Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)
The JCRC’s primary mission is to promote and enhance the relationships between the Jewish community and the broader community of greater Naples. The Council serves as the public affairs arm of the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, collaborating with other faith, civic, cultural and educational groups across the community.
Council membership consists of volunteer representatives from Jewish organizations that serve our community, as well as at-large members. The broad range of members — and their diverse values and opinions, which range across the political and ideological spectrum — enables the JCRC to serve as the organized voice of the Jewish community on social and political issues of community-wide interest.
In that capacity, the JCRC engages three key constituencies — elected officials, K-16 educational leaders, and interfaith and intercultural communities — on three critical topics: combating antisemitism, Israel advocacy, and other issues vital to sustaining our Jewish community.
This framework (see below) ensures that our Jewish community builds meaningful relationships across all sectors while addressing the most pressing concerns facing Jewish families in the Greater Naples area.
Each intersection in the trellis represents a unique opportunity for engagement, with the JCRC working systematically across all nine intersection points, ensuring comprehensive coverage of our key constituencies on our most important topics.
This framework ensures no relationship or issue falls through the cracks, while providing clear structure for strategic planning and resource allocation. Think of it like this: the JCRC is bridge that connects our Jewish institutions with the broader Naples community.
The Council works in partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN) to collect and monitor reports of antisemitic incidents in the community, providing support and assistance to victims while making referrals to the appropriate law enforcement agencies when antisemitic speech, conduct and possible hate crimes occur.
Click here to report an Incident
If you see something, say something.
- Suspicious activities, people and vehicles
- Unusual events or incidents
- Dangerous situations
- Suspicious communications (text messages, phone calls, voicemail messages, emails, letters or packages, etc…)
- If you hear something or see something, please share it with us by calling our office at 239-263-4205.
- Here are some ways to combat Antisemitism: 10 Ways to Combat Antisemitism
For more than a decade, the Council has joined with the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples” to recognize deserving nonprofit organizations for their generous spirit and service to the entire community. Grants are awarded each year to two local nonprofits that practice “tikkun olam“ – helping to repair the world.
Grants have been made to, among others: the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Collier Council on Aging, NAACP Collier Branch, Collier County Education Foundation, Redlands Christian Association Literacy Program, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, Baby Basics, Bedtime Bundles, Shelter for Abused Women and Children, and the Senior Friendship Health Center.
Here is more about the award, including previous winners: Human Needs Award
In 2011, the Jewish Community Relations Council established an Educator Grant Award to recognize elementary, middle school and high school teachers, librarians, media specialists, guidance counselors and administrators who demonstrate outstanding, unique and replicable education initiatives countering bigotry and bullying.
Nominees’ lessons or activities must be of their own design or adaptations from other programs, and should be able to show evidence of a positive nature as a result of implementation. These lessons or activities should teach students to stand up for justice no matter what religious, racial, cultural or other differences exist.
Here is more about the award: Educator Award. For more information, contact Alan Scher Zagier at [email protected]
The mission of the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue (CJD) is to promote an understanding of our mutual and shared history and to advance acceptance of our differences and commonalities in a setting of respect, trust, faith, friendship, and hope.
The Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County has been presenting programs that promote and support this purpose for over 20 years, providing an opportunity to not only learn about the other’s faith but to learn more about our own faith as well.
The group’s programs include an annual Kristallnacht remembrance in early November, and in 2025, a two-day symposium on Catholic-Jewish relations co-hosted by Ave Maria University and the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples.
For more details, including upcoming programs, visit https://www.jewishnaples.org/catholic-jewish-dialogue or email [email protected].
Preserving Paradise – From Israel to Greater Naples
11th Annual Day of Learning
Sunday, Feb. 8; 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center
4720 Pine Ridge Road, Naples, FL
$25 per person
Light Lunch Included
Speakers:
Jay Shofet, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel
Rabbi Ed Rosenthal, Founder and CEO, Repair the Sea/Tikkun HaYam
Julianne Thomas, Senior Environmental Planner, Conservancy of Southwest Florida
Derek Salge, Avian Specialist, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Schedule
9:30 a.m. - Coffee, light refreshments
10-10:45 a.m. - A Window into Israel’s Natural Legacy, Jay Shofet
10:45-11:30 - Tikkun HaYam-Jewish Marine Conservation Repair the Sea, Rabbi Ed Rosenthal
11:30-noon - Lunch
12-12:30 p.m. - Vanishing wetlands, surging growth, fading panthers-Conservation challenges in Collier County, Julianne Thomas12:30-1 p.m. - Birds of paradise: How Rookery Bay protects, promotes avian conservation1-2 p.m. - Panel discussion (Jay Shofet, moderator)