Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin recently announced the Commission to Combat Antisemitism members, according to a press release by Youngkin’s office.
The purpose of the commission is to make recommendations to the governor and General Assembly with the goal of identifying ways to reverse increasing antisemitic incidents in the Commonwealth, according to the press release. The commission will study antisemitism in the Commonwealth, propose actions to combat antisemitism, reduce the number of antisemitic incidents, and compile materials and provide assistance to Virginia’s public school system and state institutions of higher education in relation to antisemitism and its connection to the Holocaust.
“I promised that I would fight antisemitism in all its forms and address discrimination head-on. Hate has no place in our great Commonwealth,” Youngkin said in a statement. “I am proud to appoint these new members to the commission. Together we will take concrete steps to help Virginia combat antisemitism.”
The new commission consists of the following members:
- Jeffrey A. Rosen of McLean, Former Acting Attorney General of the United States, Chairman
- Samuel Asher of Richmond, Executive Director, Virginia Holocaust Museum
- Mel Chaskin of Fairfax Station, President, Vanguard Research, Inc.
- Eric Fusfield of Arlington, Director of Legislative Affairs, B’nai B’rith International
- Jennifer L. Goss of Augusta County, Program Manager, Echoes & Reflections
- Bruce Hoffman of Fairfax, Director, Center for Jewish Civilization, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
- William J. Kilberg of McLean, Retired Senior Partner, Gibson Dunn, LLP
- Julie Strauss Levin of Leesburg, Attorney
- Earl G. Matthews of Great Falls, President, Veeam Government Solutions
- Connie A. Meyer of Virginia Beach, Editor and Founder, Hampton Roads Weekly
- Kenneth A. Miller of Virginia Beach, Retired Police Chief, Petersburg Bureau of Police
- Susan O’Prandy Fierro of Prince George, Commonwealth’s Attorney of Prince George County
- Eric Rozenman of Fairfax City, Communications Consultant, Jewish Policy Center, Washington, D.C.
- Arthur B. Sandler of Virginia Beach
- Camille Q. Solberg of Purcellville, State Policy Expert, Intercessors of America
The new commission consists of the following Ex-officio members:
- Attorney General Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia
- Secretary Aimee Guidera, Secretary of Education
- Secretary Robert Mosier, Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security
- Rosa Atkins, Interim Chief Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion Officer
“These individuals will be engaged in important work which will produce policy recommendations and will inform us all of a pathway forward free of violence, hatred and ignorance,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Kay Coles James said in a statement.
This week I was proud to attend the first meeting of the Commission to Combat Antisemitism. Together we are taking concrete steps to help Virginia combat antisemitism. pic.twitter.com/RH5PpGviiX
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) May 13, 2022
This week, Youngkin attended the first meeting of the commission, writing on Twitter, “Together we are taking concrete steps to help Virginia combat antisemitism.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Commission to Combat Antisemitism” by Glenn Youngkin.
