Yesterday, the Jewish Community of Virginia came together for a powerful day of advocacy and sharing of our collective voice, as we met with 86 members of the Virginia General Assembly. We discussed the importance of ensuring a thriving Commonwealth for all communities for today and tomorrow. And while much was accomplished, there is more work ahead. We need your voice.
The House of Delegates passed HB 1606, which adopts the non-legally binding gold standard International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism as a tool for education and reporting. This legislation was the product of the Virginia Commission to Combat Antisemitism and the input from the Jewish community throughout Virginia. There is broad and meaningful consensus that identifying antisemitism with the IHRA definition will be a positive step in fighting hatred and protecting Jewish Virginians.
The FBI consistently reports that the vast majority of religiously based hate crimes target the Jewish community – a community that constitutes a tiny minority of the population.
This legislation to define antisemitism passed the House of Delegates with bipartisan support after being introduced by a Republican delegate and amended by a Democrat. Leaders across the political spectrum affirmed in the House that we need knowledge and tools to understand and prevent antisemitism.As it returns to the Senate, we must URGE our Senators to support HB 1606. It is incumbent on everyone to be part of the fight against antisemitism and proactively seek out and employ tools for doing so.
We need your voice.