Zoe Bell and Mia Resnicow | Staff Writers
Maryland Jewish advocates headed to Annapolis to urge elected officials to advance legislation that counters discrimination and protects against hate crimes.
Feb. 3 marks Maryland Jewish Advocacy Day, when the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington joined the Baltimore Jewish Council and the Jewish Federation of Howard County in the state capital for a common cause.
“Every year on Maryland Jewish Advocacy Day, the statewide Jewish community gathers in Annapolis to advocate for our legislative priorities that reflect our values,” said Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington. “It also provides the Jewish community with an opportunity to strengthen its relationships with elected officials. These relationships are essential to ensure that we can obtain the necessary resources for security and social services for our community, and ensure that we have a strong safety net for our most vulnerable citizens.”
Legislative priorities include funding for the Protecting Against Hate Crimes program for houses of worship and faith-based nonprofits targeted for hate crimes, the Maryland Center for School Safety Hate Crimes Grant for schools and child care centers at risk for hate crimes, and the Maryland Israel Development Center to bolster trade between Maryland and Israel, according to a JCRC document.
Community leaders hope to increase Montgomery County funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and for local nonprofit social service agencies: JSSA, Makom, Jewish Council for the Aging, Charles E. Smith Life Communities, Bender Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse and Sunflower Bakery.
Other priorities include countering antisemitism and protecting democracy through legislation.
This year, Jewish community representatives urged support for five new legislative bills for 2026.
House Bill 14, sponsored by Del. Linda Foley, on information collection and reporting requirements, would change the contents of school bullying, harassment and intimidation forms to include a requirement for the identification of certain motivators behind the incident. Motivators include, but are not limited to, race, national origin, religion or mental or physical ability.
Tali Cohen, the regional director of Anti-Defamation League Washington, D.C., testified in support of House Bill 14 before Del. Jheanelle Wilkins and Vice Chair Jessica Feldmark on Jan. 29.
“HB 14 does something simple but essential: it requires schools to identify and track the specific personal identity characteristics that motivate bullying and harassment incidents, and it requires transparency by making that data publicly available,” Cohen said in her testimony.
According to a list of JCRC’s legislative priorities shared with Washington Jewish Week, “By collecting this information, schools can better assess what hate bias areas are most prominent in their school systems, and can tailor their required antibias staff training that must be completed every two years.”
Hate bias is a growing issue in the state. Maryland ranks second nationwide for antisemitic incidents in public schools, according to the ADL’s 2024 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents. Montgomery County is particularly overrepresented in this data: The county’s 96 reported antisemitic incidents accounted for 90% of kindergarten through 12th grade cases in Maryland.
House Bill 109, sponsored by Del. Joe Vogel, on Title VI coordinators, would require higher education institutions in the state and local school systems to designate a Title VI coordinator to ensure compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and allow students to file a complaint for alleged discrimination with said coordinator.
The ADL data on antisemitic assaults — seven of which were reported in Maryland in 2024 — includes Maryland’s first assault on a college campus in more than three years, which was Israel-related, according to the audit.
Senate Bill 177, sponsored by state Sen. Chris West and Del. Sandy Rosenberg, would establish a misdemeanor penalty for those who block access to the entrance of religious facilities, including places of worship, a cemetery, religious school, educational facility, community center and the grounds adjacent to them.
According to testimony from the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association, “This bill establishes protections for religious communities in a way that respects other important, and constitutionally protected, activity, striking an appropriate balance in a way that will survive constitutional scrutiny.”
Senate Bill 140 and House Bill 216, sponsored by state Sen. Chris West and Del. Aaron Kaufman, would make “benefits exploitation” a criminal offense. This would establish a felony charge for knowingly recruiting, harboring, transporting or obtaining an individual for the purpose of exploiting government benefits, including but not limited to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Sponsored by state Sen. Will Smith and Del. Sandy Bartlett, Criminal Law – Jurisdiction requests a change to criminal law proceedings that will ensure children are sent automatically to juvenile court rather than adult court, unless they are charged with a “heinous” crime.
Advocates also presented the local Jewish community’s budget requests, focusing on securing and protecting funds for Jewish community priorities, according to Deborah Miller, the JCRC of Greater Washington’s Maryland director of government and community relations.
“We are thrilled Governor Moore designated $13 million in his budget for a pair of programs that protect schools, child care centers and other institutions at risk of hate crimes,” Miller wrote in a statement to Washington Jewish Week. “Even in tight budget times, we hope lawmakers not only protect those programs, but dedicate an additional $2 million for school safety initiatives.”
Budget requests also extend beyond the Jewish community, addressing national issues.
“We also acknowledge the pain that too many Marylanders are experiencing right now, which is why we strongly support maintaining funding for safety net programs such as childcare subsidies, Medicaid, and food assistance that protect the most vulnerable among us,” Miller wrote.
She also expressed a need to protect immigrants in Maryland.
“We stand with our immigrant neighbors in supporting legislation to prevent local law enforcement from supporting federal immigration actions that have frightened communities that contribute greatly to our state,” Miller wrote.
