Los Angeles, CA – August 2025 — Jews United for Democracy & Justice (JUDJ) strongly condemns the Trump administration’s demand that UCLA pay an unprecedented $1 billion as a condition for restoring vital public funding. The Administration froze $584 million in UCLA research grants, thereby threatening transformative medical breakthroughs, national security-relevant innovations and economic advancements. These draconian actions have nothing to do with antisemitism. The Administration ostensibly froze the funds as leverage in its pressure campaign to force the school to address allegations of antisemitism on campus. Aside from other impacts, such punitive measures, bundled with intrusive policy mandates, represent nothing less than political coercion, and represent a grave threat to academic freedom, institutional integrity, and the public mission of higher education.

As an organization rooted in Jewish tradition and civic responsibility, JUDJ affirms:

1. The Jewish imperative to oppose all forms of discrimination—including antisemitism—must never be wielded as a tool for political retribution. We support the recent actions being taken by the UCLA Administration to directly address campus antisemitism.
2. Institutions of learning and research must not be targets of ideological suppression or financial intimidation.
3. JUDJ stands in solidarity with the University of California leadership and the Governor of California who have correctly objected to terms that dishonor the values of public higher education and its vital role in serving students, innovation, and the public good.

JUDJ calls on:

1. The UC system to leverage every legal and financial avenue to defend its integrity and mission.
2. Jewish communities and civic-minded Americans to oppose the instrumentalization of antisemitism and civil rights for political gain.
3. Legislators and advocates to defend academic freedom and ensure that public research institutions remain beyond the reach of partisan retribution.
4. The UC system to continue to institute policies and practices which directly address antisemitism on its campuses and among its students and faculty.

This statement reflects JUDJ’s mission “to assert a Jewish voice to safeguard the principles and foundations of our constitutional democracy,” particularly when constitutional rights and democratic norms are under threat.

Jews United for Democracy & Justice
Leadership, all of whom are graduates of University of California:
Former Congressman Mel Levine (BA, UC Berkeley)
Former LA County Supervisor and LA City Councilmember Zev Yaroslavsky (BA & MA, UCLA)
Community Activist and Leader Janice Kamenir-Reznik (BA & JD, UCLA)

(For more information contact Janice at jkreznik@gmail.com )