JCRC-NY CEO Condemns Dismantling of US Dept of Education, Federal Cuts to Universities, Schools, and Grants

NEW YORK, NY (04/10/2025) (readMedia)-- Statement from JCRC-NY CEO Mark Treyger:

"We will not be able to defund our way out of hatred. As a lifelong educator, I know the classroom is where democracy begins - a well informed citizenry is the essence of democracy. That's why the push to dismantle the Department of Education is so alarming. It's a direct threat to our founding principles and our ability to confront antisemitism and hate in all its forms.

In practical terms, these cuts mean schools that serve students living below the poverty line, multilingual learners, and students with special needs will lose access to resources. The very office charged with ensuring that all students and staff can learn and work in hate- and harassment-free environments is already defanged, leaving our communities unprotected. These cuts will not only hurt school budgets, students, and educators - they will deepen divisions and amplify the power of disinformation, which is the oxygen to the ignorance we are confronting.

JCRC-NY has been clear: school administrators at both the high school and higher education levels must protect all students, including Jewish students. But undermining these institutions isn't the solution. We need more, not less, investment in education, and the programs and tools we know actually make a difference.

The hard but necessary and enduring work to build an inclusive society and a stronger democracy toward a more perfect union cannot just be a slogan - it must be an applied practice. In our classrooms. On our campuses. And across our communities. I remain unwavering in our commitment to these goals."

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JCRC-NY, a proud partner of UJA-Federation of New York, serves as the primary community relations agency for the Jewish community in the metropolitan New York area. As an active force in New York civic and communal life, JCRC-NY operates as a central coordinating and resource body with a mission to build relationships to advance the values, interests, and security of the Jewish community and to create a more interconnected New York for all.