State Sen. Jack Martins antisemitism roundtable

New York State Senator Jack M. Martins (7th SD) will host a Nassau County Anti-Semitism Roundtable on September 26, 2023, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Theodore Roosevelt Legislative Building, 1550 Franklin Avenue, in Mineola, NY.

Senator Martins serves as Chair of The New York State Republicans Anti-Semitism Working Group whose members include Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Senator Joseph Griffo, Senator Peter Oberacker, and Senator Bill Weber. The group is convening a series of discussions throughout the state, bringing notable Jewish leaders and security experts together with the public to discuss how best to address the alarming rise in antisemitic incidents.

Senator Martins explains, “The data is shocking. The Anti-Defamation League tells us that antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in the United States last year. What’s worse, that trend is true for New York. It’s time we sound the alarm. This is a call for all good people, from all faiths, backgrounds and political persuasions to come together and reverse this before it gets any worse.”

Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick added, “It is troubling that hate towards other groups is not tolerated, yet antisemitism is still prevalent in our local communities. I hope these roundtable discussions will allow us to explore why this is occurring and bring us solutions to eliminate this problem once and for all.”

Scheduled speakers for the September event include Professor Jeff Lax of CUNY and Avi Posnick of “Stand with Us.” Additional guests will be announced as they are confirmed.

The panel will also hear testimony directly from stakeholders who have experienced and witnessed antisemitism as well as those who work to educate about antisemitism. At the conclusion of the roundtables, the working group will issue a report and make a series of legislative recommendations. The non-partisan effort is open to all New Yorkers who seek to combat hate.