Kentucky’s new antisemitism task force had its first meeting to address rising incidents of antisemitism across the state. This task force was founded in December by Governor Andy Beshear and met for the first time on Jan. 25 in Frankfort. The board is comprised of 18 leaders from around the state, including lawmakers, law enforcement, religious leaders and members of Jewish councils.
This meeting included Gov. Beshear and Mayor Craig Greenberg of Louisville, with the purpose of addressing antisemitic hate crimes within the commonwealth. Beshear stated, “We are making a statement that admits that hate does exist in the world, that antisemitism is real and that we acknowledge it.”
Task force member Aaron Ann Cole-Funfsinn, board member at the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, provided some insight into her experience as part of the Jewish community in Kentucky. “It is a very scary time to be a Jew in Lexington. We are lucky that we have so many community members that keep us and other people in the community safe, but years ago I was not really afraid to wear a Star of David. And I wasn’t afraid to send my children out in clothing that identified them as Jewish.”
Kelly Fishman, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, presented statistics on the issue, stating that since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, the number of antisemitic incidents has increased by 361%. This increase was found to be particularly notable on college campuses. These incidents include flyers, graffiti and threats against Jewish institutions.
“In 2023, there were two incidents of antisemitism before October 7th, and 17 after October 7th,” Fishman states, while also noting that it is common for incidents to go unreported.
During the meeting, the board determined what their objectives will be moving forward. They will begin by reviewing the incidents and any current threats. They will also develop plans to address antisemitism in Kentucky education, especially on college campuses. Fishman explains, “We want our kids to go to college to learn how to have conversations with people who are different than they are. We’re not all the same in this room, and yet we’ve come together for a shared goal. How do we teach our kids that?” The consensus made was that most of these antisemitic incidents likely come from a lack of understanding rather than genuine hatred. State Representative Daniel Grossberg commented, “The core issue is generally ignorance. I don’t think that most people are willfully antisemitic, but they will unknowingly spread antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories just because of their lack of awareness.”
Additionally, the task force will review and update training programs for law enforcement. “When I became governor,” Beshear says, “we found that we had some training materials across state government that weren’t right, that weren’t teaching our folks to recognize biases, and in fact had some things in them that didn’t belong whatsoever.”
Based on its executive order, the task force is required, at minimum, to convene quarterly. However, they are currently planning to have more meetings for a total of six per year. They are also currently setting up a “ky.gov” email address so that the public can contribute by sending in ideas and resources.