LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Across the country, the Jewish community is preparing to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month in May, while simultaneously facing rising concerns about antisemitism in our state over the past five years, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of Nevada.
WATCH | Anti-Defamation League speaks on the proposed legislation
Several bills are currently under consideration by Nevada lawmakers that aim to make the state more inclusive for religious communities, particularly addressing security concerns and religious expression rights.
First bill
I sat down with ADL's Desert Regional Director Jolie Brislin, who highlighted a proposed nonprofit security fund bill (Senate Bill 413) that would allocate state money to not just help religious organizations enhance their security infrastructure, but all nonprofits operating in the state.
"There's a few different bills. One is our nonprofit security fund bill, which we are asking the state of Nevada to put money towards a fund that any nonprofit or religious organization that shows that they have a need for secure infrastructure," Brislin said. "This bill would allow not just the Jewish community but all houses of worship and nonprofits to be able to apply for it".
Second bill
Another proposed bill (Senate Bill 201) focuses on protecting religious expression in housing, specifically addressing issues some residents have faced with displaying religious items.
"The other bill allows for you to look at your religious expression for housing which allows for mezuzahs to be placed on doorposts of homes. What we have seen is that whether it be HOAs or apartment complexes and whether it be that they are just not knowing of what a mezuzah is, but many places have asked for these mezuzahs to be taken down," Brislin explained.
The protection would extend beyond the Jewish community. "It's not just the Jewish community that's affected by this. It's also the Buddhist community who puts religious artifacts on the doorpost of their home," Brislin said.
Third bill
A third bill (Senate Bill 179) aims to incorporate antisemitism definitions into the Fair Housing Act, with notable youth involvement in the legislative process.
"The other bill is defining antisemitism into the Fair Housing Act, and I'm really pleased that we have a Nevada youth legislator who's working with the state senator to draft that bill and is really pushing it to come to fruition," Brislin said.
While the voting timeline for these bills remains uncertain, the ADL is planning to advocate for them directly to elected officials. "We will be going with a large delegation on Wednesday to really be bringing these to the forefront of our elected officials' plate," Brislin said.
She told me that ADL is also advocating for the state to keep its $275,000 in funding for Holocaust and genocide education through the Nevada Department of Education.
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