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New Anti-Semitism Legislation
June 2018
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May brought several legislative advances in combatting anti-Semitism and BDS. Coming from different levels of government, these victories most notably include the reintroduction of the new Anti-Semitism Awareness Act in Congress, which is intended to help identify and address anti-Semitism in schools. Another important step came with the testimony of the Brandeis Center's Aviva Vogelstein in front of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, urging the U.S. government to confront religious bullying in the classroom. LDB student leaders and attorneys also called on UCLA to take "meaningful and effective action" following a disrupted SSI event on campus. All this and more is covered in the June edition of the Brandeis Brief.
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Jewish Groups Applaud Congress for Introducing Anti-Semitism Awareness Act
JNS, Cleveland Jewish News
New bipartisan anti-Semitism legislation was introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Titled the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, the bill seeks to direct the Department of Education to use the working definition of anti-Semitism that was developed by the State Department in 2010. Jewish organizations welcomed this new legislation as an important tool for the Department of Education to correctly identify and address anti-Semitism in schools.
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Jewish Civil-Rights Group Urges U.S. Government to Confront Religious Bullying
JNS
Aviva Vogelstein, the Louis D. Brandeis Center's Director of Legal Initiatives, testified in front of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in May. She urged the U.S. government to confront religious bullying and harassment in schools across the country following an alarming U.S. Department of Education report on the scope of such activity.
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Student leaders of UCLA School of Law's chapter of the Louis D. Brandeis Center and attorneys at LDB recently sent a letter to UCLA Chancellor Block in response to the disruption of a Students Supporting Israel (SSI) event on UCLA's campus. In the letter, they urged the UCLA administration to "take meaningful and effective action" in order to prevent the development of a hostile campus environment.
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Congressional Taskforce Releases Statement on European Anti-Semitism
Edward Kunz, Brandeis Blog
The Bipartisan Taskforce for Combatting Anti-Semitism recently released a statement in response to the Kantor Center's report on the increase in European anti-Semitism. In the statement, the Taskforce urged the passing of H.R.672 and H.R.1911, two bills to help address European anti-Semitism.
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Stoughton HS Must Rescind Letter Against Teacher in Swastika Case
Daniel Libon, Stoughton Patch
Following advocacy on her behalf by the Louis D. Brandeis Center, Stoughton High School teacher Jaime Regan will have a letter of reprimand and all references to it removed from her file. Stoughton Public Schools originally took disciplinary measures against Ms. Regan and two of her colleagues after they took a stand against anti-Semitism in the classroom.
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Louisiana Governor Signs Anti-BDS Executive Order
Emma Enig, Brandeis Blog
On May 22, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signed an anti-BDS executive order, stating that Louisiana does not and will not support any boycott of Israel, while also reaffirming the strong alliance between the United States and Israel. This executive order makes Louisiana the 25th state to cut ties with the BDS movement.
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University of Arkansas Student Government Passes Anti-BDS Resolution
Jacob May, Brandeis Blog
The Associated Student Government Senate at the University of Arkansas passed "A Resolution to Reaffirm Support for Jewish and Israeli Students at the University of Arkansas." This resolution accurately labels the BDS movement as anti-Semitic and supports Jewish and Israeli students. Unlike most other campus anti-BDS resolutions, it also recognizes the uptick in anti-Semitism on college campuses.
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U.S. Education Department Seeks Peer Reviewers for Title VI Programs
Jacob May, Brandeis Blog
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) recently announced they were seeking specialists to serve as peer reviewers for their 2018 Title VI-Office of International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) grant competitions.
The Brandeis Center and many other organizations have long pointed out that programs which have previously received federal funding under Title VI are far from objective and often incorporate biased, anti-Israel programming as part of the curriculum.
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Ken Marcus, Nominee to Head DOE Civil Rights Office, Finally to Get Floor Vote
William Jacobson, Legal Insurrection
The Louis D. Brandeis Center's President, Kenneth L. Marcus, who was nominated to lead the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education, was finally cleared for a floor vote after months of stalling by Democrats. The date of the debate and vote are still to be determined.
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Honoring the Memory of Stephanie Plotkin
Jacob May, Brandeis Blog
Stephanie Plotkin, who was a staunch advocate for the rights of Jewish and pro-Israel students, passed away suddenly in April. Stephanie detailed the anti-Israel indoctrination she witnessed in her English course at Grand Valley State University for the Truth Revolt. We honor Stephanie's courage in speaking out against anti-Israelism.
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The Louis D. Brandeis Center is a nonprofit organization supported by individuals, groups and foundations that share our concern about Jewish college students. Contributions are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. To support our efforts to combat campus anti-Semitism, please contact us at [email protected].
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Kenneth L. Marcus
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Can We Help You? |
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The Louis D. Brandeis Center stands ready if we can help you to combat anti-Semitism in higher education.
Please contact us if you are a student or professor who needs our help. We are also available to provide technical assistance to university administrators who are interested in achieving legal compliance and best practices for eliminating campus anti-Semitism.
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