Governor Wes Moore Stands With Maryland’s Jewish Community

When Jewish Marylanders face rising antisemitism, threats to our institutions, and anxiety about Israel and the future of Jewish life, leadership matters. Words matter. Actions matter even more.

That is why it is so important to recognize Governor Wes Moore’s action to protect Maryland’s Jewish community, confront hate, and stand with the Jewish people.

This year alone, Maryland has committed a total of $13.5 million in security funding to help protect vulnerable institutions. For synagogues, Jewish schools, and other community organizations confronting real security risks, this support can make a meaningful difference. Security measures cost money, and institutions should not have to choose between welcoming their communities and protecting them.

Funding alone, of course, cannot eliminate antisemitism. But it demonstrates that protecting people targeted by hate must be a public priority. Continued investment, effective implementation, and attention to the needs of vulnerable institutions remain essential.

The governor has also worked to confront hate and strengthen relationships among communities. This work matters because antisemitism is not simply a Jewish problem. It threatens the safety and dignity of our entire society. When hatred toward one group is tolerated, the foundations of freedom and equality for everyone become weaker.

Jewish Marylanders need leaders who understand that antisemitism can take different forms: threats and vandalism, conspiracy theories, harassment, and the exclusion or demonization of Jewish people. We need public officials who take these concerns seriously, speak clearly against hate, and work with communities to prevent it.

October 7 and Israel are also central to this conversation.

The Hamas-led terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, brought murder, kidnapping, sexual violence, and profound trauma to Israelis and Jews around the world. For many Jewish families, the attacks intensified fears that antisemitism was becoming more openly acceptable. The continuing pain of the hostages, the victims, and their families cannot be separated from the Jewish community’s sense of security.

On this October 7th, Governor Moore joined hundreds of Maryland Jews for a gathering hosted by Temple Beth Shalom of Arnold in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake. It meant the world to us that he joined us on that day. At the same time, we were joined by Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth, State Senator Dawn Gile, Delegate Heather Bagnall, civil rights leader Dr./Rev. Carl Snowden, Senator Shaneka Henson, Judge Sidney Butcher, and Judge Ginina A. Jackson-Stevenson, a representative of Delegate Dana Jones, and so many others. Some of these leaders have deep and long friendships with our community – others are newer to us. Their engagement reflects the importance of building relationships across government and the community to address antisemitism and protect our neighbors.

In addressing Israel, Moore has made an important statement. He said:

“I believe deeply in Israel as a Jewish state — one with the same sense of safety, security, freedoms, and peace that we want for the whole region and all people who live there.”

That is a meaningful expression of support for Israel’s existence as the Jewish state, alongside a vision of safety, freedom, and peace for everyone in the region. Supporting Israel’s right to exist and supporting the safety of Israelis are not incompatible with caring about the lives and future of Palestinians. We should be able to hold both commitments without treating Jewish identity or concern for Israel as something that must be hidden or apologized for.

Jewish Marylanders, like other communities, hold a range of views about Israeli government policies and the best path toward peace. But disagreement about policy should never become an excuse to intimidate Jewish neighbors, target Jewish institutions, or hold local Jewish people collectively responsible for the actions of any government.

This distinction is especially important on college campuses, in public institutions, and in civic life. Constructive and accurate criticism of any government is legitimate. Antisemitism is not. Leaders have a responsibility to help people understand the difference and ensure that Jewish Marylanders can participate fully and safely in public life.

No governor can solve every problem facing the Jewish or any other community. Security funding cannot prevent every threat, and statements alone cannot change every heart. The work requires sustained commitment, cooperation with law enforcement and community organizations, education, and the courage to confront hatred consistently.

But public leadership can help establish what is acceptable and what is not. It can reassure people who feel increasingly isolated. It can give institutions resources to protect their members. And it can make clear that the 250,000+ Jewish Marylanders belong here—not conditionally, and not only when expressing their identity is politically convenient.

For all of us who are committed to strengthening Maryland’s Jewish community and building a safer, more inclusive state for everyone, it’s important to acknowledge leaders when they take meaningful steps in the right direction. We should also continue to press them to do more wherever the work remains unfinished.

Governor Moore’s record on security funding, confronting hate, and expressing support for Israel deserves recognition. At a time when Jewish communities across America are asking whether elected officials will stand with them, it matters when a governor uses both the resources of his office and the power of his words.

Our goal should be a Maryland in which Jewish and other families can worship safely, all children can attend school without fear, Jewish institutions can thrive, and people can express their identities and convictions without intimidation.

That future requires all of us. It requires Jewish organizations, elected officials, educators, law enforcement, and neighbors of every background to stand together against antisemitism and every form of hate.

Recognizing meaningful leadership is not the end of that work. It is part of building the partnerships and shared resolve needed to continue it.