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Parkland City Hall

Parkland city commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve the first reading of an ordinance adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism, drawing applause at City Hall and moving the measure closer to becoming city law.

Commissioner Jordan Isrow, who introduced the ordinance, said the goal is to give the city a clear and objective standard rather than leaving acts of antisemitic bigotry open to interpretation.

“We need a common denominator that if somebody does something that could be considered offensive, we can agree objectively whether it is fitting in this definition or not,” Isrow said. He warned that without clear standards, antisemitism is often allowed to “hide in the ambiguity.”

Isrow said he has been asked whether Parkland has an antisemitism problem.

“No, I don’t,” he said. “But that’s not why I’m doing this.”

Instead, he framed the ordinance as a statement of values and a way for local action to influence broader policy.

“We have become a member of municipalities which, as you keep going up the Russian doll, it makes its way up to states who adopt it, which then becomes a federal initiative,” Isrow said. He added that the vote was about making sure “‘Never Again’” is more than just a phrase.”

The city legislation would adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism and Florida’s definition of hate crimes into city code, include contemporary examples of antisemitism, and direct city departments and officials to consider those definitions when evaluating whether an alleged act was motivated by discriminatory antisemitic intent. The ordinance explicitly states it does not infringe on rights protected under the First Amendment or the Florida Constitution.

During public comment, Chabad of Parkland Rabbi Shuey Biston said defining antisemitism gives communities and institutions a concrete way to recognize and confront hate.

“If you don’t define something, it doesn’t exist,” Biston said. He added that the ordinance provides tools for law enforcement and sends a message to children that hate has no place in Parkland.

Parkland resident Joe Zevuloni also urged approval, calling the definition practical rather than symbolic.

“This is not just a definition,” Zevuloni said. “This is a tool that will help us fight the oldest hate in the history of mankind… Because hate starts with the Jews, but it never ends with the Jews.”

The ordinance was unanimously approved in a vote met with applause in the commission chamber.

After the meeting, Lisa Katz, chief government affairs officer for the Combat Antisemitism Movement, praised the commission’s action in a social media post, thanking Parkland officials for taking concrete steps to protect the Jewish community.

The IHRA working definition has become the most widely adopted framework for identifying antisemitism worldwide. It has been adopted by 47 countries, including the United States and most Western democracies, and by 37 U.S. states, including Florida. The definition is also used by federal agencies, municipalities, universities, and international organizations to identify contemporary forms of antisemitism.

The Parkland ordinance comes amid a national surge in antisemitism following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, with Jewish communities across the United States reporting sharp increases in harassment, intimidation, vandalism, hateful demonstrations, and violence.

The ordinance must still receive final approval at the commission’s next meeting before taking effect.

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Author Profile

Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning journalist and author of two nonfiction books. He covers general assignment news and Jewish community issues for Talk Media. He has also worked as a staff writer at The Miami Times, the Rio Grande SUN, the New York Daily News, Newsday, The Miami Herald, The Palm Beach Post, The Riverdale Press, and Bronx Justice News.