Jewish groups hail California law listing Jewish as ethnicity

What happened

• California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1387, making California the first U.S. state to recognize Jewish as an ethnic identity for demographic data collection by public agencies starting January 1, 2029.jpost.comIsrael HayomArutz Sheva
• Jewish groups, including a coalition of 46 organizations, supported the law as correcting a historical approach of counting Jews only as a religious group, which they said excluded the community from policy-shaping data.jpost.comIsrael Hayom
• Progressive Jewish organizations including Jewish Voice for Peace and Bend the Arc opposed the legislation, arguing it ignores diversity within the community and creates a government registration system for Jewish citizens.Israel Hayom
• Newsom, while signing the bill, expressed reservations about implementation challenges and federal compliance concerns.jpost.com
• Newsom also signed five related bills protecting Jewish community interests, including religious holiday accommodations in schools, protective zones around houses of worship, and restrictions on hate speech in voter guides.jpost.comIsrael Hayom

Why it matters

The law enables more accurate tracking of antisemitic incidents and reflects the diversity of the Jewish community, while raising concerns about ethnic categorization of a religious group.jpost.comIsrael Hayom