As we mark the end of Jewish American Heritage Month, the Brandeis Center continues to lead the fight against anti-Semitism with bold legal action, high-level advocacy, and impactful public engagement. From filing federal complaints on behalf of Jewish employees facing discrimination, to urging reforms in taxpayer-funded DEI programs, to launching a national coalition for change, the Brandeis Center remains at the forefront of defending Jewish civil rights. This month’s work honors the legacy of our namesake, Justice Louis D. Brandeis, and celebrates the enduring contributions of the Jewish community to America. Read on for the latest updates on our legal victories, policy initiatives, and the people driving our mission forward. In this issue: New Lawsuit Filed Combating Workplace Anti-Semitism Brandeis Center Issues ‘Blockbuster’ Letter to Trump Administration Advocating for Jewish Employee Resource Groups Investigation Opened at Cal Poly Capitol Hill Briefing on Defining Anti-Semitism Alyza D. Lewin Named to Religious Liberty Commission Video: Zionist Rabbinic Coalition Conference Join the New Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism Jewish American Heritage Month: Honoring Justice Brandeis New Lawsuit Filed Combating Workplace Anti-SemitismOn behalf of numerous Jewish employees of the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), the Brandeis Center filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The complaints allege the employees’ own union, A Better NYLAG, not only failed to represent their interests but also actively obstructed efforts by NYLAG to address and remedy an anti-Semitic workplace environment allegedly fostered by the union itself. Jewish employees claim the union’s actions and rhetoric, including slogans like “Intifada Now,” created a discriminatory environment and undermined their rights to fair representation. “Rather than defend the right of these Jewish NYLAG employees in the ABN’s [A Better NYLAG] bargaining unit to be free from a toxic work environment – created in large part by the ABN’s own activities – the ABN went so far as to advocate against the very Jewish employees whom they purport to represent,” senior counsel Rory Lancman told the New York Post. Brandeis Center Issues ‘Blockbuster’ Letter to Trump Administration In a groundbreaking letter outlining the next frontier in our fight against anti-Semitism in education, the Brandeis Center called on the Trump administration and federal leaders to reform taxpayer-funded DEI programming that distorts Jewish identity, promotes anti-Semitic narratives and marginalizes Jewish and Israeli students. Among the troubling issues we expose are the erasure of Jewish ethnicity and indigenous identity, Jewish students being told to “identify as white,” and DEI trainings portraying Zionism as racism. Read the full letter with more examples here. Advocating for Jewish Employee Resource GroupsIn early May, the Brandeis Center warned Microsoft in a letter that if it continued to distribute professional benefits and advantages through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) on the basis of ethnic or racial identity, while denying these benefits to Jewish and other employes, the Brandeis Center would file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC and seek to proceed immediately to a lawsuit in federal court alleging a violation of federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws. A few weeks later, Adobe officially recognized a Jewish ERG, a significant milestone in the fight for equal treatment of Jewish employees amidst the rise in workplace anti-Semitism. The Brandeis Center advised and worked closely with Adobe’s Jewish employees throughout this effort, and applauds Adobe for this important recognition. Investigation Opened at Cal Poly The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened an investigation into a complaint filed by the Brandeis Center and Jewish on Campus against California State Polytechnic (Cal Poly), Humboldt. The organizations allege that the university is in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by cultivating a campus environment that allowed for the verbal and physical harassment, exclusion, and abuse of Jewish students. Denise Katz-Prober, Director of Legal Initiatives, told the Jewish Journal, “What’s at issue in our complaint as we documented is unlawful conduct and behavior that the university was obligated to address in order to make sure that Jewish students are safe and welcome on their campus. They didn’t do so, and that’s why we filed the complaint.” Capitol Hill Briefing on Defining Anti-SemitismOn May 22, the Brandeis Center hosted a Capitol Hill briefing titled “Hearing from Students: Defining the Anti-Semitism That Harms Us.” The panel discussion was introduced by Brandeis Center Chairman and CEO Kenneth L. Marcus and moderated by Brandeis Center President Alyza D. Lewin. The panel featured a current student from Yale and two recent graduates from Cal Poly and Brooklyn College. The event was co-sponsored by Congressman Mike Lawler, who co-sponsored the Antisemitism Awareness Act and is an advocate of adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism. At the briefing, which took place one day following the murder of two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, Mr. Marcus emphasized that this is a time to “not be afraid, not to shrink back, but to redouble our efforts.” Ms. Lewin added, “we are at a moment that calls out for urgency. It’s a moment where we must act.”Read more about the discussion in this blog. Alyza D. Lewin Named to Religious Liberty CommissionEarlier this month, President Trump announced the establishment of the Religious Liberty Commission to safeguard and promote America’s founding principle of religious freedom. On Friday, the President designated individuals to serve on three advisory boards — religious leaders, legal experts, and lay advisors — and named Alyza D. Lewin to the Advisory Board of Legal Experts. “I am honored to have been selected by President Trump to serve on the Advisory Board of Legal Experts to the Religious Liberty Commission,” said Ms. Lewin. “As someone who grew up in a family that for many generations has fought to secure the right of Jews to practice our faith freely and with pride, it is a privilege to carry on this family tradition. “For nearly three decades, I have joined my father and law partner, Nathan Lewin, in enforcing the law on behalf of Jews and other Americans observing their faith. Over the past seven years, I broadened my vision, as president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, to ensure the Jewish people are also protected from harassment and discrimination that targets them on the basis of the Jews’ ancestral connection to the land of Israel. “I look forward to working with the distinguished members of the Commission and its advisory boards to increase awareness, understanding, and appreciation of America’s founding principle of religious liberty and to ensuring compliance with the legal protections guaranteed by American law.” Video: Zionist Rabbinic Coalition Conference Israel is the only country in the world that is told it has no right to exist – that’s contemporary anti-Semitism, but most of the world still fails to recognize it as such. In a recent address at the 4th annual Zionist Rabbinic Coalition Conference in Washington, DC, Alyza Lewin spoke to a group of rabbis and Jewish leaders about the evolving ways anti-Semitism manifests on college campuses, and how the general public, and university administrators, still do not understand anti-Semitism. Watch her full address here: Join the New Coalition to Combat Anti-SemitismWe are proud to share the launch of the Louis D. Brandeis Center Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism—a powerful new initiative uniting people of conscience in the fight to eliminate anti-Semitism and defend civil and human rights for all. Together as one, the Coalition promotes justice, equality, and the fundamental rights of the Jewish people—rights too often threatened by discrimination, harassment, and hatred. The Brandeis Center partners with the Coalition to advance civil and human rights. Join the Coalition today and be part of the solution. Membership is free of charge and obligation. Jewish American Heritage Month: Honoring Justice Brandeis This Jewish American Heritage Month, we proudly reflect on the legacy of Justice Louis D. Brandeis, the influential figure for whom the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law is named. Justice Brandeis exemplifies the values at the heart of our mission: a commitment to the civil rights of the Jewish people and a broader dedication to justice for all. Justice Brandeis was also a proud leader in the American Zionist movement, advocating for the self-determination of the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland while remaining steadfast in his belief that Jewish identity was fully compatible with American democratic ideals. His example continues to inspire Jewish Americans to engage in the civic life of our country with confidence and purpose. In naming our organization after Justice Brandeis, the Brandeis Center honors a legacy that champions both the Jewish people and the broader struggle for human dignity. His life reminds us that the pursuit of justice is not limited to one group—it is a universal call that demands courage, vision, and a commitment to truth.Read more about Justice Brandeis on our blog.