ADVOCACY
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Federation stands with the Baltimore Jewish Council
BALTIMORE JEWISH COUNCIL STATEMENT ON SURGING ANTISEMITISM
AND HATE ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY

Statement from the Baltimore Jewish Council and The Associated regarding Terrorist Attack on Chanukah Celebration in Australia
 

The Baltimore Jewish Council and The Associated are shocked, saddened and outraged by today’s terrorist attack against the Australian Jewish community during a celebration of Chanukah.

Thousands of members of the Jewish community had gathered on Bondi Beach for a joyous celebration of the beginning of the holiday and the Chanukah miracle of light defeating darkness. The loss of at least 11 lives as a result of the attack, as well as many more injured, is a terrifying reminder of the growing antisemitism that our Jewish communities face around the world.

Antisemitism, hate and violence have no place in society – here or anywhere. We must speak out against all forms of antisemitism. Like the Maccabees whose efforts we celebrate during these eight days of Chanukah, we stand up today as a proud Jewish community. We must not allow hate to interfere with living our lives as Jews.

While there is no indication of any current specific threat to our community or our institutions, we are closely coordinating with our partners in law enforcement to remain vigilant. On this sad day, we are once again reminded of the important task ahead not only to protect our community but to build relationships and educate our partners about the rise of antisemitism and hate.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Jewish community of Australia, and we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of all of the victims.

May their memories be for a blessing.



TAKE ACTION!

Here are some resources for you and your organization to help you make a DIFFERENCE.
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MLAW

(Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women)

These 7 Bills have passed 2024

HB 496/SB 758 - Sexual Crimes - Definition of Consent and Repeal of Force - Lisae Jordan, Maryland Coaltion Against Secual Assaul.

HB 99/SB 113 – Criminal Law - Sexual Solicitation of a Minor Through Child Pornography – Prohibition - Lisae Jordan, Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

HJ 1/SJ 1 – Affirming the Federal Equal Rights Amendment - Judy Carbone, Maryland NOW.

HB 39/SB 197 – Residential Services Agencies - Reimbursement - Personal Assistance Services (Homecare Worker Rights Act of 2024)- David Rodwin, Public Justice Center.

HB 1091/SB 975 – Public Safety – Reproductive Health Care Clinic Security Grant Program – Establishment (Supporting Reproductive Health Care Clinics Act) [substituted for HB 1412/SB 947 – Abortion Care Access Grant Program and Fund – Establishment] - Jennifer Mercer, Pro Choice Maryland.

HB 649/SB 525 – Labor and Employment - Equal Pay for Equal Work - Wage Range Transparency - Delegate Jennifer White Holland and Kali Schumitz, Maryland Center of Economic Policy.

HB 691/SB 119 – Legally Protected Health Care - Gender-Affirming Treatment - Scott Tiffin, Office of Senator Clarence Lam.


The following 2 bills did not pass and will probably be introduced next January where we will once again support them in the next session.

HB 869/SB 753 – Public Safety - Firearm Background Checks, Victim Notification, and the Maryland State Police Gun Center – Melanie Shapiro, Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence.

HB 482/SB 398 – Criminal Injuries Compensation Board - Victims of Nonfatal Strangulation – Melanie Shapiro, Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence
Raise a Glass to Toast our 2024 Success – Stephanie McGencey, MLAW Board Member.

ANTISEMITISM

Anti Defamation League
100 State Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 974-3901
1-800-811-8336

MD Relay 1-800-735-2258

Reporting an Antisemetic event, or incident. If you feel that you have been a victim of antisemitism or have witnessed an incident or event, you can feel safe that this can be reported through the Anti- Defamation League (ADL) This is their statement:“Thanks to thousands of people like you who have reported incidents, we are able to help communities across the country by reporting on trends, educating lawmakers and law enforcement and advocating for stronger protections from incidents and crimes.

ADL works to prevent people from being targeted because of their religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or level of ability. But we cannot do it alone. We need your help as, together, we work toward making our communities, country and world a safer place for all.”

Report an incident at: https://www.adl.org/report-incident

Combating Jewish Hate
https://ma.cjp.org/antisemitism-initiative (Combined Jewish Philanthropies)
We are alarmed; and we are taking action. Together with our communal partners and the, Fighting Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism Task Force, we've proposed a 5-point plan to combat Jewish hate.

We aim to:
  1. Face Jewish Hate The first part of our strategy is a public-facing awareness, education, and mobilization campaign to fight back against antisemitism.
  2. Empower our community. The campaign will direct people to a communal resource hub: a website with curated resources, educational tools, and opportunities to act so that community members are motivated and equipped to stand up and fight back.
  3. Build allyship. A key component of our strategy is building stronger relationships with non-Jewish influential people, such that they stand up and publicly speak out about antisemitism, and work to ensure policies are free of discrimination toward Jews and Israel.
  4. Inform and educate the next generation. We’re giving young people the tools they need when faced with Jewish hate and working to ensure fair and equal treatment of Jews and Israel through the educational system.
  5. Strengthen communal security. Finally, a cornerstone of our plan is the growth of our Communal Security Initiative (CSI), where we are doubling our capacity to serve the safety needs of our community

BALTIMORE JEWISH COUNCIL
5750 Park Heights Ave
Baltimore, MD 21215
Main phone: 410-542-4850

Emily Goodman, Director of Holocaust and Antisemitism Programming
egoodman@baltjc.org
Emily may be contacted regarding programs on antisemitism and educational needs.

THE ASSOCIATED: Stand Up to Jewish Hate Program
“Hate doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and one form of hate leads to another.”
ANTISEMITISM IS NOT HISTORICAL.
IT IS NOT THEORETICAL.
IT IS NOT DISTANT.
IT IS HERE. IT IS NOW.

101 West Mt Royal Ave
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-727-4828

THE MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

MARYLAND LEGISTLATIVE AGENDA FOR WOMEN

Calendar

To see the full calendar and Jewish holidays,
CLICK HERE.

Useful Links

Leadership Quotes