at countering antisemitism, meeting with NGOs focused on combating antisemitism and fostering dialogue between Jewish and other communities, and more.

Participating Members of Congress included Senators John Fetterman (PA), Steve Daines (MT), John Hickenlooper (CO), and Jacky Rosen (NV), among others. Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-8), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Young Kim (CA-40), Jim McGovern (MA-02), French Hill (AR-02), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL-25), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Anthony D’Esposito (NY-04), and Angie Craig (MN-02) were among the many Members of the House who took part. Both Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries participated, as did the entire New Hampshire delegation, including Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, as well as Representatives Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas.

“It was deeply gratifying to see Members of Congress respond to our invitation to join the Solidarity Sabbath with enthusiasm and true commitment,” said Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation. “The words and actions of our elected officials matter, and it is vital that they courageously lead the way in beating back what is undeniably the rising tide of antisemitism. I am so grateful to the Senators and Representatives who chose to stand in solidarity with the Jewish people during Jewish American Heritage Month. Their moral clarity on the issue of combating antisemitism is admirable, and I know that my father, the late Congressman Tom Lantos, would have been moved to see this level of support from the Congress he loved so much.”