News brief from JTA:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Oct. 7 that creates a new statewide office tasked with rooting out anti-Semitism in public schools, the first of its kind in the country.
News brief addendum:
The California Teachers Assn. and the ACLU opposed the bill. Apparently, certain Arab, Muslim and Palestinian constituencies felt that rooting out anti-Semitism could suppress their voices in educational settings.
Do they even hear themselves? They do not want to be suppressed in articulating anti-Semitic views.
The measure establishes a state Office of Civil Rights and mandates the appointment of an an anti-Semitism prevention coordinator, tasked with tracking complaints, issuing guidance and coordinating training for educators.
The idea is to protect Jewish students amid a surge in harassment and discrimination.
A statement from Assemblymember Dawn Addis, a joint author of the bill, stressed that it represents an unprecedented response to antiSemitism in K-12 settings.
“This is a historic, first-in-the-nation effort that centers on the well-being of children across our state, many of whom bravely shared horrific stories about their experiences in our schools.”
Thank you, Gov. Newsom.
© IJN 2025
