I have always had a sense of pride in being Jewish. It began as a childhood experience and has continued throughout my life. I love the feeling of knowing that our tradition teaches us a strong sense of morality, provides a structure for the year, and guides us on how to live our lives. Plus, the rich history and traditions have grounded me in ways I will always treasure. While I did experience some teasing (which I would now consider antisemitism) about being Jewish, I felt comfortable expressing myself Jewishly, so much so that I began wearing a kippah every day when I was a senior in high school and have continued to do so since then.

In many ways, the way I have led our Jewish Federation has been focused on creating opportunities for people to feel pride in their Judaism and be comfortable expressing it. I share this because I know that for the last number of years, many people have not felt safe or feel they would be targeted if they were open about being Jewish, especially our community’s youth. It is why I am proud that many in our community turn to our Jewish Federation for help and guidance when they experience antisemitism or anti-Jewish hate.

This is also why I spent so much time and energy advocating for the passage of AB 715, a bill that was unanimously passed by California’s Senate and Assembly this past weekend, just before the end of the legislative cycle, that combats the rise of antisemitism in California’s K-12 grade schools. It is crucial for me that our community’s youth feel protected and safe to be open about being Jewish.

My colleagues and I across the state spent a considerable amount of time lobbying local elected officials. I encouraged local city councils that had adopted resolutions condemning antisemitism and all forms of hate back in the Spring of 2023 to send letters of support to their respective California legislatures. And, as we shared two weeks ago, I wrote an Op-ed that was published in some of our local newspapers that included the stories of two of our community’s high school students who have experienced antisemitism firsthand in their schools. This coordinated approach was spearheaded by the Jewish Public Affairs Committee (JPAC), which sponsored the bill and is the largest single-state coalition of Jewish organizations in the country, and I am proud that our Jewish Federation is a member. The bill now sits on Governor Newsom’s desk, and we are anxiously awaiting his signing of this bill.

What I am most excited about is that if this bill becomes law, it will provide another tool we can use in our work with local school districts to combat any antisemitism that our youth may face moving forward. And in so doing, I am hopeful that our youth will no longer face the ridicule and scorn many have experienced.

I treasure the role our Jewish Federation plays and the value we had to our local Jewish community. Helping to create an environment where people can proudly express their identity and feel pride is one of the reasons I continue working in and for our Jewish community. I want people to experience what I’ve experienced growing up, being able to celebrate the richness of our tradition and have it help shape who they are as people.

Along these lines, on behalf of myself and our Jewish Federation’s Board of Governors and staff, I hope you and your family have a sweet and happy Rosh Hashanah. May 5786 be a year filled with only laughter, love, and good health. L’shanah Tovah U’metukah!