Jewish advocacy group sues NYC on behalf of Jewish health workers
The New York agency twice refused to recognize a Jewish employee group, stating that Jewish identity is religious and that resource groups can't be based on religious groups.
The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) has initiated legal proceedings against New York City on behalf of seven municipal health workers. The lawsuit claims that the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) unjustly denied recognition to a Jewish employee group named Hinenu twice in 2025 and 2026, alleging that Jewish identity is a religion and ERGs cannot be based on religious groups.
The plaintiffs argue that Hinenu's charter focused on Jewish peoplehood, ancestry, and culture, and did not involve religious worship, instruction, or political advocacy. The group expressed solidarity with victims of a Chanukah celebration shooting in Sydney, Australia, and the EEO director ordered Hinenu to stop using its email account, initiating a retaliatory investigation into eight leaders in April.
The investigation was closed in June, with no findings, and the EEO director later denied Hinenu's application based solely on its religious nature. The lawsuit seeks recognition for Hinenu, expungement of records, and compensatory and punitive damages under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, New York State and City Human Rights Laws, and the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
NJAC's senior litigation counsel, Alan Scheiner, emphasized that Jewish employees should receive the same support and rights as other ethnic and cultural groups. CEO Mark Goldfeder expressed frustration that the city told Jewish employees their identity counts for nothing, while investigators focused on their grief. JewishERGs' CEO, Steven Phillips, highlighted that people often assume the problem lies with employers' lack of understanding of Jewish identity, but the issue lies in their preconceived notions.
Jewish identity, according to Phillips, is for Jewish people to define, and the court will now determine if an employer can override that definition. Trauma therapist and founder of Kesher Shalom Projects, Malka Shaw, noted that institutions quietly redefining individuals' identities can have a profound impact on those targeted, causing stress and a sense of othering.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
