Bend the Arc

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Bend the Arc
Formation1999;27 years ago (1999)
Type Nonprofit
Headquarters Los Angeles
Website bendthearc.us

Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice is a progressive Jewish political organization that blends advocacy, community organizing, and leadership training. [1] [2] The organization advocates for a more equal and just society, focusing strictly on domestic issues. Bend the Arc does not deal with issues related to Israel. [3] [4]

Contents

Positions

Bend the Arc has been noted for its work protesting the policies of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. [3] [5] Leaders of the organizations have argued that Trump has emboldened white nationalism, and disrupted an October 2019 speech by Trump in Pittsburgh by chanting "Trump Endangered Jews." [6] [7] [8]

According to an article in Tablet Magazine, "the group has no active dues-paying members who participate in the shaping of their agenda." [9]

In April 2025, Bend the Arc was among ten progressive Jewish organizations that signed an opposing letter encouraging representatives to reject the Antisemitism Awareness Act. [10]

The organization endorsed Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City. [11] [12]

Leadership

Stosh Cotler became Bend the Arc's Executive Vice President in 2011 and CEO in 2014. [2] When Cotler became CEO, The Forward noted that she was "one of the few women leading a national Jewish group of its size." [13]

History

The Progressive Jewish Alliance (PJA) was founded in 1999 by Douglas Mirell, Steven Kaplan and Joan Patsy Ostroy, after the closure of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Jewish Congress. [14] They sought to assert a Jewish interest in the campaigns for social justice in Southern California, which has the United States' second largest Jewish population. [14] Progressive Jewish Alliance expanded in February 2005 by opening a San Francisco Bay Area chapter. The PJA stated goals are social justice, judicial reform, and improved working conditions. They also try to facilitate dialogue between non-violent young offenders and their victims and between Jews and Muslims.

PJA ran the Jeremiah Fellowship, which trains young Jews to be future social justice leaders. In addition, the PJA conducted education programs and quarterly holiday events on the intersection of art, culture and politics.

On June 1, 2011, the Progressive Jewish Alliance merged with Jewish Funds for Justice (JFSJ), and the consolidated group adopted the name Bend the Arc in 2012. [15] [16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dashefsky, Arnold; Sheskin, Ira M. (February 3, 2016). American Jewish Year Book 2015: The Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities. Springer. ISBN   9783319245058.
  2. 1 2 "Stosh Cotler | Jewish Women's Archive". jwa.org. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Gruskin, Rachel Fayne (January 12, 2017). "Bend the Arc Seeks Solidarity". Atlanta Jewish Times. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  4. ↑ Stein, Sam (July 18, 2012). "Jewish Advocacy Group Launches PAC To Take Heat Off Israel". HuffPost. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Building A Nationwide Jewish Resistance". The Forward. December 5, 2018. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  6. ↑ JTA. "14 Jewish activists arrested protesting Trump visit to Pittsburgh". The Times of Israel . ISSN   0040-7909 . Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  7. ↑ Phillips, Aleks (October 24, 2019). "Activists heckle 'Trump endangers Jews' during president's speech in Pittsburgh". www.thejc.com. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  8. ↑ Palmer, Ewan (October 24, 2019). "Jewish protesters explain why they disrupted Trump's Pittsburgh speech, blast president's "ugly rhetoric and policies of fear"". Newsweek. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Bending the Jews". Tablet Magazine. May 27, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  10. ↑ Gilson, Grace. "Progressive US Jewish organizations oppose controversial antisemitism bill". Times of Israel. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  11. ↑ Edelson, Daniel (December 31, 2025). "NYC Jews uneasy as Zohran Mamdani prepares star-studded mayoral inauguration filled with Israel-haters". ynetglobal. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  12. ↑ Bloom, Dan (September 26, 2025). "Ramped-up resistance at 26 Fed". Politico. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  13. ↑ Wiener, Julie (January 10, 2014). "Bend the Arc Leader Stosh Cotler Has Radical Streak — and Black Belt". The Forward. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  14. 1 2 Cohen, Aryeh (2007). "Progressive Jewish Alliance Ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. Detroit, 2007. 544. Gale Virtual Reference Library.". Encyclopaedia Judaica. Macmillan Reference USA, 2nd ed. Vol. 16. p. 544. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Merged social justice groups become Bend the Arc". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. April 3, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  16. ↑ Freedman, Samuel G. (2005), "Muslim Woman Bridges Faiths to Advance Progressive Goals", New York Times: A21, retrieved May 4, 2014
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