Long Island Towns Adopt IHRA

At a board of trustees meeting on August 17th, 2021, The Village of Great Neck, N.Y., unanimously voted to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of anti-Semitism. The decision followed that of five other New York State municipalities to adopt the IHRA definition, including Hempstead, North Hempstead, Nassau County, Oyster Bay and Glen Cove. Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral stated that with the rise of anti-Semitism throughout the country, it is important to speak with a unified voice against anti-Semitism, bigotry and racism.

International and domestic support for the Working Definition has steadily risen since 2016 when the U.S. State Department joined 30 other UN member states in supporting the IHRA definition at the IHRA’s Bucharest Plenary. In 2019, President Trump issued an executive order reaffirming U.S. support for the definition and calling for its national legal enforcement. In February of 2021, Kentucky became the first US state to officially adopt the IHRA definition, followed closely by Texas. Florida and South Carolina both passed legislation endorsing the Working Definition, and other state municipalities such as Sharon, Massachusetts and Hialeah, Florida have done similarly.

While the Brandeis Center’s advocacy for adoption of the IHRA definition has been mainly directed at college campuses –  with recent institutional success seen at Florida State University – it is heartening to see increased recognition from states and municipalities. The adoption of the IHRA Definition in communities throughout the country continues to be an important tool to call out and combat Jew-hatred and injustice everywhere.