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Simon Wiesenthal Center
Urge Congress to Support the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act
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As you know, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is deeply committed to confronting burgeoning anti-Semitism, especially on our college campuses. Anti-Semitism can masquerade as extreme anti-Israel activism, often creating a hostile environment for Jewish students. Over the past several months, together with other Jewish institutions, we have worked on drafting and passing the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which we believe will provide the United States Department of Education with the tools that it needs to adequately recognize and take action when anti-Semitism rears its ugly head on college campuses.
Our bill passed the Senate last week by unanimous consent. We now have a very brief window of opportunity for passage in the House of Representatives before Congress adjourns. If the House fails to pass the bill, all of our progress in Congress this year will be lost.
We need you to act now as Congress adjourns in only two days!
Please send your letter right away (suggested text below) to your congressperson, urging him or her to ask the leadership of the House to bring the bill to a full vote before adjournment.
Please act now and ask your friends and family to act too!
Rabbis Marvin Hier and Abraham Cooper
Founder and Dean & Associate Dean
Simon Wiesenthal Center
Suggested Text to Your Congressperson:
The Honorable XXXX United States House of Representatives Washington, DC Dear Mr. / Ms. XXXX I join with the Simon Wiesenthal Center to urge you to support the pending Anti-Semitism Awareness Act. Like the 400,000 members of the Wiesenthal Center, I am a citizen who strongly believes in fighting racial, religious, and ethnic discrimination in all of its forms. Therefore, I urgently request that you support H.R. 6421 / S.10, the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act. As you know, over the past several years, there has been a sharp increase in anti-Semitism in the United States, and especially on college campuses. The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act would equip the Department of Education to properly assess when incidents of harassment, intimidation, and discrimination against Jewish students are motivated by anti-Semitism. The Senate already passed this bill by unanimous consent. If the House of Representatives is serious about fighting anti-Semitism, it is important that you pass this bill now and send a strong statement that anti-Semitic discrimination, like all other forms of discrimination, will not be tolerated. Please share this letter with House leadership in both parties. We would like Speaker Ryan, Majority Leader McCarthy, and Minority Leader Pelosi to hear from you, so that they can take whatever steps are necessary to pass this bill this week. Very truly yours, Find your congressperson through this directory of representatives:
www.house.gov/representatives/
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