October 16, 12:30pm - Livestream and in person at Kerem Shalom Synagogue, 659 Elm St., Concord MA
October 16th Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism Meeting
The Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism will hold its next meeting on Oct 16th at 12:30pm (in Kerem Shalom Synagogue in Concord and live stream). There will be no opportunity for public comment or discussion to inform the Commission’s deliberations on: hate crimes laws, workplace discrimination and student experiences. (see below for how to submit testimony in writing)
The Synagogue is 1.7 miles from the West Concord stop on the Fitchburg commuter rail. Let us know if you will be attending the hearing in-person or virtually.
RSVP: I plan to attend the Commission Meeting in-person or on livestream
The Commission meeting will feature:
UMass General Counsel and former MA Supreme Judicial Council Judge David Lowy to discuss constitutional issues and hate crimes
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan who will discuss her office’s restorative justice programming
Former prosecutor and law professor Christina Miller on proposed changes to the hate crimes statue
A panel of Rabbi Darby Leigh (Concord) Rabbi Karen Thomashow (Lexington), Rabbi Braham David (Acton)
A panel of parent organizers from Concord-Carlisle and Lexington
A panel of professionals in healthcare workplaces (this article provides context on the unique role of suppressing Palestine advocacy in healthcare)
A panel of students from Concord-Carlisle
Education Director of the Boston Holocaust Museum
The Commission posted articles and presentations shared by the panelists which include:
2024-2025 data from ADL and Jewish Federations (pages 9-46)
Articles on antisemitism in health care (pages 47-80)
Overview of Boston Holocaust Museum educational programming (pages 81-91)
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Share Your Testimony in Writing:
After last month’s public comment session – where three-quarters of people testifying opposed the Commission’s process and recommendations – advocacy organizations solicited written testimony to counter weigh the unmistakable magnitude of opposition.
Submit Your Testimony and Make it Public
After pressure, the Commission has added an online form to submit public comment that will be available to the Commission members. The Commission is seeking comments through October 30th to reference in its final recommendations. The Commission’s process continues to lack transparency and we expect they will be selective in what they highlight. For example, Chair Cataldo spoke of 2,000 letters the Commission received in support of the its K-12 preliminary recommendations but did not reference the almost 2,600 letters opposing them.
To counter this selective opacity, TIM is asking individuals to submit testimony to the Commission (cc’ing your legislators) and share it with TIM’s People’s Testimony Project.
Tip: Write your testimony in a document and save it for your records. Once drafted decide if you will copy and paste into the Commission online form or copy into an email. By sharing your testimony with TIM, you are agreeing to having your testimony posted publicly in the People’s Testimony.
Submit testimony by email:
Either include your testimony in the body of your email or as an attachment
Email the commission (scca@malegislature.gov) and copy your state representative and senator with your experience.
Share your testimony with TIM by either forwarding a copy of the email after you send it, or adding info@inclusivemassachusetts.org to the blind carbon copy (BCC) line when you send it.
Submit testimony through online forms
Submit your testimony to the Commission here. Cut and paste your testimony from a separate document.
Email a copy to your state representative and senator.
Submit your testimony to TIM’s People’ Testimony project here.
Examples of Topics for your Testimony
It is best to focus your testimony on 1 or 2 themes and expand on those themes in your testimony:
Your personal experience with antisemitism and ways you support to address it
Your personal experience with the weaponization of antisemitism to suppress free speech or state control of religious identity
Challenge ADL stats in your own community
Impact of Commission recommendations on your school district or private school
Experience with other forms of hate/racism and how to address antisemitism alongside, rather than in isolation from, other forms of hate
Experiences in higher education
Experiences in the work place
Experiences with law enforcement
You may even submit a short comment with your feedback on how the Commission has operated so far and your position on their recommendations
In solidarity,
Together for an Inclusive Massachusetts