California first in US to change status of Jewish community

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1387, officially recognizing the Jewish community not only as a religious group but also as an ethnic group. California became the first US state to adopt such a decision. The law requires state agencies to add a separate category for the Jewish population when collecting demographic data.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1387, which officially recognized the Jewish community as not only a religious group but also an ethnic group. California became the first US state to adopt this precedent-setting decision. The initiative received unanimous support in both chambers of the local parliament: 74 Assembly members and 39 senators voted in favor, with no one voting against. The new regulations require state agencies collecting demographic information to add a separate category for the Jewish population. Participation in the survey will be entirely voluntary, and data may only be indicated in combination with other ethnic groups. Authorities guarantee full confidentiality and prohibit using this information for creating government registries, law enforcement activities, or immigration control. The bill's authors emphasize that the old accounting system ignored the ethnic component. Approximately 1.2 million Jews live in California, making the community the second largest in the US. Last year, 289 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in the state. The new classification will allow better monitoring of education, healthcare, poverty levels, and hate crimes. The innovation has sparked discussions within the community: some critics express concerns about government tracking by a separate characteristic, while others point to the blurring of distinctions between Ashkenazim, Sephardim, and Mizrahim. Supporters counter that the voluntary nature of filling out the forms minimizes risks. The law will take effect on January 1, 2027, with the first reports expected in 2030.