ZOA Philadelphia Region Director Steve Feldman released the following message:

Philadelphia – The commonwealth of Pennsylvania is rife with anti-Jewish activity – including by government agencies and institutions. It is one of the reasons that we organized our 2025 Mission to Harrisburg. The most recent example occurred several weeks ago when the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission – which was established to fight discrimination – announced it was having an event that was thoroughly anti-Jewish! See below for details.

On May 18, I addressed the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission during the public comment period of the Commission’s monthly meeting – by invitation. I was the only person from outside the Commission to address the meeting, which was attended by the Commission chairman, other commissioners and Commission officials and staff.

I was invited to speak at the meeting by the Commission’s director of policy, intergovernmental affairs and mediation, Alana Burman, after raising strong objection to a publicly announced and promoted severely anti-Jewish event the Commission was presenting later this month.

The original title of the program was “How Anti-Muslim Hate and Fears of Antisemitism Prop Up [a] Pro-Israel Façade.” After apparent early negative feedback, the Commission changed the title, making it even worse, to: “How Antisemitism Is Exploited to Drive Islamophobia.” Both of the announced presenters/experts for this event are officials of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is under federal indictment for allegedly funding hate groups, including anti-Jewish hate groups.

Upon learning of this event, I did some fact-finding, including speaking with Commission insiders, and I had a heated conversation with a Commission official. My concerns, my passion and my own experience exposing and fighting Jew-hatred – which I related to the Commission official – apparently led her to invite me to address the Commission.

When I was recognized, I began by introducing myself – I included my position at ZOA and my prior career – 44 years dedicated to identifying and fighting Jew-hatred. I noted also that ZOA is a 128-year-old educational and advocacy organization for the well-being of the Jewish community, and that we promote Israel and Zionism.

I then asserted that there is a problem within the Commission due to the fact that this program was thought to be ok by leadership. I pointed out that Jew-hatred has nothing to do with anti-Islamic hatred, that ant-Jewish hatred is authentic and is not being weaponized for any purpose.

I then proceeded to focus on the endemic anti-Jewish manifestations in public schools in the commonwealth – mentioning the ubiquitous displays of the PLO flag, and false claims against Israel, and the erasure of Jewish history and facts about Israel, Jewish history and Zionism – I included the false claims about “genocide” in Gaza.

Chairman Jones interjected about “country” flags and I replied that it is not a country flag – that there is no “Palestine” and that the United States does not recognize “Palestine.”

Jones then mentioned that there was a graffiti incident – antisemitic, anti-Muslim, anti-black — at a school in Roxborough, and that the Commission condemned it.

I then interjected: “With all due respect commissioner, graffiti can be washed away in a minute” and that it was not done in the classroom. But what children are indoctrinated with day in and day out in the classroom where they are compelled to attend cannot be washed away so easily – and they will bring it with them when in their careers. It is a matter of current discrimination and future discrimination.

To illustrate how bad the situation is for Jews in school, I mentioned the fourth-grader in the suburban school who stood up in class and said “I want to kill at the Jews.”

Jones condemned that, and said that he is a City Councilman in Philadelphia, and he has a reputation as a “straight shooter.”

I expressed interest in being in touch with him, and I called on the Commission to investigate the Jew-hatred in Pennsylvania’s schools. He said he would be in touch. Then there was a motion for adjournment and the meeting ended.