News
October 31, 2025
JBAR Applauds DOJ's Enforcement of FACE Act and Stands with Jewish Community
The Jewish Bar Association of New Jersey (JBAR) commends the United States Department of Justice for its decisive action in filing a lawsuit under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act against violent protestors who targeted Congregation Ohr Torah synagogue in West Orange, New Jersey.
The DOJ's complaint outlines egregious violations of the FACE Act, including physical assaults on worshipers, antisemitic threats such as “The Jew is here!” and “Moshe Glick, you can’t hide!”, and obstruction of religious services. These actions strike at the heart of our constitutional protections and demand a strong legal response.
JBAR extends its support to Dr. Moshe Glick, whose courage in the face of targeted intimidation exemplifies the resilience of our faith communities. We also recognize the trauma experienced by David Silberberg and other worshipers who were assaulted and threatened while exercising their right to worship.
We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and all communities of faith, affirming that houses of worship must remain safe spaces for spiritual gathering and reflection. The DOJ's action sends a clear message that hate-fueled disruptions and threats will not be tolerated.
JBAR remains committed to promoting justice and the rule of law across New Jersey.
For further information, please contact:
Susan Wernick Lemkin, Executive Director, Pubic Affairs
[email protected]
October 13, 2025
Jewish Bar Association of New Jersey Calls for Immediate Investigation and Dismissal of NJEA Bulletin Editor Ayat Oraby
October 13, 2025
New Jersey Education Association
c/o Bridgewater Raritan High School
Att: Steve Beatty, President
180 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
New Jersey Education Association
Att: Keven Kelleher, Executive Director
180 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
New Jersey Education Association
Aileen O’Driscoll, Director of Legal Services
180 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
Re: Call for Immediate Investigation and Dismissal of NJEA Bulletin Editor Ayat Oraby
Dear NJEA Leadership,
The Jewish Bar Association of New Jersey (JBAR), representing Jewish attorneys across our state, is outraged by NJEA’s decision to place its flagship publication, the NJEA Bulletin, under the editorial control of Ayat Oraby, an individual with an alleged documented history of engaging in antisemitic conduct, extremist propaganda, praise for terrorist ideologues, and incitement against Christians. To empower such an individual represents a profound failure of judgment by the NJEA. This appointment not only endangers the safety and dignity of NJEA’s Jewish, Christian, and minority members, but may also place NJEA in direct conflict with various laws, amongst others, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq.).
Ms. Oraby has already engaged in troubling conduct. In October 2025, under the authority of Ms. Oraby, the NJEA Bulletin published an article entitled “Challenging the Narrative: Truth and Palestine.” This article, written by a Passaic County teacher, focuses solely on a one-sided, warped perspective of an international conflict, an issue which has no relation to the job of educators in the State of New Jersey. For example, the author writes: “The question creates a false premise. It is not up for debate that the Israeli government is genocidal.” That an educator would seek to stifle debate speaks volumes. This article purports to be a rebuttal to a prior NJEA Bulletin within the Septemebr 2025 issue, “Seeing Us Clearly”, which educated members about Jewish identity and antisemitism. Yet, that is a pretext as it is anything but a rebuttal. Instead, the “Palestine” article delegitimizes and minimizes Jewish inclusion by framing it as a distraction from Palestinian suffering. This one-sided narrative is consistent with the personal views of Ms. Oraby, as a quick reading of her “X” account (@ayaa00) would easily reveal.
In short, this sequence, and the decision to elevate Ms. Oraby, are deeply concerning.
I. The Record of Ayat Oraby
Open-source documentation confirms Ms. Oraby has apparently engaged in the following conduct (amongst other conduct):
- Incitement against Christians, including urging economic boycotts of Copts (“Nazarenes”), accusing Christians of waging a war against Islam and stating that they are planning to betray Muslims “again” and spreading conspiracy theories that churches stockpile weapons.[^1, 2]
- Delegitimization of Jews and Israel: She mocked peace with Israel, labeled the Egyptian army the “Misraeli Army,” and described the “demise of Israel” as a religious duty.[^3]
- Praise for extremist ideologues: She venerates Sayyid Qutb, ideological forebear of Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and leading theorist of violent jihad.[^4]
- Direct antisemitic incitement: On Facebook, she quoted Sheikh Mohamed Al-Shaarawi: “We have to seek refuge in Allah from appeasing of the Jews and the Christians … anyone the Jews and Christians are content with has betrayed his religion.”[^5]
- October 7 denialism: On October 28, 2023, Oraby claimed Israel itself killed its own civilians with tanks and incendiary missiles and falsely blamed Hamas.[^6]
- Expressing support for the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization for which there is pending legislation to codify it as a Foreign Terrorist Organization [^7, 8].
- Stating that she finds the killing of Egyptian soldiers by terrorists as “funny” [^9]
- Expressing support for a terrorist (Rami Nator) who rammed his truck into Israeli civilians, wounding 36 and killing one. [^10, 11]
- Defending Hamas for its conduct on October 7. [^12]
II. Legal Exposure
By hiring, retaining and empowering Ms. Oraby, NJEA faces potential legal exposure including:
· Claims Pursuant to the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination Hostile Work Environment (LAD): NJEA members and employees may have a direct cause of action against the NJEA under the LAD for discrimination and hostile environment.
· Union & Collective Bargaining Rights: Members may initiate unfair practice charges with the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) on grounds that NJEA failed to protect them from discrimination in its own communications.
· Negligent Hiring and Retention Claims
III. Institutional and Reputational Risks
NJEA risks permanent reputational damage with lawmakers, parents, and educators including:
● Erosion of Trust: NJEA members, legislators, and parents may conclude that NJEA either ignored or accepted extremist rhetoric, undermining the union’s moral authority and credibility.
● Policy Shortfalls: The failure to detect or act on Ms. Oraby’s extensive online record suggests material weaknesses in NJEA’s hiring and screening policies.
● Political Fallout: NJEA risks being cast publicly as permissive of hate speech, jeopardizing relationships with lawmakers, partners, and communities it claims to serve.
VI. Key Questions NJEA Must Answer
- Did Ms. Oraby engage in the conduct as described as well as any other potential conduct which would demonstrate that she is unfit for this position?
- Did Ms. Oraby fully and truthfully disclose her past statements, affiliations, and online activity when completing NJEA’s employment or contractor questionnaires?
- What hiring and background screening processes were employed by the NJEA in the hiring of Ms. Oraby, and how did this process fail to identify her widely documented record of troubling conduct?
- Who within NJEA reviewed and approved her hiring, and were any red flags disregarded?
VII. Action Items
To restore faith in the NJEA and to minimize its potential legal exposure, JBAR strongly urges the NJEA to immediately investigate and if the allegations are accurate then to take immediate action, including but not limited to the following:
- Dismissal of its employment of Ms. Oraby;
2. Comprehensive, outside investigation concerning the hiring and screening process of Ms. Oraby;
3. Audit of NJEA’s hiring and screening policies with public reporting of corrective steps;
4. Public Apology to Jewish, Christian, and minority members;
5. Disclosure of all writings and editorial decisions under Ms. Oraby’s tenure; and
6. Establish editorial/legal review boards, mandate fact-checking, and adopt policies ensuring NJEA publications never again normalize or trivialize antisemitism.
Hate has no place in our schools, and it certainly has no place in the self-proclaimed “premier labor union in the nation for serious educators and support professionals.”. By publishing an antisemitic rebuttal to an antisemitism education article — and keeping Ayat Oraby in editorial control — NJEA has likely created a hostile climate, endangered its members, and exposed itself to potential litigation, union grievances, and reputational loss.
The time to act is now: investigate Ms. Oraby’s conduct, dismiss Ms. Oraby’s employment, investigate the hiring failure, apologize to members and implement safeguards.
Respectfully,
The Jewish Bar Association of New Jersey (JBAR)
Footnotes
[^1]: https://www.arabnews.com/node/1581506/ayat-oraby#bio
[^2]: Investigative Project on Terrorism, Egyptian Islamist Uses New Jersey Base to Stoke Christian Hatred (2017).
[^3]: Arab News, Ayat Oraby: Anchor of Intolerance (2019).
[^4]: Arab News, ibid.; video dossier praising Sayyid Qutb.
[^5]: Ayat Oraby, Facebook post quoting Sheikh Mohamed Al-Shaarawi: Facebook Video; https://www.investigativeproject.org/6908/egyptian-islamist-uses-new-jersey-base-to-stoke
[^6]: Ayat Oraby (@ayaa00), X/Twitter, Oct. 28, 2023, https://x.com/ayaa00/status/1718436601968394588 (See Appendix attached hereto)
[^7]: https://www.investigativeproject.org/6908/egyptian-islamist-uses-new-jersey-base-to-stoke
[^8]: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4397/text
[^9]: https://congress.gov/115/meeting/house/106339/witnesses/HHRG-115-GO06-Wstate-RazaR-20170727.pdf
[^10]: Ayat Oraby (@ayaa00), X/Twitter, Oct. 27, 2024, https://x.com/ayaa00/status/1850582493050892488 (See Appendix attached hereto)
[^11] https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-826721
[^12] Ayat Oraby (@ayaa00), X/Twitter, May 27, 2024, https://x.com/ayaa00/status/1795253432535969818 (See Appendix attached hereto)
APPENDIX
December 13, 2024
Jewish Bar Association of New Jersey Thanks New Jersey Leaders for Primary Date Change
The Jewish Bar Association of New Jersey (JBAR) wishes to express its support and appreciation for the State’s support, just announced, for moving the New Jersey political primary in 2025 to June 10, in order to accommodate the many Jews whose religious observance prohibits voting on the originally scheduled date, June 3rd.
The Jewish holiday of Shavuot--translated “the Feast of Weeks” or “Pentecost”—is an annual spring holiday on which Jews remember the giving of the Ten Commandments, as related in the Biblical book of Exodus. The festival falls exactly 50days after the second day of Passover, thus “Pentecost,” from the Greek for “50.”Because of the Jewish lunar calendar, the holiday can fall any time between May 15and June 14, and this year it begins at sundown on June 1 and concludes after dark on June 3rd.
“Our community consists of many Jewish voters who wish to participate fully in both their civic responsibilities and their religious obligations,” said Joseph Lemkin, president of JBAR and a shareholder at law firm Stark & Stark. “The original timing for the important June primary might have prevented hundreds or even thousands of New Jerseyans from participating in this election. We greatly appreciate the State’s quick decision to heed the concerns of the Jewish community and to move the date.”
Governor Murphy, the leaders of the State Legislature, and their staffs are all to be thanked and should move swiftly to pass the Senate Bill S-3965 and we implore the State Assembly to move and adopt a similar bill, and to pass both on December 19,2024 at the next joint voting session. We wish everyone a warm and happy holiday season this winter and throughout the holidays of all seasons.
September 19, 2024
JEWISH BAR ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY STATEMENT ON RUTGERS AND SUSPENDED STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE
The Jewish Bar Association of New Jersey (JBAR), a voluntary affinity group of lawyers representing and serving thousands of Jewish lawyers and allies across the state, today commended Rutgers University’s leadership for its prompt and strong decision to bar an anti-Israel and anti-Semitic group from admission to campus, in accordance with University policy.
Earlier this week, JBAR learned that Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a student organization at Rutgers University, once again engaged in unsanctioned and disorderly protests on campus, culminating in an attempt to storm the campus Student Center. In August, the Rutgers administration rightly suspended SJP for violating clear campus policies against harassment and intimidation of other students.
The Rutgers Campus Police, enforcing university policy, this week prevented the hate group’s entrance into the Student Center on the New Brunswick campus. The group’s actions raised the potential for another encampment and other conduct in clear violation of campus rules and policy.
SJP’s response to Rutgers’ enforcement of its policies and rules was to publicly state Rutgers’ conduct was “Strike Three.” Clearly, SJP’s conduct is, on the contrary, another “strike” against SJP; it stands to reason that the current suspension should be extended or continued indefinitely. Furthermore, it also indicates that a group ban is insufficient; until Rutgers holds individual students accountable for their misconduct, suspensions of SJP will not have a meaningful impact or deter the disorderly and unruly conduct that violates Rutgers’ rules and policies.
JBAR, as an organization of lawyers who embrace the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution, upholds the protections of the First Amendment. We affirm that the views of all Americans have a right to be aired, including those views we find abhorrent, such as SJP’s hatred of Jews and of supporters of Israel. But JBAR asserts that the conduct of SJP and its student members fall outside Constitutional protections; their actions are intended to intimidate and instill fear in Jewish students and faculty, and during the 2023-2024 academic year, they had their desired effect. They seek to inhibit the freedom of other students to study and live safely on campus.
This conduct not only violates campus rules and policies, but also violates New Jersey and U.S. law. We commend the Rutgers Campus police for their strong action this week, and the Rutgers Administration for its prior review and clarification of campus policy and First Amendment action on campus.
Continued enforcement of clear campus rules and policies that comport with common sense and norms, as well as the First Amendment, is what we expect, and what our students, faculty, community, and society—both within and outside the Jewish community--expect and deserve from our state funded University, administrators, and police.
In light of SJP’s group and individual continued clear and unmistakable disregard for its suspension, it is time for individual student protestors violating Rutgers campus policies and rules to be held accountable for their misconduct. We call on the University Campus Police and administrators to enforce their rules and policies, not just against student organizations, but against individual student violators.
