The Anti-Defamation League determined that Virginia and Maryland are making “meaningful progress” on their legislative efforts aimed at combating an “alarming surge” in antisemitism.
The ADL’s newly launched Jewish Policy Index — the first interactive tool of its kind to evaluate each U.S. state’s actions to fight antisemitism through legislation, education and public policy — found that Virginia is among the nine states currently leading the way. The other states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New York, Tennessee and Texas.
“Virginia stands as a national model in the fight against antisemitism, and we are proud to have a leading state in our region on the Jewish Policy Index,” Tali Cohen, ADL Washington, D.C.’s regional director, said in a press release. “ … Virginia has demonstrated what a whole-of-government response to antisemitism can look like.”
The JPI evaluates each state in three policy areas: prioritization of fighting antisemitism, education about the Jewish experience and protection of Jewish communities. Virginia was deemed a “leading state” in each of the three policy areas.
Virginia reported 266 antisemitic incidents in 2024, a 19% increase from 2023, far higher than Maryland’s 5% increase over the same period, although Maryland recorded more instances — 356 incidents — of antisemitism during this time.
Virginia
Virginia has an overall state strategy to fight antisemitism and a task force on antisemitism, the ADL found. The state also adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism in May 2023, though Virginia was labeled “sub-par” in its anti-Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions legislation.
Cohen cited Virginia’s “bold executive action” including a statewide law enforcement training initiative with the ADL. The state has a Nonprofit Security Grant Program and laws against hate crimes, swatting and doxxing.
Virginia was recognized for its legislation requiring Holocaust education in schools, a Holocaust education task force and action to address antisemitism in K-12 schools and on college campuses. The state earned “bonus points” for providing grants to educators for Holocaust education and implementing a bias incident hotline.
The ADL recognized Virginia for many policy strengths, making up its series of executive and legislative actions aimed at addressing antisemitism since 2022.
In 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order to create a Commission to Combat Antisemitism on his first day in office, which supports Virginia’s public school system and colleges, according to the ADL.
After the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Youngkin issued a directive ordering the secretary of education to coordinate with public and private colleges to help keep Jewish and Muslim students safe. Youngkin also issued an executive order in September 2024 directing state education agencies to launch tracking, reporting and prevention tools for antisemitism in schools.
In June 2025, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares joined a coalition of attorneys general imploring the federal government to work more closely with states to fight “rising antisemitic domestic terrorism” in the United States.
Virginia earned a policy alignment score of 89 out of 100, with Maryland trailing behind with a score of 46.
Maryland
Maryland was recognized as one of 29 “progressing” states, demonstrating a “strong policy foundation” and a “clear path for future advancement,” according to a press release.
“We are proud to see Maryland’s leadership reflected in the Jewish Policy Index, particularly through targeted legislation like the Antiswatting Act, expanded hate crimes policies, and mandated antisemitism training for school district personnel,” Cohen said. “These efforts demonstrate a clear and actionable commitment to protecting vulnerable communities from violence and discrimination.”
Maryland pulled ahead of Virginia in its passage of anti-BDS legislation, crackdown on cyber-harassment and cyberstalking, and the formation of an anti-hate commission, the latter of which Virginia doesn’t currently have.
The ADL determined that Maryland was a “limited action state” in prioritization of fighting antisemitism as it lacks an antisemitism task force and an overall state strategy in combating antisemitism, and has not adopted the IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism.
Maryland is considered a “progressing state” in Jewish education and protecting Jewish communities, with bonus points in each category respectively for providing grants to educators for Holocaust education and implementing a bias incident hotline.
The state currently has no legislation requiring Holocaust education in schools, no Holocaust education task force and no action to address antisemitism on college campuses. It has, however, earned an “excellent” rating for legislative or executive action to address antisemitism in K-12 schools.
Maryland hit five out of seven benchmarks in protection of Jewish communities. The missing two benchmarks include legislation prohibiting “masked harassment” and doxxing, the searching and publishing of private or identifying information about someone on the internet.
Maryland is actively working to prevent hate crimes through initiatives including the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention, enhanced reporting, community engagement and law enforcement training. The ADL recognized Maryland for a number of policy strengths.
The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights publicly condemned the rise in antisemitic acts in 2021 and restated its commitment to combating antisemitism in addition to all forms of hate and discrimination. In 2024, Maryland passed a bill to restructure its hate crimes commission and give the Maryland attorney general the ability to appoint the members of the commission.
A bill effective in July 2024 requires the State Department of Education to develop guidelines for antibias training for all public school employees for the inclusion of an antisemitism module required by each county board every two years. A subsequent piece of legislation in July 2025 expanded the law to include county school board members.
The state was also praised for the Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus, which works to advocate and support local Jewish communities.
