“To create an antisemitism prevention coordinator — which represents about 5% of the student population in California — with a substantive charge to address hate against the Jewish community, while relegating all other minority groups to coordinators based on general categories is a lopsided approach,” Mokeddem said.
The law has been heavily modified as it works its way through the halls of Sacramento. Earlier versions mandated instructional materials on Jews, Israel and the Israel-Palestine conflict, which have since been removed from the bill’s language. The bill also does not define antisemitism. Instead, the law looks to a strategy from the Biden administration as a means to identify, respond to, prevent and counter antisemitism.
Under the law, if a school is found to be in violation of existing anti-discrimination laws involving antisemitism, it would be required to implement an improvement plan developed in consultation with the antisemitism prevention coordinator and use alternative instructional materials.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the state Senate Committee on Education, some lawmakers voiced concern that the bill was being rushed through the legislative process.
“We only received the new language for this bill last night at about 6 o’clock,” state Sen. Steven Choi, R-Los Angeles, said. “Ultimately, I wonder if we should be supporting such big changes to this bill when the public has had less than 24 hours to read the new language.”
Choi said he struggled with whether to support the measure, but ultimately decided to vote yes.
“At a time when antisemitism and other forms of hate are rising across our nation, it is vital that our schools are equipped to respond with both clarity and compassion,” Choi said.
From 2015 to 2024, reported hate crime events increased 141.7% in California, according to the state’s Department of Justice. Out of all religious-based hate crimes in the state, Jewish people reported experiencing the vast majority during that time.
Despite this surge, California was recently named the top state for fighting antisemitism in a report by the Anti-Defamation League, receiving a score of 94.
California Jewish groups welcomed the bill’s passage in the state’s education committee. “This is a pivotal step forward toward safer, more inclusive classrooms for all students,” the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California wrote in a press release.
KQED’s Juan Carlos Lara contributed to this report.
