Rick Chavez Zbur, a Democratic member of the California State Assembly, told JNS that he is “heartbroken” over a newly released state report showing that nearly three-quarters of the state’s religion-based hate crimes in 2025 targeted Jews.
The California Department of Justice’s 2025 “Hate Crime in California” report, released Wednesday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, found that Jews were the targets of 289 of the state’s 392 religion-based hate crimes—about 74%. Although anti-Jewish hate crimes declined from 310 in 2024, they still accounted for by far the largest share of religion-based offenses in the state.
Zbur, a member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, told JNS that “while these numbers are deeply disturbing, they are, sadly, not surprising.”
“California is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the world, and we continue to see the consequences of rising antisemitism in our neighborhoods, outside our places of worship and in our schools—including in the communities I represent,” he said. “These cannot become just another set of statistics. They must serve as a call to action.”
Zbur said Californians “have a responsibility to confront antisemitism wherever it appears,” pointing to his work co-authoring AB 715, a state law enacted Jan. 1 that strengthens protections against antisemitism and other forms of discrimination in K-12 schools.
“By standing together against hate, investing in education and fostering understanding across communities, we can build a California where every person—regardless of their faith, background, or identity—is safe, welcomed and valued,” Zbur told JNS.
