Jewish Community Letter Opposing Cuts to Basic Needs Programs
May 12, 2025
Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson House Committee on Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20515
Chairman John Boozman Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Washington, D.C. 20510
Chairman Brett Guthrie House Committee on Energy and Commerce Washington, D.C. 20515
Chairman Mike Crapo Senate Committee on Finance Washington, D.C. 20510
Ranking Member Angie Craig House Committee on Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20515
Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Washington, D.C. 20510
Ranking Member Frank Pallone House Committee on Energy and Commerce Washington, DC 20515
Ranking Member Ron Wyden Senate Committee on Finance Washington, D.C. 20510
“He that oppresses the poor blasphemes his maker, but he that is gracious to the poor honors God” (Proverbs 14:31)
Dear Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Craig, Chairman Boozman, Ranking Member Klobuchar, Chairman Guthrie, Ranking Member Pallone, Chairman Crapo, and Ranking Member Wyden:
We, the undersigned 156 Jewish organizations, write to express our strong opposition to cutting hundreds of billions of dollars for federal basic needs programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid that help low-income Americans afford the high cost of essentials such as food and healthcare. The proposals under consideration to slash, restructure, and further restrict these programs would have irreparable, direct impacts on our Jewish community, the populations we serve, and those for whom we advocate. They run counter to our Jewish values of preserving dignity, centering justice, and being gracious to the poor.
Food assistance from SNAP is a lifeline for 42 million food insecure Americans, including one in five children. We oppose changes to the program such as rolling back the 2021 update to the Thrifty Food Plan, preventing benefits from keeping pace with the cost of a realistic diet, terminating categorical eligibility, expanding ineffective work requirements, limiting states’ waiver authorities, and shifting some of the cost of benefits to states. Alone, any single one of these actions would create additional barriers to program access and increase our national hunger crisis. Altogether, they would reduce benefits for participants, threaten families’ direct access to other low-income supports, worsen administrative burdens on families and providers, and take power and resources away from states. The charitable sector is already stretched to the limit, and our social service agencies, food pantries, synagogues, and philanthropies will not be able to meet the newfound need.
Medicaid provides health coverage to over 70 million Americans. We oppose changes to the program such as capping federal Medicaid funding through block grants or per capita caps, imposing new work requirements on enrollees, and reducing the federal rate to support state Medicaid Expansion. Funding caps would undermine Medicaid’s ability to respond during economic downturns and public health emergencies, forcing harmful cuts to services, eligibility, and provider payments. Work requirements, while framed as promoting self-sufficiency, would in reality lead to widespread coverage loss, particularly among those already working, caregiving, or facing health challenges. These bureaucratic barriers would disproportionately harm people living with chronic illness, disabilities, trauma, and unstable employment. Reducing federal coverage to Medicaid expansion states, meanwhile, would likely force the 40 states (plus Washington, DC) that have expanded Medicaid access to remove the 20 million individuals supported by the expansion. Medicaid is a vital lifeline, sustaining mental health services, long-term care, and community-based support for millions. Proposals that cap funding, add punitive barriers to coverage, or cut federal funding to states would threaten the health, stability, and dignity of individuals and families across the country.
Cutting funding to these programs will have disastrous impacts on our economy nationwide. Cuts to Medicaid would exacerbate existing challenges for hospitals and care providers, especially in rural and underserved areas, forcing many to close and lay off staff. Similarly, cuts to SNAP would result in job losses in the agriculture, food production, and grocery industries. Both would lead to worse health outcomes and add financial stress to millions of families and children in every community across the nation.
Our Jewish text and traditions guide our belief that it is the federal government’s responsibility to respond to the circumstances and systemic challenges that contribute to hunger and poverty. It is morally indefensible to extract resources from food and healthcare assistance in order to advance tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and businesses.
We urge your committees to take our concerns to heart and block any proposals that would result in harm to beneficiaries of SNAP or Medicaid.
Sincerely,
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
National Council of Jewish Women
Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies
American Conference of Cantors
ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal
Avodah
Aytzim: Ecological Judaism
Bend The Arc: Jewish Action
Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA)
Jewish Democratic Council of America
Jewish Labor Committee
Jewish Sacred Aging
Jews for a Secular Democracy
Keshet
Kirva
Men of Reform Judaism
Rabbinical Assembly
Reconstructing Judaism
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
TEN: Together Ending Need
Union for Reform Judaism
Uri L’Tzedek
Women of Reform Judaism
Zioness
Adath Jeshurun Congregation (MN)
Alexander Jewish Family Service (TX)
Arizona Jews for Justice (AZ)
Bet Shalom Congregation (MN)
Beth Haverim Shir Shalom (NJ)
Chai Impact (Quad Cities of Iowa/Illinois)
Chicago Jewish Labor Committee (IL)
CJE SeniorLife (IL)
Coastal Roots Farm (CA)
Congregation Adath Jeshurun (KY)
Congregation Ahavath Chesed (FL)
Congregation Beth El-Sunbury (PA)
Congregation Beth Israel (OR)
Congregation Beth Shalom (WA)
Congregation Emanu El (TX)
Congregation Kneseth Israel (IL)
Congregation Shirat Hayam (MA)
Davis Center for Social Justice at Temple Sinai (DC)
Dinah (PA)
Gesher Human Services (MI)
Goodman Jewish Family Services of Broward (FL)
Greater Washington Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA) (MD)
Greenwich Reform Synagogue (CT)
Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services (FL)
JCFS Chicago (IL)
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (MA)
Jewish Community Action (MN)
Jewish Community Services (FL)
Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (MN)
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (IL)
Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Boston (MA)
Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh (PA)
Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland (OH)
Jewish Family Service Los Angeles (CA)
Jewish Family Service of Atlantic and Cape May Counties (NJ)
Jewish Family Service of Colorado (CO)
Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas (TX)
Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg (PA)
Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans (LA)
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest MA (MA)
Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley (PA)
Jewish Family Service of Utah (UT)
Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts (MA)
Jewish Family Services of Columbus (OH)
Jewish Family Services of Delaware, Inc. (DE)
Jewish Family Services of Greater Charlotte (NC)
Jewish Family Services of Greensboro (NC)
Jewish Family Services of Northeastern New York (NY)
Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor (MI)
Jewish Federation of Greater Portland (OR)
Jewish Family and Career Services, Louisville (KY)
Jewish Social Service Agency of Greater Washington (DC)
JFCS of Greater Boston (MA)
JFCS East Bay (CA)
JFCS Long Beach and Orange County (CA)
JFCS Minneapolis (MN)
JFCS of Greater Mercer County (NJ)
JFCS of Southern Arizona (AZ)
JFCS of the Suncoast (FL)
JVS Boston (MA)
JVS SoCal (CA)
Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives (NY)
Lab/Shul (NY)
Levine Center To End Hate, Jewish Federation of Rochester NY (NY)
Mayerson JCC (OH)
Moses Montefiore Congregation (IL)
National Council of Jewish Women Arizona Section (AZ)
National Council of Jewish Women Atlanta Section (GA)
National Council of Jewish Women Atlanta Section (GA)
National Council of Jewish Women Austin Section (TX)
National Council of Jewish Women Colorado Section (CO)
National Council of Jewish Women Chicago North Shore Section (IL)
National Council of Jewish Women Contra Costa (CA)
National Council of Jewish Women Essex Section (NJ)
National Council of Jewish Women Greater Dallas Section (TX)
National Council of Jewish Women Greater Long Beach & West Orange County Section (CA)
National Council of Jewish Women Greater New Orleans Section (LA)
National Council of Jewish Women Greater Philadelphia Section (PA)
National Council of Jewish Women Greater Rochester Section (NY)
National Council of Jewish Women Louisville Section (KY)
National Council of Jewish Women Maryland (MD)
National Council of Jewish Women Michigan Section (MI)
National Council of Jewish Women Minnesota Section (MN)
National Council of Jewish Women Nashville Section (TN)
National Council of Jewish Women New York Section (NY)
National Council of Jewish Women Palm Beach Section (FL)
National Council of Jewish Women Peninsula Section (NY)
National Council of Jewish Women Pennsylvania (PA)
National Council of Jewish Women Pittsburgh Section (PA)
National Council of Jewish Women Rockland Section (NY)
National Council of Jewish Women Sacramento Section (CA)
National Council of Jewish Women San Antonio Section (TX)
National Council of Jewish Women SE Atlantic Section (DC)
National Council of Jewish Women St. Louis Section (MO)
National Council of Jewish Women Virginia (VA)
National Council of Jewish Women Washington (WA)
New England Jewish Labor Committee (MA)
Oak Park Temple B’nai Abraham Zion (IL)
Ohavay Zion Synagogue (KY)
Or Hadash (CT)
Orangetown Jewish Center (NY)
Oranim NC: A New Jewish Community in North Carolina (NC)
Park Slope Jewish Center (NY)
Philadelphia Jewish Labor Committee (PA)
Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services (FL)
SAJ-Judaism that Stands for All (NY)
Scarsdale Synagogue (NY)
Schoke Jewish Family Service of Fairfield County (CT)
SoulFull Jewish Journeys (MD)
Tampa Jewish Family Services (FL)
Temple Adath Israel (KY)
Temple Adath Yeshurun (NH)
Temple B’nai Israel of Kalamazoo (MI)
Temple Beth Am Seattle (WA)
Temple Beth Avodah (MA)
Temple Beth El (TN)
Temple Beth-El of South Bend (IN)
Temple Beth Tzedek (NY)
Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel (PA)
Temple Bnai Israel (CT)
Temple Emanuel (MD)
Temple Israel Columbus (OH)
Temple Israel of Hollywood (CA)
Temple Micah, Washington (DC)
Temple Shalom, Chevy Chase (MD)
Temple Sholom of Chicago (IL)
Temple Sinai (NV)
The Ark (IL)
Tikvat Israel Congregation (MD)
United Hebrew Trades – New York Jewish Labor Committee (NY)
Vassar Temple (NY)
Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS)