JEWISH NJ ADVOCATES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STATE DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM FOR NEW JERSEY
JEWISH NJ ADVOCATES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STATE DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM FOR NEW JERSEY
JEWISH FEDERATIONS OF NEW JERSEY ANNOUNCE THE FORMATION OF THE IHRA4NJ COALITION IN SUPPORT FOR S1292/A3558 AND S2937.
PARAMUS, N.J., [April 29, 2024] — Jewish Federations of New Jersey and our partners have formed the IHRA4NJ Coalition to unite the Jewish community and call on New Jersey public officials to support the passage of NJ Bill S1292/A3558 and S2937 which would establish a state definition of antisemitism based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Definition and incorporate it into statewide policies. The New Jersey Jewish community is grateful to Senator James Beach and Assemblyman Gary Schaer for their leadership on these issues. S1292 and A3558 will, if passed into law, accomplish the following:
- Create a clear definition of antisemitism in New Jersey based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition.
- Call on the State of New Jersey to use this definition of antisemitism to determine whether an alleged act was motivated by antisemitism.
- Call on the Office of the Attorney General to establish a public-funded awareness campaign that promotes biased crime reporting in New Jersey.
Following Hamas’s October 7th massacre, incidents of discrimination, harassment, and violence directed against Jewish communities in the United States and around the world have dramatically increased. Recently, the ADL released its Audit of Antisemitic Incidents post-October 7. In the report, it found that there was an uptick of over 5,200 antisemitic incidents, and an average of about 24 anti-Jewish incidents in the U.S., per day in 2023.
This includes 830 incidents here in New Jersey, which was the 3rd highest amount of any state in the country.
New Jersey’s Jewish population does not feel safe, even more so since the October 7th attacks. Therefore, it has never been more important to adopt a definition of antisemitism in New Jersey. This definition will benefit all of New Jersey’s institutions, law enforcement, and the general public in educating ourselves on what encompasses antisemitism and bolster the reporting of hate incidents targeting the Jewish community.
“In order to pass S1292/A3558 and better support our community, we formed the IHRA4NJ Coalition. This coalition has fostered unprecedented Jewish community inter- collaboration and demonstrates the overwhelming support for IHRA from New Jersey’s Jewish community. These bills are a recognition that Jews in New Jersey are feeling unsafe in their own homes,” stated Jason Shames, CEO of Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey.
The IHRA Definition has been embraced by more than 1,200 entities around the world, including 35 U.S. States, 91 U.S. cities and municipalities, the U.S. Department of State, and President Biden’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, as well as by many other nations. The IHRA definition’s clear and succinct examples include several relating to Israel, which have proven to be especially important in recent months. It further notes that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.” It does not punish speech, even antisemitic speech. Instead, it serves to help lawmakers and others determine when conduct is based on antisemitic bias.
Our legislators have a duty to protect their constituents from violence and hate. In this grim moment in time, we ask that they fulfill their sworn obligation to protect and promote the general welfare of the public. The adoption and endorsement of the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism is not only common sense but is proactive in combating the rising hate our community faces, and as an educational tool that is vital for identifying the varying forms antisemitism that present itself in modern society.
The IHRA4NJ Coalition is made up of:
| · ADL
· Agudath Israel · AJC · Conference of Jewish Presidents · Hadassah · Hillel of Greater MetroWest · Hillel of Northern New Jersey · Israeli American Council · Jewish Federation of Heart of New Jersey · Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest |
· Jewish Federations of North America
· Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey · Jewish Federations of New Jersey · Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey · Jewish Federation of Central-West New Jersey · Rutgers Hillel · Stand With Us · Simon Weisenthal Center · Zionist Organization of America |
Join the IHRA4NJ Coalition on May 16 at 8:30am in the New Jersey State House Annex Courtyard for a Press Conference and Public Demonstration of Support for a State Definition of Antisemitism before the Committee hearing.
