There are times the world seems upside down. See if you follow:
This week, after three years of consensus building and more than 70% of NJ's State Assembly signing on to express support by co-sponsoring a bill critical to fighting the dangerous surge in antisemitic acts in our state... and after it was announced on June 19 that the bill would finally, after several delays, come to a committee vote this past Monday, June 23... the committee chair — in a sudden and unexplained reversal that shocked even the bill's lead sponsors — tabled the vote and relegated the matter back to "discussion," seemingly shelving the bill for the foreseeable future.
When representatives of several Jewish Federations, including ours, along with other Jewish organizations from Hadassah to Stand With Us, walked out in protest, laughter could be heard coming from some of the critics of the bill.
For several years, Jewish Federation has intensified community-wide efforts with increasing focus and urgency to counter the meteoric rise in antisemitism — especially in the wake of October 7. We have concentrated investments in communal security, deepened engagement with elected and civic leaders, educated Jewish community members and leaders as well as multicultural allies particularly across the civic, education, and faith-based spheres. And in all that time, despite rising rates of swastikas in public places, attacks on public school students, and expressions of Jew hatred from our main streets to our social media — the acts of abhorrent individuals, we told ourselves — we felt reasonably assured when today's lawmakers said they denounce and will do all they can to address antisemitism.
Monday's turn of events in Trenton was jarring.
We are exploring what factors could have played a role in this reversal.
Are you concerned that a presumptive mayoral candidate for New York City, home to the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, tried to explain away the slogan “globalize the intifada” — a term which literally means to kill all the Jews across the globe?
Are we living in a world flipped on its head?
And this week, representatives from Jewish Federations across North America participated in a fly-in to Washington DC to make sure leaders deliberating the federal budget understand the urgent need for additional Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funds, among other measures, to protect Jews and our neighbors wherever we live in the United States. At a time when young professionals in our nation's capital are gunned down point blank because they work at the Israeli Embassy and citizens of Boulder, CO, peacefully demonstrating for release of hostages held by Hamas (as of today, for 630 days) are firebombed, our lawmakers in Washington have yet to commit.
It may seem the world's gone mad, but we must channel more productive responses.
Jewish Federation will continue protecting our community against bias and threats through advocacy, security initiatives, and education.
We’ll continue to support elected and civic leaders in understanding and responding to the needs of the Jewish community.
And we’ll continue to foster ways for Jewish community members to embrace our heritage and celebrate Jewish life.
Join us. Stay informed. And contact lawmakers with the actions below.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BILL TABLED IN TRENTON THIS WEEK
URGE CONGRESS TO ADOPT POLICIES PROTECTING AGAINST BIAS AND THREATS