Indiana Lawmakers Must Hear HB 1037
We still need your help to support the passage of Indiana HB 1037, adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism into Indiana’s education code.
Background: Last month, the Indiana House passed HB 1037, which defines antisemitism and identifies it as a form of discrimination in the state’s education code. The bill refers to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, with 11 accompanying examples of antisemitic activity. This definition has been adopted by 30 states, dozens of countries, and over 1,000 organizations and entities and has been endorsed by multiple US administrations.
In 2020, over 45 synagogues and Jewish institutions in Indiana endorsed the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. This broad-based coalition demonstrates the overwhelming consensus within Indiana’s Jewish community for this definition.
We continue to see a sharp increase in antisemitism across the state. Just a few of the examples from recent years:
- Mezuzahs ripped off the doorpost of the houses of Jewish students at Indiana University in Bloomington
- Flyer drops by a hate group in Indianapolis
- Synagogue in Carmel vandalized with antisemitic graffiti
- A Jewish cemetery in Indianapolis vandalized with KKK spray painted
It is critical that we combat antisemitism in all its forms.
ACT NOW
JCRC continues to meet with members of the Senate Education Committee, but we need you to contact key Senators and encourage them to schedule a hearing.
We urge you to contact the bill’s co-sponsors in the Senate, Sen. Jeff Raatz (Chair of the Education Committee) and Sen. Sue Glick, as well as President Pro Tempore Sen. Rodric Bray, to encourage the bill’s introduction in the Senate Education Committee.
Contact Information for Senators Raatz, Glick, and Bray
Sen. Jeff Raatz
317-232-9400
Senator.Raatz@iga.in.gov
Sen. Sue Glick
317-232-9400
Senator.Glick@iga.in.gov
President Pro Tempore Sen. Rodric Bray
317-232-9400
Senator.Bray@iga.in.gov
Suggested Language
Dear Senator Raatz/Glick/Bray,
We urge you to ensure that HB 1037 has a hearing in the Senate Education Committee. HB 1037 defines antisemitism and identifies it as a form of discrimination in the state’s education code. The bill refers to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, with 11 accompanying examples of antisemitic activity. This definition has been adopted by 30 states, dozens of countries, and over 1,000 organizations and entities and has been endorsed by multiple US administrations.
In 2020, over 45 synagogues and Jewish institutions in Indiana endorsed the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. This broad-based coalition demonstrates the overwhelming consensus within Indiana’s Jewish community for this definition.
We continue to see a sharp increase in antisemitism in the state. Here is just a small sample of the incidents that have taken place in recent years:
- Mezuzahs ripped off the doorpost of the houses of Jewish students at Indiana University in Bloomington
- Flyer drops by a hate group in Indianapolis
- Synagogue in Carmel vandalized with antisemitic graffiti
- A Jewish cemetery in Indianapolis vandalized with KKK spray painted
Each of these incidents brings fear to members of the Jewish community and the broader public. Now is the time to take a stand against antisemitism. We hope that HB 1037 will get a hearing in the Education Committee.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
