Federation News
April 29, 2026
By Danny Cohn, President & CEO, Jewish Federation of St. Louis
With the governor’s signing of HB 2061 into law, Missouri has taken an important step to strengthen how schools respond to antisemitism.
Its passage reflects the work of legislators on both sides of the aisle who came together, listened to differing perspectives, and made thoughtful adjustments to reach a balanced outcome. At a time when our world feels very polarized, that kind of collaboration is worth recognizing.
At its core, HB 2061 requires public K-12 schools and state-funded colleges and universities to treat antisemitic discrimination like other forms of discrimination, with clear definitions, reporting processes, and consistent enforcement.
That may sound obvious. But in practice, it hasn’t always been.
Under federal law, specifically Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, schools are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, or national origin. Religion, on its own, is not explicitly included.
That creates a gap.
Jewish identity does not fit neatly into a single category. Jews are a religious group, but also an ethnic and ancestral people. As a result, protections under Title VI have been applied inconsistently when it comes to antisemitism. In some cases, incidents are recognized as discrimination; in others, similar conduct is dismissed as outside the law’s scope.
For students experiencing harassment, that inconsistency matters.
HB 2061 helps close that gap by providing clearer guidance to schools on how to identify and respond to antisemitism within existing civil rights frameworks. It does not create new rights. It clarifies how current protections should be applied.
That’s an important distinction, especially in response to the argument that this law provides special protections for Jews that other students don’t receive.
It doesn’t.
The final version of the bill reinforces protections for all students and makes clear that schools must address discrimination in all its forms. Addressing antisemitism does not come at the expense of other communities. It strengthens the expectation that schools take all forms of hate seriously.
Much of the debate has focused on the law’s reference to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. Critics worry it could be used to label criticism of Israel as antisemitic.
Those concerns deserve to be taken seriously. Open dialogue and academic freedom matter.
But they also need to be grounded in the actual language of the law.
HB 2061 explicitly protects free speech. It does not prohibit criticism of Israel. It does not restrict political viewpoints. And it does not give schools license to punish students or faculty for expressing opinions on public issues.
What it does is provide a framework for determining when conduct crosses the line into harassment or discrimination under established civil rights standards.
That distinction is critical.
There is a difference between expressing a viewpoint and targeting individuals in a way that creates a hostile environment. The law is aimed at the latter, not the former.
Unfortunately, in today’s environment, complex legislation is easily reduced to its most provocative headlines. Before long, people are not reacting to the law itself, but making assumptions about a version of it that doesn’t actually exist.
As antisemitism continues to rise, Jewish students deserve to feel safe, supported, and able to fully participate in their education.
At the same time, we recognize that there are differing views about the IHRA definition, about the role of legislation, and about how to balance protection and free expression.
What matters now is implementation.
The Jewish Federation of St. Louis is committed to working with educators and community partners to ensure this law is applied fairly, thoughtfully, and in a way that reflects both its intent and our shared values.
That means protecting Jewish students from real antisemitism. It also means safeguarding the open exchange of ideas that are essential to education and our country’s founding principles.
These are not competing goals. These are shared responsibilities. Join us, because when we combat antisemitism and discrimination in all its forms, we make our community safer for everyone.