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Jewish community group urges county leaders to act as antisemitic incidents rise
Summary
Allison Berry of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee briefed the Jackson County Legislature on a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents and urged officials to use JCRB/AJC resources and speak up when they observe troubling behavior.
Allison Berry, a board member of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau and American Jewish Committee, told the Jackson County Legislature on Monday that Jewish Americans in the region and nationwide are feeling less safe following a recent surge in antisemitic incidents.
"The rise in antisemitic incidents began before 10/07/2023, but took a dramatic turn after that day," Berry said, citing the most recent American Jewish Committee report. She told legislators that, although Jews make up about 2% of the U.S. population, crimes targeting Jews account for a large share of religion‑based hate crimes reported to the FBI.
Berry asked county elected officials to use the JCRB/AJC as a resource for education and response, and she provided QR‑coded resource cards with briefings and presentation materials designed for local governments. "Please reach out with questions," she said, urging officials to "speak up when you hear something that might be a problem for the Jewish community."
The presentation lasted several minutes and concluded with lawmakers thanking Berry for the resource materials. The briefing was delivered during the legislature's presentations section; no formal action was taken, but Berry's remarks were entered into the record and the resource materials were left with the clerk.
