January 17, 2018

The Executive Director of the Baltimore Jewish Council recently sent a letter of support to the Thomas Kennedy Center. In part, the letter said:

"...On behalf of the Baltimore Jewish Council, I want to offer our organization’s support for the efforts of the Thomas Kennedy Center to honor the legacy of Washington County’s former legislator to promote religious liberty and inclusiveness in Maryland.

Thomas Kennedy’s efforts in the early 1800s – particularly in pushing for passage of the so-called “Jew Bill” – were instrumental to not just secure rights for Maryland’s Jewish community, but also helped to set the stage for our state establishing itself as a diverse and welcoming place today."

The Baltimore Jewish Council is the political and community relations arm of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore and its agencies. The BJC is located in the heart of the Baltimore Jewish community on Park Heights Avenue. It was founded in 1939 primarily to assist European Jewry and to combat anti-Semitism on a global and local basis. The Council represents Jewish organizations and congregations in the Greater Baltimore area and throughout Maryland on social, political and humanitarian issues affecting Jews locally, nationally and worldwide.

The Baltimore Jewish Council constitutes over 50 member organizations and synagogues and is composed of commissions, committees, and tasks forces. It is one of the largest Jewish organizations in the United States.

The letter of support, for the Thomas Kennedy Center, also said: "We believe that the plans of the Thomas Kennedy Center to create a Memorial Park in Hagerstown near Congregation B’nai Abraham, to eventually be accompanied by a cultural and educational center, will ultimately create an important tool to teach about the values pursued by Thomas Kennedy.

We look forward to working on behalf of the Baltimore region’s Jewish community to assist you in moving this project forward as you seek public, private and philanthropic support."

The Thomas Kennedy Center thanks the Baltimore Jewish Council for its strong support!

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