Press ReleaseUrgent2026-08-27

Jewish Federation, partner agencies, convene first-ever panel on antisemitism with local, county, state and federal officials

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This press release from Representative Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) was published on 2026-08-27 and titled "Jewish Federation, partner agencies, convene first-ever panel on antisemitism with local, county, state and federal offi".

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Jewish Federation, partner agencies, convene first-ever panel on antisemitism with local, county, state and federal officials

Houston Jewish communal leaders held an important dialogue with elected officials Aug. 20 to share a mutual understanding and strengthen relationships amid the continuing rise of antisemitism. The Houston Jewish Community Leadership Forum and Elected Official Meet and Greet was put together by the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, in partnership with local leaders of the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Holocaust Museum Houston and the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC. The two-hour morning event at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center was attended by elected officials on the local, county, state and federal level, including U.S. representatives Lizzie Fletcher, Randy Weber and Christian Menefee. Also in attendance were Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones; County Attorney Abbie Kamin; Sheriff Ed Gonzalez; State Sen. Paul Bettencourt; State Reps. Jon Rosenthal, Gene Wu and Jolanda Jones; and several Houston City Council members, judges and HISD board trustees. “We want to position our community to be safe, have effective communication and advance the needs of our community,” said Erica Winsor, the Jewish Federation’s Public Affairs director. “This idea was born almost like a reverse town hall. In a normal town hall, elected officials are talking to us about their platform and their issues. Instead, we were the ones speaking and delivering information to them about what is important to our community, what we need and most importantly how they can help us.” Beginning with 30 minutes of networking, everyone entered the Kaplan Theatre where the J’s CEO Larry Skolnick facilitated a panel with CEOs Renée Wizig-Barrios (JFGH), Randi Sonenshein (ADL), Rachel Schneider (AJC) and Gary Weisserman (HMH). Each panelist provided important information, statistics and anecdotes to give officials a state of the union on antisemitism and what the Jewish community is facing. “Sadly, our community has faced unprecedented levels of antisemitism in recent years and that affects all of us in many ways,” Skolnick said in his opening remarks. “You might have noticed our campus fencing, security patrols in the parking lot, guards and entrance procedures. That is just the part you see. There is quite a lot that goes into securing a campus like ours because we face a particular threat. “While we all certainly hope for the day where a security program this robust isn’t needed, we are grateful for the support that the Jewish Federation is able to provide to the 80-plus Jewish organizations and over 65,000 Jewish community members in the Houston area.” Wizig-Barrios emphasized the relationships and partnerships the Jewish Federation has made over the years, both uniting and strengthening the Houston Jewish community. “The safety and security of the Jewish people is of utmost importance to us,” Wizig-Barrios said. “After [Oct. 7, 2023] and after Colleyville, it became very clear why we need to be focused on the safety and security of the Jewish people. “Every single one of our Jewish institutions has to think about what to do in a crisis. While other institutions have to prepare for a power outage or a flood, we think about how to prepare for a terrorist attack, a shooting, a car ramming and all of the things we have seen over the last few years.” Nationally, the Jewish community is spending about a billion dollars a year on security, Wizig-Barrios said. Law enforcement cooperation at all levels is a fundamental part of that process. “We are constantly building bridges with local police, fire, sheriffs, constables, FBI, Texas Rangers and DPS at every single level,” she said. “That has gone incredibly well in Houston, especially during the recent threat to [Congregation] Beth Israel – our local law enforcement did a great job of responding and preventing that attack.” Sonenshein and Schneider shared a number of alarming statistics that Jewish Americans are facing. There were 6,274 antisemitic incidents recorded in the U.S. in 2025, according to the ADL Antisemitic Incidents report. Jewish Americans are harassed, assaulted and targeted for who they are on an average of 17 times per day. In Texas, 188 incidents were recorded – 131 harassment, 53 vandalism and four assaults. Of course, many incidents are never reported. “Antisemitic incidents and acts of violence against people who are Jewish are at record levels and we are concerned to see the escalation,” Sonenshein said. “These are real people experiencing real challenges, real hurt and real harm that happens. “Jewish institutions are also under attack or under pressure or assault. Jewish institutions are seeing safety challenges we have not seen before. It is surely a concern we all share when institutions are weakened. “One of the biggest surprises for me is, I thought fighting hate and extremism would be dealing with people foaming at the mouth with ideological stances – and that is out there – but what I didn’t expect was how much of the harm from extremism, hat

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Jewish Federation, partner agencies, convene first-ever panel on antisemitism with local, county, state and federal officials Houston Jewish communal leaders held an important dialogue with elected officials Aug. 20 to share a mutual understanding and strengthen relationships amid the continuing rise of antisemitism. The Houston Jewish Community Leadership Forum and Elected Official Meet and Greet was put together by the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, in partnership with local leaders of the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Holocaust Museum Houston and the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC. The two-hour morning event at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center was attended by elected officials on the local, county, state and federal level, including U.S. representatives Lizzie Fletcher, Randy Weber and Christian Menefee. Also in attendance were Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones; County Attorney Abbie Kamin; Sheriff Ed Gonzalez; State Sen. Paul Bettencourt; State Reps. Jon Rosenthal, Gene Wu and Jolanda Jones; and several Houston City Council members, judges and HISD board trustees. “We want to position our community to be safe, have effective communication and advance the needs of our community,” said Erica Winsor, the Jewish Federation’s Public Affairs director. “This idea was born almost like a reverse town hall. In a normal town hall, elected officials are talking to us about their platform and their issues. Instead, we were the ones speaking and delivering information to them about what is important to our community, what we need and most importantly how they can help us.” Beginning with 30 minutes of networking, everyone entered the Kaplan Theatre where the J’s CEO Larry Skolnick facilitated a panel with CEOs Renée Wizig-Barrios (JFGH), Randi Sonenshein (ADL), Rachel Schneider (AJC) and Gary Weisserman (HMH). Each panelist provided important information, statistics and anecdotes to give officials a state of the union on antisemitism and what the Jewish community is facing. “Sadly, our community has faced unprecedented levels of antisemitism in recent years and that affects all of us in many ways,” Skolnick said in his opening remarks. “You might have noticed our campus fencing, security patrols in the parking lot, guards and entrance procedures. That is just the part you see. There is quite a lot that goes into securing a campus like ours because we face a particular threat. “While we all certainly hope for the day where a security program this robust isn’t needed, we are grateful for the support that the Jewish Federation is able to provide to the 80-plus Jewish organizations and over 65,000 Jewish community members in the Houston area.” Wizig-Barrios emphasized the relationships and partnerships the Jewish Federation has made over the years, both uniting and strengthening the Houston Jewish community. “The safety and security of the Jewish people is of utmost importance to us,” Wizig-Barrios said. “After [Oct. 7, 2023] and after Colleyville, it became very clear why we need to be focused on the safety and security of the Jewish people. “Every single one of our Jewish institutions has to think about what to do in a crisis. While other institutions have to prepare for a power outage or a flood, we think about how to prepare for a terrorist attack, a shooting, a car ramming and all of the things we have seen over the last few years.” Nationally, the Jewish community is spending about a billion dollars a year on security, Wizig-Barrios said. Law enforcement cooperation at all levels is a fundamental part of that process. “We are constantly building bridges with local police, fire, sheriffs, constables, FBI, Texas Rangers and DPS at every single level,” she said. “That has gone incredibly well in Houston, especially during the recent threat to [Congregation] Beth Israel – our local law enforcement did a great job of responding and preventing that attack.” Sonenshein and Schneider shared a number of alarming statistics that Jewish Americans are facing. There were 6,274 antisemitic incidents recorded in the U.S. in 2025, according to the ADL Antisemitic Incidents report. Jewish Americans are harassed, assaulted and targeted for who they are on an average of 17 times per day. In Texas, 188 incidents were recorded – 131 harassment, 53 vandalism and four assaults. Of course, many incidents are never reported. “Antisemitic incidents and acts of violence against people who are Jewish are at record levels and we are concerned to see the escalation,” Sonenshein said. “These are real people experiencing real challenges, real hurt and real harm that happens. “Jewish institutions are also under attack or under pressure or assault. Jewish institutions are seeing safety challenges we have not seen before. It is surely a concern we all share when institutions are weakened. “One of the biggest surprises for me is, I thought fighting hate and extremism would be dealing with people foaming at the mouth with ideological stances – and that is out there – but what I didn’t expect was how much of the harm from extremism, hat