On a day dedicated to strengthening the Jewish community’s voice in the Commonwealth, dozens of leaders from the United Jewish Community of Virginia Peninsula (UJCVP) gathered with hundreds of Jewish advocates from throughout the state at the General Assembly in Richmond to champion critical issues affecting the community. Jewish Advocacy Day saw an overwhelming turnout as leaders and volunteers flooded the halls of the General Assembly, meeting with elected officials to discuss legislative priorities that support the Jewish community’s safety, security and rights.

Dozens of meetings were held with lawmakers, urging them to pass several key bills designed to combat hate and discrimination while bolstering security for Jewish individuals and institutions throughout the state.

Among the key pieces of legislation advocated for during the day was HB2783, which would strengthen the penalty for hate crimes involving swastikas. This bill aims to provide an additional tool for law enforcement to fight antisemitism. It follows the same path as cross burning or placing a noose in a place to intimidate African Americans. Making it a class 6 felony to place a swastika on property gives it additional weight so the police departments are not wasting time with a misdemeanor charge, especially considering the symbol of hate the swastika means to the Jewish community. The bill passed both the House and the Senate.

The UJCVP also advocated for legislation that would support campus safety at our Commonwealth universities, including HB2529 and HB2208/SB1284. Vigorous, often violent, anti-Israel protests—including encampments—arose on more than 150 North American campuses this past spring to pressure college administrators to promote boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel and Israelis. These campuses Jewish students have been harassed, threatened, blocked from accessing their classrooms, and even physically assaulted, which represent a clear violation of their civil rights.

“We were disappointed that the campus legislation failed to pass,” shared one participant. “Every university must do more to ensure the safety of their Jewish students. Jewish students deserve to have their civil rights maintained and protected on campus.”

Jewish Advocacy Day was a powerful reminder of the need for strong legislation to address ongoing threats and ensure that Jewish communities remain safe, supported and heard in Virginia.

Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day is organized through the four Jewish Federations of Virginia, of which the UJCVP is one. Each Jewish Federation is the community planning, leadership and outreach arm of its Jewish community, which develops human and financial resources to meet the evolving and vital issues of our local, statewide, national and international communities.