California lawmakers have passed a bill that would allow individuals to voluntarily identify their Jewish heritage on state forms. The legislation, which requires a final legislative vote before potentially heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk, mandates that state agencies collecting demographic information include "Jewish" as an option for ethnicity or ancestry.
The primary goal of the bill is to provide state officials and researchers with enhanced data on Jewish Californians. This information could include details on unemployment rates and representation in educational institutions, enabling lawmakers to craft policies tailored to the specific needs of the Jewish community in the state. David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California, an advocacy group, stated that the bill is "about inclusion as a community," noting similar legislative efforts in recent years to gather more inclusive demographic data for Middle Eastern, North African, and LGBTQ+ communities.
However, the proposal has encountered opposition from some individuals and groups who express reservations about the state collecting such data. Concerns stem from the historical precedent of governments, such as the Nazi regime, maintaining records of Jewish populations. Opponents worry about potential misuse of such information, despite the bill's provisions to bar agencies from disclosing "personal identifying information." Bill author Henry Stern, a Democratic state senator who is Jewish, emphasized that California already has strong privacy protections in place that he believes should alleviate these concerns.
Sydney Levy of Jewish Voice for Peace, described as a progressive anti-Zionist group, voiced skepticism regarding the privacy safeguards. "When it comes to government holding lists of Jews, we do not trust your privacy guardrails," Levy stated during a hearing on the bill. Marc Dollinger, a Jewish studies professor at San Francisco State University, also noted that within Jewish tradition, "Jews are not supposed to be counted." He added, "Ultimately, it becomes a question of trust: do California Jews have confidence that this form of data collection will support and protect them or will it elevate concerns over the possible harm this sort of counting can do?"
Dollinger suggested that categorizing Jewish identity as an ethnicity could aid the state in tracking hate crimes targeting Jews. Conversely, Levy disagreed with the singular ethnic categorization of Jewish people, highlighting the diverse experiences of Jewish individuals of color and Latino Jews compared to white Jews.
The legislation was updated to include an exemption for agencies that might lose federal funding by adding "Jewish" as an option. Under the bill, individuals can still identify their race in addition to selecting "Jewish" for their ethnicity, similar to how some identify as Latino ethnically while stating their race as white, Native American, or Black.
Senator Stern shared personal reflections on his evolving relationship with his Jewish identity. He recounted an incident in October 2023, shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel, where he and his daughter were subjected to an antisemitic remark from people in a passing car while he was wearing a kippah. This experience led him to wear a kippah regularly. Stern also recalled being bullied for being Jewish in junior high school. He expressed that if a bill like this had been in place during his youth, it could have provided a means to ensure his identity was better represented, concluding that the bill aims to "create a little more space for those kinds of people — just let them be seen."