Pennsylvania Jewish Legislative Caucus Issues Statement on Fourth Consecutive Year of Record-High Antisemitic Incidents
Rep. Dan B. Frankel April 22, 2025 | 3:02 PM
HARRISBURG, April 22 – Pennsylvania Jewish Legislative Caucus Co-Chairs Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) issued the following statements today regarding the Anti-Defamation League’s 2024 annual audit of antisemitic incidents, which found that antisemitic incidents have for the fourth year in a row reached record levels.
“These numbers are deeply upsetting, but they are not surprising. Jewish Pennsylvanians have been raising the alarm about the growing wave of antisemitism for years — and now another year of data confirms just how urgent the crisis is,” said Frankel. “As antisemitism continues its rise in our schools, places of worship, and our communities, we cannot afford to stand by — we must take action to stop its spread.”
"Members of the Jewish faith are not passive observers of rising antisemitism,” said Schwank. “We live it, we feel it, and it's personal. The record-setting numbers year after year are alarming, but they do not tell the whole story. Behind every statistic is someone who feels less safe in their synagogue, their school, or their neighborhood. We need more than symbolic gestures and slogans to combat today's rise in antisemitism, and we all must do our part to stem the tide."
The co-chairs noted Pennsylvania’s legislators can take action against the rising number of antisemitic incidents and other forms of hate through the passage of the Anti-Hate Crimes bill package, which would strengthen law enforcement’s response to hate crimes, improve tracking, advocate for victims and prevent future hate-based crimes.
More information about the Pennsylvania Jewish Legislative Caucus can be found at pahouse.com/JLC.
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