Established as a part of the 2025 legislative budget, sponsored by State Senator John C. Velis, the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism is holding hearings throughout Massachusetts to explore expanding incidents of antisemitism and to give Jewish community leaders and residents an opportunity to share concerns and recommendations. Senator Velis and House Chair Simon Cataldo have conducted six hearings including the one on Monday, April 7 at Newton’s War Memorial.
Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, a member of the Commission, hosted the meeting, which was attended by over 200 people in the auditorium and others from across the Commonwealth remotely on Zoom. Newton’s State Representatives Amy Sangiolo and Greg Schwartz were among the attendees, as was Newton City Council President Marc Laredo, whose parents were Holocaust survivors.
The Commission’s charge is to:
- Report on “trends and data related to antisemitism,”
- Assess current initiatives and best practices in dealing with antisemitism,
- Examine the Commonwealth’s “hate crime” statutes and determine if they need to be updated; and
- “Recommend strategies, programs and legislation to combat antisemitism in the commonwealth.”
After it has conducted an unspecified number of hearings throughout Massachusetts, the Commission will submit its report by November 30, 2025.
State Senator Cynthia Creem, the Massachusetts Senate Majority Leader, welcomed the sixteen-member Commission, noting the increase in antisemitic acts throughout the city. “As a result, local Jewish institutions have been forced to dedicate more resources to security, and some Jewish residents have begun to worry about their safety, even here in a place that has seemed like a safe harbor amid stormy seas.” She thanked the Commission for coming to Newton to hear about those fears.
In her welcoming remarks, Mayor Fuller told the Commission: “Antisemitic hate incidents and crimes are intensifying across Massachusetts. In Newton last year, we saw a total of 74 hate incidents and crimes, 59 of which were categorized as Antisemitic.” Among the challenges facing the Commission, the Mayor said: “In combating antisemitism, this Commission must distinguish between differing points of view and hate, between speaking passionately and acting violently, between supporting Israel and disagreeing with the actions of its current government, between combatting terrorism and antisemitism and using the label of terrorism and antisemitism to forsake constitutional protections.”
Both Senator Velis and Rep. Cataldo underscored the Commission’s commitment to freedom of speech and civil liberties.
Monday’s hearing included two presenters invited to testify before the Commission:
- Eric Olshan was the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania and led the Prosecution of Robert Powers, who was convicted of killing eleven members of the Tree of Life Synagogue, critically wounding two other Congregation members, and injuring five police officers in Pittsburgh in 2018. Mr. Olshan’s presentation included replaying harrowing 911 calls from the scene. According to the prosecution, Mr. Powers was open in espousing his extreme antisemitism and in his killing and wounding of the largest number of Jews in the United States.
- Ariella Hellman, Director of Government Affairs at the New England Office of Agudath Israel of America, presented the Orthodox Jewish experience with antisemitism.
Newton City Councilor Rick Lipof, whose mother, Rabbi Emily Lipof, led Congregation Ohabei Shalom in Brookline, spoke about the importance of education — in schools, libraries, after school programs, museums and in the community. He said he was particularly “excited to announce that the leadership of the Massachusetts Senate and House” have each committed $5 million to support a new Holocaust Museum in Boston. He later told Fig City News that “it gives me hope the State Legislature puts money behind its values.” The museum “will serve as a powerful reminder of the atrocities perpetrated because of prejudice, the importance of resisting hate in every form, and the power of democratic institutions to fight back against bigotry and dehumanization.”
More than sixty people signed up to speak in person or online. Many focused on education and school experiences: some related to curriculum; some prevailing academic culture; some about prejudice and stereotyping.
The Commission invites those who want to share comments, ideas, and suggestions to email them to scca@malegislature.gov.
A video of the meeting is available at the Committee’s website.
