The Antisemitism Awareness Act, which would require the federal Department of Education (DOE) to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism to enforce anti-discrimination laws, has been reintroduced in Congress.
The act’s primary goal is to combat antisemitism resulting from pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the country. The bipartisan bill was co-sponsored in the House by Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Max Miller (R-Ohio) and Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.).
The legislation had passed the House last May by a 320-91 vote but the Senate didn’t consider similar legislation before its session ended. However, a companion bill has now been introduced in the Senate by Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) The bills have garnered numerous co-sponsors from both political parties.
If passed and signed into law the bills would require the DOE’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to use the IHRA when investigating Title VI violations under the Civil Rights Act.
The IHRA, which is already used by the State Department and has been adopted by 35 states and more than 40 countries, defines antisemitism as a “certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews” and lists beliefs in a world government controlled by Jews, Holocaust denial, holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of Israel, and accusations of dual loyalty among the examples of antisemitism.
“Since the heinous October 7 attacks on Israel, we have seen an explosion of antisemitic violence and intimidation on college campuses and in communities across New Jersey and the nation,” said Gottheimer. “Far too many in our community no longer feel safe in their own homes or classrooms. Hate and discrimination have no place in New Jersey or the country, and we must act now to protect our Jewish students and families from threats, intimidation, and violence.”
Gottheimer, whose District 5 covers parts of Bergen, Passaic and Sussex counties, is also running for the Democratic nomination for governor.
Lawler, whose District 17 covers the Hudson Valley, including Rockland and Putnam counties and parts of Westchester, said he was proud to reintroduce the “critical legislation.” He said that 83% of college students said they had witnessed or experienced antisemitism since the Hamas terrorist attacks.
“This is unacceptable,” said Lawler. “No person should feel unsafe, targeted or ostracized because of their faith—and the Antisemitism Awareness Act will stop it from happening.”
The legislation has been hailed by numerous Jewish organizations, alarmed over the sharp increase of antisemitic incidents that have taken place since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said the rise in anti-Jewish hate is “unacceptable. No person should feel unsafe, targeted, or ostracized because of their faith—and the Antisemitism Awareness Act will stop it from happening,” it said in a statement.
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, in noting that antisemitism had reached “crisis levels,” said the bill “makes clear that antisemitism, including anti-Zionist harassment, has no place in our schools or society, and importantly, reinforces the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism as a critical tool for the U.S. Department of Education. We urge Congress to act swiftly and send a powerful message that combating antisemitism remains a national priority.”
The Jewish Federations of North America said the bill offers the DOE “concrete examples of antisemitism and a clear distinction of legitimate First Amendment rights and hateful attacks targeting Jewish people. We can no longer stand by while antisemitism festers and grows. We must send a clear message that hate has no place in our society. The time for enacting this legislation is now.”
Other organizations pushing for passage of the legislation include Hadassah, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the Combat Antisemitism Movement.
The recent report on antisemitism of the American Jewish Committee found that one in three Jewish college students reported being excluded from an activity or student life because they were Jewish, while almost half said they felt uncomfortable or unsafe on campus, causing them to avoid wearing anything identifying them as Jewish or express views on Israel.
In their final report issued about two months ago, former Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon said OCR received the highest number of complaints in its history for three consecutive fiscal years, many of them related to antisemitism, closing out the last fiscal year with an all-time high of 22,687 complaints filed in a single year. Overall during the previous four years, OCR received a record number of 71,385 cases and resolved more than 56,000 cases, including a backlog of previous cases.
Debra Rubin has had a long career in journalism writing for secular weekly and daily newspapers and Jewish publications. She most recently served as Middlesex/Monmouth bureau chief for the New Jersey Jewish News. She also worked with the media at several nonprofits, including serving as assistant public relations director of HIAS and assistant director of media relations at Yeshiva University.
