How do I view the security of Jews? I figure that as long as Jews are alienated both in Israel and other countries it is a flashing red light. Why all this alienation? Perhaps we will never know and perhaps we will know better. But obviously there are some people who have resentment or envy about Jews. They don't open the doors to healthy relationships enough. And this can seem like a two way street, but it is not. We all want to live in a better world, therefore better relations would be desired by everyone. The current situation probably came by a desire to exploit the opportunity to wage their own war against Jews by joining with Hamas and calling themselves pro-Palestinian. These are profiteers or scallywags essentially. As a Marin guy who knew some of Gavin when I was a kid, thanks: SACRAMENTO, CA — This afternoon, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he was signing three of JPAC's top priority bills into law. These new laws counter campus antisemitism and expand Holocaust and genocide education in K-12 education. Governor Newsom Signs Major Campus Antisemitism & Holocaust Education Bills Into Law JPAC’s Top Priorities – AB 2925 (Friedman), SB 1287 (Glazer), and SB 1277 (Stern) – Will Take Effect January 1, 2025 September 28, 2024 SACRAMENTO, CA — This afternoon, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he was signing three of JPAC’s top priority bills into law. These new laws counter campus antisemitism and expand Holocaust and genocide education in K-12 education. This announcement comes just days ahead of the Governor’s September 30th deadline to sign or veto bills. AB 2925, authored by Assemblymembers Laura Friedman and Josh Lowenthal, will mandate that California’s college campuses include the five most targeted groups in their trainings to combat and address discrimination. Currently most campus trainings do not teach about antisemitism at all or cover it inadequately relative to its prevalence. With the Jewish community consistently among the most targeted groups, this law ensures that antisemitism is included in campus anti-discrimination or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) trainings. SB 1287 (by Senator Steve Glazer) requires college campuses to update and enforce provisions in their student codes to prevent instances of intimidation, harassment, and violence. The law also requires each system of higher education to develop training programs to educate students on civil discourse. SB 1277 (by Senator Henry Stern) makes the California Teachers Collaborative on Holocaust and Genocide Education an official state program. The Collaborative is led by the JFCS Holocaust Center in San Francisco and brings together 14 leading genocide education institutions across the state to create curriculum and training materials for K-12 teachers. It work will reach one million students by 2027, helping schools reach their Holocaust and genocide education mandates. All three of these bills faced fierce opposition from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). However, they passed out the legislature with overwhelming, bipartisan majorities in both houses. JPAC led advocacy efforts throughout the legislative process – building a coalition of over 40 Jewish organizations – and organized over 3,500 letters to the Governor. These bills were also top priorities for the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. Earlier this year, JPAC and the Jewish Caucus secured from the state budget $160 million ($80 million annually for two years) for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and $5 million to further the work of the Collaborative. “In a post October 7th world, our school and campus leaders need more tools to keep students safe and provide accessible educational opportunities for all,” said David Bocarsly, JPAC Executive Director. “This is true for both Jewish students and other targeted students. These bills meaningfully counter antisemitism and hate by creating greater empathy and understanding, and ensuring all students feel safe on their campus. We are incredibly grateful to our partners and champions in the Legislative Jewish Caucus, led by Assemblymember Gabriel and Senator Wiener, and we thank Governor Newsom for signing these bills into law.” JPAC is also supporting several dozen other bills. To date, 16 have been signed into law, and few others await his decision before Monday’s midnight deadline. Track the status of all of JPAC’s priority bills here. Unless stated otherwise in the bill, new laws take effect on January 1, 2025.