Jewish groups hail California law making it the first state to list ‘Jewish’ as an ethnicity

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1387, making California the first US state to legally define 'Jewish' as an ethnicity and race for demographic data collection, effective January 2029. Jewish groups praised the move as historic, while Newsom expressed compliance concerns. Additional bills signed include protections for religious holiday absences and worship site buffer zones.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1387 on Wednesday, making California the first state in the US to legally define 'Jewish' as an ethnicity and racial identity for demographic data collection, rather than solely a religious affiliation. The law takes effect January 1, 2029, requiring public entities like schools and prisons to include a 'Jewish' category on voluntary ethnicity or race disclosure forms. Jewish groups, including Jewish California CEO David Bocarsly, hailed the move as a historic step that will allow data on hate crimes, health, poverty, and education to reflect the Jewish community accurately. Newsom expressed reservations about compliance with federal law and recommended revisiting the bill. He also signed several other bills relevant to the Jewish community: AB 395 prohibits scheduling public meetings and graduations on major cultural and religious holidays; AB 1763 allows religious holiday observance as an excused school absence without a written parental request; AB 2664 establishes 100-foot protective zones around houses of worship entrances; AB 1836 extends security grants to off-site religious events like Hanukkah menorah lightings; and AB 1853 bans misleading or threatening information in California voter guides.