My alarm went off on January 28 at 5:30 am. I was already up… It was at least 25 years since I had been a part of the Jewish Community Relations Council’s United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s team visiting our Virginia legislators to highlight the issues of importance to our Jewish community. I had a bit of trepidation. How would we be received?
Twenty-five years ago, the issue of antisemitism was not high on our agenda. Today, unfortunately, it informs almost all we do. Before 2000, our advocacy team was a small one. Today, I feel proud to say that 50 members of our Tidewater Jewish community traveled together to Richmond for the annual Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day, also referred to as Date with the State.
We received a warm welcome from both the legislators and their staff members. Eight teams were ably headed by Megan Zuckerman, Herm Shelanski, Kirk Levy, Brad Lerner, Ron Kaufman, Carol Brum, Andy Fox, and Rick Yarow.
The issues we addressed during our meetings included:
- Support for funding the Combatting Hate Crimes (Security) Grant Program
- Increasing the penalty to a felony for placing a Swastika on certain property
- Maintaining funding for the Virginia Israel Advisory Board
Approximately 250 advocates from around the Commonwealth – Tidewater, Northern Virginia, the Peninsula, and Richmond – met for a kosher lunch hosted by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church to hear from the Honorable Glenn Youngkin.
The governor first touted some of Virginia’s accomplishments in the past year: - Voted by CNBC as the top state in America for business, economic development, opportunity, and education
- First state to develop an antisemitism training program for law enforcement
- Increased budget amendments for hate crime grants.
The governor also expressed his intention to continue his support for the Jewish community and the challenges we face.
Attorney General Jason Miyares, who was unable to attend, prepared a video expressing his commitment to our agenda, saying that hate on college campuses is not to be tolerated, and that the Virginia Curriculum now contains Holocaust education.
“This is a moment of common purpose, shared values, a government of the people, the future of our children, and the responsibility that we have for that future,” Attorney General Miyares concluded.
Having recently participated in the excellent Book Club of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s writings, led by Dr. Craig Schranz, I am reminded of Rabbi Sack’s wisdom: “We can change the world, but we need partners.”
And the wisdom from Pirkei Avot, “It is not for you to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it.”
It is true that we need good partners such as Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares, but it is only our determination to be a voice for our community that will make the difference. Fifty advocates did just that on January 28 on behalf of the Tidewater Jewish community.
To learn more about how to get involved with JCRC community advocacy efforts or to be notified of next year’s date as soon as it’s available, contact Robin Mancoll, JCRC senior director, at RMancoll@ujft.org.
