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Seal of the Governor
For Immediate Release: May 19, 2025
Contacts: Office of the Governor:Peter Finocchio, Peter.finocchio@governor.virginia.gov

Governor Glenn Youngkin Issues Executive Order to Expand Efforts to Combat Antisemitism at Virginia Schools

RICHMOND, VA – Today, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 48 Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Religious Bigotry in Virginia Public Schools and Institutions of Higher Education to further expand his efforts to combat antisemitism at Virginia public schools and institutions of higher education. Surveys conducted by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) found that since the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, incidents of antisemitism have increased, especially in classrooms and on campuses. 

“No one should be unsafe in the classroom or on campus or feel targeted because of their religion or heritage. This Executive Order reaffirms and strengthens the Commonwealth’s commitment to safe educational environments free from discrimination and continues our actions against antisemitism and anti-religious bigotry in public schools and institutions of higher education,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “On Day One, I signed Executive Order 8 establishing the Commission to Combat Antisemitism. We have made tremendous strides implementing their recommendations, but our work is far from done.” 

The Order directs the Secretary of Education, the Virginia Department of Education, and the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia to develop resources that will help local school divisions as well as colleges and universities prevent, track, report, and follow up on incidents of antisemitism and anti-religious bigotry.  

Governor Youngkin and his team have taken the following steps to combat antisemitism in Virginia since he came into office:  

  • Day One Commission Established: Issued Executive Order Eight, establishing the Commission to Combat Antisemitism, chaired by former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen. The Commission made several administrative and legislative recommendations that have been successfully championed by the Youngkin Administration in partnership with Jewish leaders across Virginia.  
  • IHRA Definition Adopted: Signed HB1606 into law, patroned by Delegate Anne-Farrell Tata and championed by then-Senator Siobhan Dunnavant, adopting the Working Definition of Antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) on May 26, 2016, including the contemporary examples of antisemitism set forth therein, as the standard for training, education, recognition, and combat against antisemitic hate crimes or discrimination and for tracking and reporting antisemitic incidents in the Commonwealth. 
  • Hate Crimes Law Strengthened: Signed SB7 and HB18, patroned by Senator Bryce Reeves and Delegate Dan Helmer, into law, which add ethnic origin to Virginia’s existing hate crime law, which already covered religion. This change better aligned state law with the IHRA working definition, which includes both religious and ethnic examples, and was a key recommendation of the Commission.  
  • Increased Security Funding and Training Post October 7th - Issued Executive Directive Six, to combat the rise in antisemitism and anti-religious bigotry. This directive enhanced security coordination for houses of worship and educational institutions, expedited $2.7 million in protective grants, and called for targeted campus safety plans and awareness initiatives to safeguard Jewish, Muslim, and other religious communities across the Commonwealth. 
  • Judaism, Jewish History, Holocaust Awareness Incorporated into History SOLs: Championed incorporation of antisemitism awareness, Holocaust awareness and Jewish history into the 2023 K-12 History and Social Science Standards of Learning adopted by the Virginia Board of Education. The Virginia Department of Education recently published relevant high-quality instructional guides that align with the 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning, integrating Jewish experiences in the United States pre- and post-American Revolution, pre- and post-World War II and the Holocaust, and in modern times. The Department in partnership with the Board of Education will continue to publish high-quality instructional materials with the History and Social Science instructional guides, thoroughly review and adopt textbooks aligned to the 2023 Standards of Learning and will include high-quality instructional materials on the Department’s GoOpenVA Hub that are accurate and complete in their coverage of Judaism, Jewish heritage and history, and Israel. 
  • Antisemitism Awareness Training for Law Enforcement: Beginning in September 2024, the Youngkin Administration partnered with CAM and the George Washington University Program on Extremism to host trainings on Global Extremism, Domestic Extremism, Campus Extremism and Antisemitism for Virginia law enforcement. Approximately 475 officers have been trained in two sessions at George Mason University and one at Virginia Tech. A fourth training event is already planned at Old Dominion University. 

The Governor’s full executive order is available here. 

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