Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts proclaimed May to be Jewish American Heritage Month and, by proclamation, adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Definition of Antisemitism. “Jewish Americans have lived, worked, and worshipped in Nebraska since the mid-1800s. They continue to make outstanding contributions to the cultural, economic, social, and spiritual well-being of NE.” The message was in recognition of the Jewish community’s contributions to the state and to make clear that Nebraska will not tolerate anti-Semitism.
It is essential to define antisemitism to recognize it. In 2015, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) developed a definition of anti-Semitism, which has since been adopted by over 850 state and private agencies.
Jordan Cope, Director of Policy Education StandWithUs, attended the signing ceremony and lauded the importance of adopting the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. “We are experiencing an alarming rise in antisemitism across the world and even in U.S. communities and campuses. Today, Governor Ricketts and the State of Nebraska took an important step toward defeating antisemitism by defining it.”
