The Ohio Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released a report following a series of public meetings and a collection of public testimony regarding the extent of and the impact of antisemitism in Ohio. This report focused on civil-rights concerns about antisemitism in Ohio. Specifically, the Committee sought to examine the incidence and impact of antisemitic activity, and the methods of effective response, in Ohio across all sectors of civil society. The Committee also sought to evaluate policies and practices intended to address these activities to ensure that all Ohioans are free from religious and ethnic-based violence and intimidation in the state.
Primary concerns identified in the report include the following:
(1) significant disagreement exists about whether there should be a definition of antisemitism, and what that definition should be;
(2) antisemitism is increasing in Ohio; and
(3) education can be a tool to combat anti-Jewish hate.
The report concludes with policy recommendations intended to prevent and combat antisemitism in Ohio.
Chair Lee J. Strang said, “Like the United States more broadly, we in Ohio have fellow citizens from many religious traditions, and our religious diversity is both recognized and protected by our State’s fundamental commitment to religious liberty. Our Committee believes that antisemitism is an issue of serious concern in Ohio. We hope policymakers will review our findings and adopt our recommendations to help prevent and address the rise in antisemitism that is affecting our fellow Ohio citizens who are Jewish.”
All public records from the Committee’s meetings and briefings are available online here.
mtrachtenberg@usccr.gov