By Julie Wright Halbert, Esq., Co-Chair of Sarasota-Manatee Heller JCRC
Last August, the Coalition of Florida Jewish Community Relations Councils (CFJCRCs) was launched to bring together professionals and lay leaders from across the state to share resources, combat antisemitism, and advocate for Israel in our local communities.
“For years, the Jewish Federations of Sarasota-Manatee and Tampa have each had many advocacy successes. In the last couple of years, we shared increased concerns about local antisemitism, especially on Florida college campuses. Together, we took the lead on launching the regional coalition as we saw an opportunity to combine our strengths and amplify our voice,” said Shep Englander, CEO of the JFSM.
This new and unique model providing a regional voice has proven extremely effective in addressing critical issues that the Jewish community across Florida has faced since October 7.
One recent instance is the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism that the coalition fought to sign into law. Successfully passing into Florida law on June 24 thanks to efforts from the coalition, this IHRA definition is critical in determining when laws are violated in antisemitic ways. For example, when a crime is motivated by antisemitic hostility or is rooted in discrimination against Jews. The IHRA definition, stated below, helps ensure the protection of civil rights under existing laws.
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community, institutions, and religious facilities.”
The coalition is embracing this definition at our Florida colleges and universities as well as a tool to guide non-discriminatory policies and for training purposes.
Since its launch, the regional coalition has also engaged college administration in our area in other ways. At the request of the coalition, University of South Florida’s (USF) President, Rhea Law, viewed the 42-minute video of the Hamas atrocities on October 7 and attended several events sponsored by the Jewish community. The university has also agreed to cover the cost of 24/7 police protection at the campus Hillel, and university leadership has met with Jewish students and campus professionals.
Co-Chair of the CFJCRCs, Jonathan Ellis, said, “When we tossed around the idea of a regional JCRC, we had no idea what was about to happen on October 7. The timing was remarkable. We were fortunate we had the coalition to rely on and respond together to the events of October 7, and it proved effective beyond our expectations in a short time. The leadership of the other Federations and JCRCs who have chosen to be a part of this initiative have been incredibly supportive and active in the process. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as I expect more great things going forward!”
Executive Director for Combating Antisemitism at Tampa JCC & Federation Mark Segel lauded the coalition and its effective work in providing a strong, collective voice to represent the needs of the Jewish community across Florida.
“The efforts at USF were fruitful because we came together as a unified voice representing a large part of Florida, and we built the trust of the university leadership. I foresee this regional coalition being a model for other Federation communities around North America,” he added.
The regional coalition also plans to work with local media outlets to communicate a more balanced narrative, and craft a program for regional attorneys and educators to strengthen their knowledge of antisemitism, hate crimes, and the law.
Our Sarasota-Manatee lay leaders and professionals have been taking the initiative and lead on bringing innovative ideas to our area and the entire region. It is a real honor to work together with these individuals across the state of Florida who are so committed to beating back antisemitism, and to protect and enrich our communities. In addition to Sarasota-Manatee and Tampa, the Jewish communities represented in the regional coalition are: Hernando, Jacksonville, Lee & Charlotte, Greater Naples, Northeast Florida, Greater Orlando, and Pasco.
To learn more about what JFSM is doing to keep our community safe and combat antisemitism, click here. To learn how you can help, check out our tips on fighting antisemitism, or directly support the SAFE SRQ program by donating here.