On Thursday, October 19th, the Bulgarian government announced that it had adopted the working definition of anti-Semitism used by the International Alliance for Holocaust Remembrance (IHRA). In 2016, the 31 member states of the IHRA adopted their definition after a unanimous vote at a plenary session in Bucharest City. The IHRA was the first international body to formally adopt such a definition. Similar decisions to apply this working definition of anti-Semitism have been adopted by the governments of GermanyRomania, the United KingdomScotland, and Austria. Numerous other international bodies, such as the European Parliament, have adopted the definition in some form. The European Commission also, as of April 25th, has posted the working definition of anti-Semitism on its official website.

Bulgaria was admitted as an observer country to the IHRA in December 2012, and is taking steps to become accepted as a full member. Bulgaria’s Cabinet on Wednesday conducted the vote to adopt the IHRA’s definition of anti-Semitism. The Cabinet also appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev as national coordinator on combatting anti-Semitism to serve as a liaison to other countries and international organizations.

The head of the European Jewish Congress, Dr. Moshe Kantor, released a statement wherein he lauded Bulgaria’s decision, saying that “It is vital that, especially as anti-Semitism is on the rise across the continent, that governments, judiciaries and law enforcement agencies have all the necessary tools to combat hatred of Jews and other minorities.” He also referred to Georgiev as a “long-time friend of the Jewish community.”

In the United States, the U.S. State Department has a definition which is very similar to that used by both the EUMC and the IHRA. The State Department’s definition, however, is only used for international monitoring, and U.S. domestic government agencies do not currently have a definition of anti-Semitism. In December 2016, the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act (AAA) was introduced to the U.S. Congress. The AAA would have required the U.S. Department of Education to use the State Department’s definition in evaluating intent of anti-Semitic incidents on campuses. The AAA bill, which passed the Senate unanimously last December, did not have a chance to be voted on in the House before the legislative session ended. Several states are currently in the process of drafting their own versions of the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act.

The adopting and application of a uniform definition of anti-Semitism in both Europe and the United States will help provide the tools to the governments and institutions of countries where resurgent anti-Semitism and bigotry threatens to undermine the progress made in fighting intolerance during the 20th century. Bulgaria’s decision to adopt the working definition of anti-Semitism is a wonderful step in the right direction, one that shows Bulgaria’s willingness to follow in the footsteps of other European nations, and to set a course of action for those who will come after.

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Washington, D.C.: October 26, 2017 – The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law congratulates LDB President and General Counsel Kenneth L. Marcus on the occasion of his nomination to the position of Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education for Civil Rights.

Rachel Lerman, LDB’s Vice President, commented: “We’re grateful to Kenneth Marcus for founding the Louis D. Brandeis Center and building it, over the course of six years, into a premier civil rights agency with an impact in Washington, D.C., around the country, and across the world, that is vastly disproportionate to its size and age. Under Ken’s leadership, the Center has established chapters at eighteen law schools, addressed bias incidents at numerous universities, educated policymakers about campus anti-Semitism and other forms of prejudice, shared best practices with university leaders, and pursued landmark public interest advocacy litigation. It is hard to imagine anyone better qualified than Ken to run the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.”

Marcus was formerly Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights during the Administration of President George W. Bush. He has also served in other senior positions in the U.S. government, including Staff Director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He is the author of The Definition of Anti-Semitism (Oxford University Press 2015) and Jewish Identity and Civil Rights in America (Cambridge University Press 2010).

Vice President Lerman added, “We are pleased that the Brandeis Center is in a position to continue to grow over the coming years, just as it has in the past, especially since the promotion of Aviva Vogelstein to the position of Director of Legal Initiatives earlier in the year. We are in conversation with some very impressive people who are interested in joining the Brandeis Center’s leadership group, and are delighted to be in such a strong position as we look to the future.”

About the Louis D. Brandeis Center

The Louis D. Brandeis Center, Inc., or LDB, is an independent, nonprofit organization established to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all. The Brandeis Center conducts research, education, and advocacy to combat the resurgence of anti-Semitism on college and university campuses. It is not affiliated with the Massachusetts university, the Kentucky law school, or any of the other institutions that share the name and honor the memory of the late U.S. Supreme Court justice. For more information, contact Edward Kunz at ekunz@brandeiscenter.com.