Articles by Melanie Maron Pell

In the latest State of Antisemitism in America survey from American Jewish Committee released today, 69% of those polled said they had heard of antisemitism and knew what it meant, up from 65% in 2021. In addition, 68% believe antisemitism is a problem in the U.S., up from 60% last year. For those who don’t know, antisemitism is the hatred of Jewish people—plain and simple. And for those unsure of whether antisemitism is a problem in the U.S., let me assure you that it is.

Mayors must be committed to combatting all forms of hatred, which requires an understanding of how such bigotries manifest. To understand and combat the ancient hatred of antisemitism, American Jewish Committee (AJC) and The U.S. Conference of Mayors have called on U.S. mayors and municipal leaders to reject antisemitism unequivocally in all of its manifestations.

Kentucky lawmakers must recognize that inadequate laws to address hate crimes and the lack of incentives to report them contribute to an environment that validates problematic behavior and creates a culture where some people feel neither safe nor protected. We must ensure that our laws reflect our values, and that if a crime is motivated by bias, it should be called out. Anything less is unacceptable for Kentucky.