Throughout the 2023 legislative session of the Virginia General Assembly, state delegates and senators discussed issues that are important to the statewide Jewish community.
Two of those pieces of legislation, the statewide adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism and designating the month of May in 2023 and in each succeeding year as Jewish American Heritage Month, passed through the Virginia House and Senate. Both of the bills are expected to be signed into law by the governor.
Organized in part by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, the chorus of voices sharing the significance and value of the IHRA definition for use throughout the Commonwealth was essential to the passage of this legislation. Delegates and senators, as well as Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares, engaged in the discussion and found consensus. This process highlighted the alarming rise in antisemitism and provided an opportunity to educate on the many forms that antisemitism can take.
These positive steps were the result of UJFT’s JCRC’s partnership with the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula, the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.
To join in the effort to combat antisemitism or learn more about the work of the JCRC, contact Joel Bond, JCRC director, at
jbond@ujft.org or 757-965-6129.