{"id":482016,"date":"2026-10-01T21:46:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T21:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/482016\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T21:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T21:46:09","slug":"jewish-groups-hail-california-law-making-it-the-first-state-to-list-jewish-as-an-ethnicity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/482016\/","title":{"rendered":"Jewish groups hail California law making it the first state to list \u2018Jewish\u2019 as an ethnicity"},"content":{"rendered":"

California is now the first state in the nation to deem \u201cJewish\u201d an ethnic and racial identity<\/a>, rather than just a religious affiliation.<\/p>\n

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed SB 1387<\/a>, a bill that expands California\u2019s legal definition of ethnicity \u201cto include Jewish identity\u201d in demographic data collection. As of Jan. 1, 2029, forms distributed by public entities like schools and prisons will need to include a \u201cJewish\u201d category when asking for voluntary disclosures of ethnicity or race.\u00a0<\/p>\n

David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California, a group that lobbies on behalf of a number of Jewish organizations in the state, described the signing in a statement as \u201ca historic step for the Jewish community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder the shadow of Nazi race theory, American Jewish leaders asked the government to count us only as a religion,\u201d he said, noting that this approach \u201cdidn\u2019t work\u201d and led to exclusion from data that shapes policy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNow hate crime, health, poverty, and education data will reflect who Jewish Californians actually are so we can ensure the best support for our community,\u201d Bocarsly added. \u201cMost importantly, it allows us to be seen as the diverse, complex people we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

The legislation was a priority among many Jewish groups<\/a> across the Gold Rush state, who believe that Jewish peoplehood should be connected to more than just religion \u2014 and that the law should reflect this relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Newsom, however, expressed some reservations in signing the bill into law.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI strongly support this bill\u2019s goal: accurate data leads to better understanding to inform policy,\u201d Newsom, who is considering a presidential run in 2028, wrote in a signing statement<\/a>. But he said he was concerned that the bill\u2019s strictures would make it hard for state agencies to comply with the new law and with federal laws, and recommended revisiting the bill.<\/p>\n

In addition to signing SB 1387 on Wednesday \u2014 the final day on which he could approve or veto bills in this year\u2019s legislative session<\/a> \u2014 Newsom also authorized AB 395<\/a>, which will prohibit public meetings and graduations from being scheduled on major cultural and religious holidays.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornians of all faiths and backgrounds<\/a> should be able to fully participate in public life,\u201d the bill\u2019s author, Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor too long members of our religious communities have been forced to choose between observing their faith and participating in important public events and academic milestones,\u201d added Gabriel, who chairs the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.<\/p>\n

Also on Wednesday, Newsom approved AB 1763<\/a>, which will include religious holiday observance as a type of excused absence in schools without requiring a written request from a parent or guardian.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Newsom signed other bills relevant to the Jewish community in the past few days, including AB 2664<\/a>, which will establish 100-foot protective zones<\/a> around entrances to houses of worship.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another new law is AB 1836<\/a>, which will close a gap in California\u2019s nonprofit security grant structure by extending funds to off-site religious events like Hanukkah menorah lightings. The governor also approved AB 1853<\/a>, enacting a ban on including misleading or threatening information, like hate speech, in California voter guides.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the Year Turns, Support the Journalism You Trust. JTA covers the stories shaping Jewish life around the world \u2014 with the depth this moment calls for. As you reflect on the year ahead, consider a gift that keeps independent Jewish journalism strong.<\/p>\n

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\tSupport Us<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"California is now the first state in the nation to deem \u201cJewish\u201d an ethnic and racial identity, rather…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":482017,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8],"class_list":["post-482016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=482016"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482016\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/482017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=482016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=482016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=482016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}