On Friday, December 13, the Bergen County Jewish Action Committee held a press conference at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls regarding a bill defining antisemitism that is currently pending in the New Jersey State Assembly. This bill uses the International Holocaust Remembrance Act (IHRA) definition, which has been adopted in 37 states and 45 different countries. New Jersey, with over 600,000 Jews, however, has been slow to adopt this definition, which helps law enforcement determine what may constitute a hate crime or a bias incident.
Congressman Josh Gottheimer spoke at the press conference and advocated for the bill to move out of committee and to the floor of the State Assembly. Congressman Gottheimer pointed out that this definition would require educational institutions, such as Rutgers, to use this definition when pursuing Title VI investigations. He referenced the surge in antisemitism here in New Jersey and urged the state legislature to pass this bill as soon as possible, asking bluntly, “What’s the holdup in Jersey?”
The Congressman has long advocated for the IHRA definition of antisemitism to be codified into federal law as well. Congressman Gottheimer is a co-author of the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives but has not been heard in the Senate, perhaps mirroring the state-level issues with moving these critical bills forward. Congressman Gottheimer was joined at the press conference by several local elected officials, including Teaneck Deputy Mayor Elie Y. Katz and Councilman Mark Schwartz, Englewood City Councilwoman Lisa Wisotsky, and Bergenfield Councilwoman Ora Kornbluth.
The IHRA definition of antisemitism has also brought numerous Jewish organizations together to advocate for its passage. Maya Joyandeh, Northern New Jersey director of Teach NJ, Brandi Katz Rubin, the deputy regional director of the ADL for New York and New Jersey, Jason Shames, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, and Emma Horowitz, president of BCJAC, all spoke about different aspects of the bill. Each one agreed it is unfortunate that New Jersey’s State Assembly has not made IHRA a priority and they explained why it is imperative for this legislation to be passed.
According to Rabbi Dr. Mark Goldfeder, who is the director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center and who helped draft language for the model IHRA bill used nationwide, “You cannot fight a problem if you cannot recognize it and define it, and laws like these do two things: first, they remove any ambiguity as to the state’s definition of problematic discrimination, and put everyone on notice by demarcating the limits of acceptable behavior. Second, they also serve as a way of educating others about what antisemitism is and how Jews today experience it. Because Jewish identity is multifaceted, without a standard definition for authorities to reference, it is too easy for antisemites to hide behind this ambiguity, commit heinous acts with impunity, then claim it was not antisemitism.”
As of press time, the New Jersey State Assembly still has not moved the bill any closer to a vote. The legislature is currently on holiday break and returns the first week of January. Stay tuned for further updates and action items to help move the IHRA legislation forward!
Chana Shields is a Teaneck resident and executive board member of the Bergen County Jewish Action Committee.
