The Voice in the Room

With immense pride, I joined leaders from Chicago’s Jewish community in the galleries of the Illinois State House and Senate in May. From above each chamber floor, we watched State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) and State Representative Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) passionately present resolutions commemorating Jewish American Heritage Month-a moment of recognition that underscored the American Jewish community’s lasting contributions and accomplishments to the state of Illinois. Each resolution (SR 258 / HR 294) was adopted unanimously.

Advocacy lay at the heart of our visit. As part of JUF’s long-standing commitment to civic engagement, we came to Springfield to meet with lawmakers and speak up for our community’s needs, from security to health & human services priorities. Our delegation included JUF professionals and lay leaders, as well as partner agencies including JCFS Chicago, SHALVA, Keshet, CJE SeniorLife, Libenu, and the Michael Reese Health Trust.

The experience was immersive from start to finish. The night before, we gathered for dinner to build connections and preview the discussions ahead. In the morning, JUF hosted a reception at the Capitol, where members of the Legislative Jewish Caucus and other allies joined us for breakfast and conversation. We then fanned out across the Capitol, each of us prepared to advocate for our priorities in planned and impromptu meetings with elected officials.

Throughout the day, we were struck by the energy of the moment, as we were experiencing and influencing democracy in action.

This powerful day was a testament to JUF’s mission and the trust JUF has built with state leaders. It was an honor to advocate for those who often do not have a voice in the room.

Steve Greenbaum is the Chair of JUF Government Affairs.

JUF’s 2025 legislative wins in Springfield

By AMY ZIMMERMAN and JARED HOFFMAN

In addition to the impactful moments and meaningful conversations that marked this year’s Springfield Advocacy Mission, JUF’s State Government Affairs team achieved significant wins on behalf of the Jewish community and our partners across the state.

Despite an extremely tight state budget year, JUF and its 63-member Safeguard Illinois Communities Coalition partners successfully advocated for increased funding to the Illinois Nonprofit Security Grant Program, a critical safety resource for vulnerable institutions. Governor JB Pritzker had proposed just $2 million, but the General Assembly raised the final allocation to $7.5 million. This funding increase was championed by Rep. Morgan and State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago).

In the spirit of promoting inclusion and cultural awareness in public schools, JUF worked with State Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl (D-Northbrook) and Sen. Villivalam to lead passage of SB 1616, which requires the Illinois State Board of Education to distribute an annual list of major cultural and religious holidays so that schools can use this advisory tool to avoid scheduling major events to avoid scheduling major events, such as prom, homecoming, athletic tournaments, and field trips, on dates that conflict with student observance.

In the healthcare space, JUF led HB 3214 (Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin / Sen. Fine), which lays the groundwork for Illinois to become a Medicare Part A buy-in state, which will help low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities gain access to critical hospital and rehabilitation services while saving the state critical Medicaid dollars. JUF also championed SB 1346 (Sen. Fine / Rep. Morgan), a consumer protection bill that ensures people covered by state-regulated health plans are better informed of all newly enacted state health benefits, such as no-cost annual mental health care visits.

Other notable JUF efforts include new transparency measures in early childhood teacher and director educational requirements (HB 3446), the adoption of a resolution commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day (HR 74), the General Assembly’s official designation of May 2025 as Jewish American Heritage Month, and successful efforts to secure capital funding for Jewish institutions.

Amy Zimmerman is Associate Vice President of JUF State Government Affairs, and Jared Hoffman is Legislative Associate of JUF State Government Affairs.