As part of the research into California political donors, this report examines the California Jewish PAC (often associated with the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California or JPAC, recently rebranded as Jewish California). The organization serves as a primary vehicle for Jewish community advocacy and political influence in the state, with a documented focus on Zionism and pro-Israel policy.
Contributor Report: California Jewish PAC
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1. Organizational Overview and Rebranding
The California Jewish PAC is a political action committee that operates in coordination with the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), which identifies as the largest single-state coalition of Jewish organizations in the United States. In February 2026, the advocacy arm (JPAC) announced a rebranding to Jewish California to reflect its role as the “unified voice” for the state’s Jewish community in Sacramento [1.14].
While the 501(c)(4) advocacy arm, Jewish California, publicly states it does not make direct campaign endorsements or contributions [1.5], the California Jewish PAC (FPIC ID: 1243729) functions as the political financing entity. It receives significant funding from corporate interests and redistributes those funds to state candidates [1.2 (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation), 1.6].
2. Relationship to Israel and Zionist Advocacy
The organization’s political and legislative agenda is anchored in support for the State of Israel and the promotion of Zionist interests within California’s government.
- Pro-Israel Policy Framework: The organization’s policy framework includes “promoting economic and cultural ties between California and Israel” and actively countering campaigns intended to “delegitimize and demonize” the Jewish state [1.8 (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)].
- Opposition to BDS: A core tenet of their advocacy is the opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. They have successfully lobbied gubernatorial and legislative candidates to pledge opposition to BDS and to deepen the state’s “partnership with Israel” [1.15 (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)].
- Zionist Candidate Forums: The PAC and its advocacy arm host high-profile candidate forums, such as the 2026 Governor Candidate Forum, where participants like Antonio Villaraigosa and Eric Swalwell pledged to “nurture the state’s relationship with Israel” and shared their histories of traveling to the region [1.9 (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)].
- Defining Antisemitism via Israel Support: The organization was a primary sponsor of Assembly Bill 715, which focused on countering antisemitism in schools. The bill’s implementation, as advocated by the PAC, includes monitoring for content that “denies the right of Israel to exist” or compares Israeli policy to Nazism [1.3 (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)].
3. Financial Activity and Candidate Support
The California Jewish PAC acts as a conduit for corporate and private donors to support candidates aligned with their pro-Israel and community priorities.
- Corporate Contributions: In the 2024-2025 cycles, the PAC received major contributions from corporations including AT&T ($35,000), Uber ($20,000), Salesforce ($15,000), and DaVita ($15,000) 1.2 (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation), 1.12 (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation), [1.14 (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)].
- Candidate Funding: The PAC has documented expenditures supporting specific “Zionist” candidates, such as Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (Chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus) and State Senator Ben Allen, both of whom have received maximum allowable contributions for their respective races [1.6].
- Fundraising Strength: As of recent filings, the California Jewish PAC maintained approximately $404,265 in cash on hand, positioning it as a significant financial player in California state politics [1.6].
4. Controversies and Critical Reception
The PAC’s influence has led to friction with other political entities in California:
- CFA Litmus Test: In 2025, the California Faculty Association (CFA) included the California Jewish PAC in a questionnaire that asked candidates to reject donations from groups the union characterized as “harming working people.” The union later apologized for the wording, but the incident highlighted the PAC’s perceived alignment with institutional power and pro-Israel lobbying alongside groups like AIPAC [1.8 (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation), 1.15].
- Strategic Distancing from AIPAC: Despite being grouped with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) by critics, the California Jewish PAC maintains a distinct focus on state-level policy rather than federal foreign policy, though both organizations share the core goal of strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship [1.8 (Note: having trouble producing a specific citation)].
Supported Candidates
| Candidate |
Years |
Direct Contributions |
Behested Payments |
| Jesse Gabriel |
2019-2025 |
$38,850 |
$0 |
| Marc Berman |
2019-2025 |
$29,050 |
$0 |
| Dawn Addis |
2021-2025 |
$26,700 |
$0 |
| Josh Lowenthal |
2021-2025 |
$26,700 |
$0 |
| Matt Haney |
2021-2023 |
$25,700 |
$0 |
| Ben Allen |
2021-2025 |
$24,200 |
$0 |
| Rebecca Bauer-Kahan |
2019-2023 |
$23,150 |
$0 |
| Josh Becker |
2019-2025 |
$21,600 |
$0 |
| Maggy Krell |
2023-2025 |
$16,900 |
$0 |
| Blanca Rubio |
2019-2025 |
$15,075 |
$0 |
| Rick Zbur |
2023-2025 |
$14,150 |
$0 |
| Henry Stern |
2019-2023 |
$13,350 |
$0 |
| Scott Wiener |
2019-2023 |
$13,350 |
$0 |
| Gail Pellerin |
2023-2025 |
$11,400 |
$0 |
| Patrick Ahrens |
2023-2025 |
$11,400 |
$0 |
| Susan Rubio |
2021-2025 |
$8,400 |
$0 |
| Jacqui Irwin |
2023-2025 |
$5,500 |
$0 |