Protecting Faith and Freedom: Zero Tolerance for Antisemitism

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Those words are not a history lesson. They are a warning for right now.

Antisemitism is not “someone else’s problem,” and it is not a political talking point. It is an old hatred that mutates, spreads, and escalates when decent people stay quiet. Silence and complacency don’t calm the fire – they feed it.

That is why the actions of New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, were a chilling reminder that leadership matters. On his first day, he revoked former Mayor Eric Adams’ executive order recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism – a widely used tool for identifying and confronting the hatred Jews face today. He also revoked NYPD directives intended to help maintain safe perimeters around houses of worship during protests, raising real concerns about security and religious freedom.

What followed should shake all of us: protesters outside a Queens yeshiva chanting support for Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, in the streets of America’s largest city. And the consequences are not distant, they are here at home. In Bridgeport, Congregation B’nai Israel’s outdoor menorah, built and donated by a Holocaust survivor was deliberately vandalized and toppled just after Hanukkah, a chilling reminder that sacred symbols and houses of worship are being targeted in our own communities. When hate is emboldened, it does not stay contained. It spreads like a virus. Hate crimes against the Jewish people in Connecticut are up 560% since 2020, and Connecticut ranked 9th in antisemitic incidents per capita in 2024, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

The IHRA definition is non-legally binding, but it provides clarity: antisemitism is a perception of Jews that can be expressed as hatred, including in rhetoric and violence directed at Jewish people and institutions. Just as important, it recognizes a reality many Jews experience today, that demonizing, discriminating against, or denying the Jewish people’s right to self-determination can become a modern vehicle for an ancient bigotry.

As your State Senator, I stand with the Jewish community in Fairfield, Easton, Newtown, Bethel, and beyond, and against antisemitism in all its forms. I call on colleagues from every party: use your voices, especially when it is uncomfortable. Because the cost of silence is always paid by someone else, until it isn’t.