Boston City Council passes resolution honoring Jewish American Heritage Month

Councilor Ben Weber, the body’s sole Jewish member, sponsored the resolution along with council president Ruthzee Louijeune.

In introducing the resolution Wednesday, Weber recognized several notable Jewish American figures, their accomplishments, and their contributions to history. He also noted the long history of discrimination the Jewish American population has faced in the United States, the trauma Jewish people around the world experienced as a result of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and its aftermath, and the complexity of the ongoing conversation about the war in Gaza.

“In great numbers Jews have demonstrated for Israel and the return of hostages,” Weber said. “Many have also joined encampments and marches in protests calling for an immediate cease-fire and call for an end to the occupation by the Israeli government.”

Weber emphasized the importance of including language in the resolution that “calls out hate,” including Islamophobia and the rise in antisemitism in recent years.

“I, for one, have no doubt that the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 has brought about a rise in antisemitism — that is not to say that criticisms of the Israeli government are per se antisemitic, because they are not,” Weber said. “We voted for a cease-fire, return of all the hostages, and resumption of humanitarian aid last week, because this body is able to hold in its heart the suffering of all the innocent people who are being killed in the Middle East.”

Several councilors spoke in support of the resolution, to elevate the names and legacies of prominent Jewish Americans, acknowledge the Jewish community’s history of advocating for marginalized groups, and speak against increasing discrimination.

“It is important that we guard against and denounce rising antisemitism as we do in this resolution, and oftentimes, it’s the same groups that are committing antisemitic attacks that are also engaged in anti-immigrant behavior, that are engaged in anti-Black behavior, that are ingrained in racism,” Louijeune said.

Councilor Ed Flynn had also filed a resolution condemning antisemitism for consideration during Wednesday’s meeting. Flynn was one of two councilors to vote against last week’s resolution calling for an immediate and permanent cease-fire in the war in Gaza, for Hamas to return all hostages, and for the Israeli government to release all administrative detainees. He emphasized that the cease-fire resolution did not explicitly mention the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.

The council clerk withdrew Flynn’s resolution Wednesday because of the overwhelming similarities it shared with Weber’s, and because Weber filed his first.

“I believe the rise of antisemitism that we are seeing locally, nationally, internationally, is separate and distinct,” Flynn said. “It has an impact on what we’re doing here today. But it should also be its own discussion, in my opinion.”

Flynn ultimately voted in support of Weber’s resolution.

“This is obviously something that I don’t think any of us were elected to deal with on a daily basis, but it’s something that we have to confront,” Weber said. “I thank you for handling this in a way that shows that we can come together and we can express empathy for our constituents and show a way forward that hopefully brings a resolution to what’s happening in the world right now.”

Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold.