The CUFI Action Fund engages in advancing state policy across the country. The three primary foci are backing anti-BDS laws, Holocaust education enhancement, and combatting antisemitism.
Anti-BDS Laws:
With the Action Fund’s support, 35 states have enacted measures that ensure state taxpayer funds to not subsidize the antisemitic effort to Boycott, Divest from and Sanction Israel. These measures do not ban boycotts of Israel. Rather, as the taxpayers have the right to decide that their state government’s funds should not subsidize bigotry, these measures prohibit contracting with and/or investing in entities that boycott the Jewish state.
Holocaust Education:
According to recent studies there exists a woeful ignorance about the Holocaust amongst younger generations in the United States. To address this, the Action Fund has examined social studies standards in numerous states, identified states lacking in Holocaust education, and works with state education officials and/or legislators to enhanced Holocaust education standards in the state. With deference to the concept of local control of education as well as a focus on standards – rather than mandating specific curricula – we have successfully advanced Holocaust education enhancement in several states across the country and are continuously working with other states in an effort to do the same.
Combating Antisemitism:
In addition to our education efforts, the Action Fund’s efforts to directly combat antisemitism are two pronged. First, we have worked with partners in the Jewish community to see states across the country acknowledge the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, including its associated examples. These efforts build upon President Trump’s 2019 executive order combating antisemitism for which the IHRA definition serves as the cornerstone. To date, at least 30 states have embraced the IHRA definition.
The second element of our effort to combat antisemitism focuses on security funding. Similar to our support for increasing funding for the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, the Action Fund backs efforts to create and/or increase funding for similar programs in states across the country, as needed.
