The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) officially launched the Jewish Mayors and Municipal Leaders Association (JMMLA) on Monday, uniting Jewish elected municipal leaders from across the United States in a national network dedicated to stronger cities and safer communities.
The JMMLA’s inaugural event was hosted by Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, the association’s founding chair, at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden.
“History has taught the Jewish people the cost of silence," Meiner said. “As mayors and municipal leaders, we have a responsibility to confront antisemitism, defend democratic values, and ensure every resident feels safe and protected in our communities."
Meiner added that the JMMLA would amplify a voice “not only on antisemitism but on all issues that are important within the Jewish community. We can be a more powerful force when we work with our allies."
CAM Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz said, “Jewish mayors and municipal leaders have shaped American civic life since before this nation was a century old. They have governed through wars and depressions, through prosperity and through hatred, guided by a tradition rooted in justice and the conviction that we are each responsible for one another. That tradition did not emerge from comfort. It emerged from knowing, across generations, what is at stake when governments fail the people they serve. These leaders carry that knowledge into office every day. Now, for the first time, they carry it together."
In addition to Meiner and Katz, speakers at Monday’s kick-off gathering included Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Florida International University President and former Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, U.S. Congressman Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23), former Boca Raton Mayor and congressional candidate Scott Singer, and Aventura Mayor Howard Weinberg.
The JMMLA’s founding comes at a fitting moment during Jewish American Heritage Month and just weeks before America’s 250th anniversary.
The association will connect members across jurisdictions through peer exchange, shared resources, and coordinated action on the defining issues of local leadership, public safety, extremism prevention, resilience, and the day-to-day work of governing with integrity.