Antisemitism bill advances in House despite strong opposition

By Jackson Cooper, Missouri News Network

JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri House moved forward Monday with a bill that would provide protections against antisemitism in public schools.
House Bill 937, sponsored by Rep. George Hruza, R-St. Louis, establishes a definition for antisemitism, which public school districts and institutions of higher education would be required to integrate into their codes of conduct.
The definition referred to is the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism. According to the text of HB 937, the IHRA definition states, “antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews that may be expressed as hatred toward Jews and that rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals, their property, or both, and toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
Hruza, the son of a Holocaust survivor, said he was motivated to pursue this legislation amid a recent rise of antisemitic incidents that has coincided with the Israel-Hamas war.
“Jewish students should be able to go to school without fearing for their safety,” Hruza said. “They should be able to focus on their studies, to go about their life without fear as the rest of us are.”
The bill also includes a noncompulsory recommendation for districts to provide curriculum on Jewish-American history for students.
Several Republican representatives expressed support for the bill during debate, often invoking the Bible as motivation for supporting Jewish citizens.
Opponents to the bill cited a number of factors, including that the legislation is vague, inconsiderate to the desires of progressive Jewish citizens and unfair to other minority groups.
Rep. Elizabeth Fuchs, D-St. Louis, expressed her opposition, calling back to conversations with Jewish constituents who opposed the government defining antisemitism.
“While I am all for nondiscrimination protections, (these conversations) helped me understand that this goes much further, and they don’t want the General Assembly defining how they understand, perceive and define antisemitism,” Fuchs said.
Rep. Bridget Walsh Moore, D-St. Louis, spoke strongly against the bill, and said that it is unfair to provide protections for a single group while broader DEI protections are being dismantled at the federal level.
“We’re going to wipe away protections for every other minority group, every other oppressed class, but at the same time say we want to protect students,” Walsh Moore said. “It’s picking a favorite team. I won’t do it, and I ask that this body join me.”
Walsh Moore’s sentiments were echoed in part across the aisle. Though Rep. Darin Chappell, R-Rogersville, offered wide-ranging comments on theological motivations for antisemitism, he also expressed qualms with creating provisions for single groups.
“I have a hard time any subsection of society is singled out based on some sort of unique perspective based on things that are already illegal to discriminate against,” Chappell said.
House members also adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Raychel Proudie, D-Ferguson. Known as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act, it prevents discrimination based on hair style in schools.
HB 937 faces one more vote on the House floor before it is passed to the Senate.