The following statement about the violent events in Washington, D.C., was made by Jewish Federations of North America Chair of the Board of Trustees, Mark Wilf, and  President & CEO, Eric Fingerhut.

Following yesterday’s horrifying assault on our nation's democracy, we were gratified that calm was restored quickly and Congress went back to their important work of certifying our election process.

We must turn to the important work ahead.  Before us are a series of immense challenges and we cannot fully tackle them unless we come together. Death tolls related to COVID-19 are at alarming levels and we have seen domestic unrest rise to unacceptable proportions. Our social service sector has been overtaxed and under resourced.

As Jews we know personally and painfully the dangers of unchecked hatred. We also know that with great determination and conviction to our core values, our country can heal and grow stronger. We affirm our belief in the stability of our government, its institutions and the peaceful transition of power. We are committed to devoting our communal energy to working with people of all faiths and creeds to heal and move forward.