Resolution 2022-32088RESOLUTION NO_ 2022-32088
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF MIAMI BEACH,
FLORIDA, RECOGNIZING THE GROWING PROBLEM OF ANTISEMITISM IN
THE UNITED STATES, AND URGING THE FLORIDA EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION TO ADOPT THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST
REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE'S WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM AS
AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR PROMOTING TOLERANCE AND
DIVERSITY IN FLORIDA SCHOOLS_
WHEREAS, antisemitism, including harassment based on actual or perceived Jewish
origin, ancestry, ethnicity, identify, affiliation, or faith, remains a persistent, pervasive, and
disturbing problem in American society; and
WHEREAS. Jews continue to be a targeted minority in the United States and are
consistently the most likely of all religious groups to be victimized by incidents of hate, and such
incidents are increasing at an alarming rate; and
WHEREAS, the deadliest attack against the American Jewish community took place on
October 27, 2018 at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania, killing eleven
worshippers and injuring several more; and
WHEREAS, on January 23, 2022, antisemitic fliers were left at hundreds of homes in
Miami Beach overnight; and
WHEREAS, the flyers contained in a plastic bag with small pebbles, and listed the names
of a Jewish officials who work at government health agencies and for pharmaceutical companies,
spewing antisemitic conspiracy theories and attributing the on -going COV1�-19 pandemic to
Jewish people ; and
WHEREAS, similar flyers were left in neighborhoods in Surfside, and Broward County;
and
WHEREAS, on January 29, 2022, a neo-Nazi rally that took place near Orlando, Florida,
in which some two dozen people in neo-Nazi gear waved swastikas and yelled antisemitic epithets
at passersby; and
WHEREAS, the fliers in Miami Beach, and the neo-Nazi rally in Orlando appear in the
wake of high -profile attacks on Jewish people in January 2022, including a gunman's_hostage-
taking at a Texas synagogue and a woman's arrest in New York after she allegedly spat on an
8-year-old Jewish child and made hateful statements; and
WHEREAS, the recent targeting of Jewish people around the country reminds us that the
Jewish community remains a target for violence and hate, and we must not only condemn bigotry
and extremist conspiracy theories, but actively combat their spread, and spearhead initiatives to
make the world around us, an inclusive and welcoming place; and
WHEREAS, schools and teachers are in a unique position to teach our youth and young
generation about tragic, bigoted history and where it leads- from the transatlantic slave trade to
the Holocaust — and giving future leaders of our society tools to recognize prejudice & prevent
atrocity; and
WHEREAS, under §1003.42 of the Florida Statutes, the state of Florida mandates the
Holocaust to be taught across the curriculum through all grades, in ways that are age -appropriate,
interdisciplinary, and consistent with other required instruction; and
WHEREAS, given that Florida already requires this as part of education, the Mayor and
City Commission urge the Florida Education Association ("FEK) to adopt the International
Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's ("IHRA") working definition of antisemitism as an important
educational tool, and train their teachers appropriately to not only satisfy statutory requirement of
Holocaust history, but moral imperative of tolerance and diversity; and
WHEREAS, the IHRA's Working Definition of Antisemitism in May 2016, which has
become the internationally recognized, authoritative definition for use by governments and
international organizations; and
WHEREAS, the Working Definition of Antisemitism describes antisemitism as "a certain
perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical
manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their
property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities"; and
WHEREAS, the IHRA Working Definition has proven to be an essential tool used to
determine contemporary manifestations of antisemitism; and
WHEREAS, in the United States, the IHRA Working Definition is utilized by various
government and law enforcement agencies in monitoring, training, and education, including the
U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby recognize the growing problem of antisemitism in the United States, and urge
the Florida Education Association ("FEN') to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance
Alliance's ("IHRA") working definition of antisemitism as an important educational tool for
promoting tolerance and diversity in Florida schools.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this _-L day of
ATTEST:
Rafae . Granado, City Clerk
(Sponsored by Commissioner Alex J. Fernandez)
1
�prG4� .2022.
Dan Gelber, Mayor
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR EXECUTION
3-1
C4 Attome„ Date
Resolutions - R7 E
MIAMIBEACH
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Rafael A. Paz, City Attorney
DATE: March 9, 2022
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF MIAMI
BEACH, FLORIDA, RECOGNIZING THE GROWING PROBLEM OF
ANTISEMITISM IN THE UNITED STATES, AND URGING THE FLORIDA
EDUCATION ASSOCIATION TO ADOPT THE INTERNATIONAL
HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE'S WORKING DEFINITION OF
ANTISEMITISM AS AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR
PROMOTING TOLERANCE AND DIVERSITY IN FLORIDA SCHOOLS.
ANALYSIS
Pursuant to the request of Commissioner Alex Fernandez, the above -referenced Resolution is
submitted for consideration by the Mayor and City Commission at the March 9, 2022 Commission
meeting.
SUPPORTING SURVEY DATA
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FINANCIAL INFORMATION
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City n Qi
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Office of the City Attorney
CommssionerAlex Fernandez
Description
❑ Resolution
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MIAMI BEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
Office of the City Clerk
Tel: 305-673-741 1
March 14, 2022
Vice -President Carole Gauronskas
Florida Education Association
213 South Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Dear Vice -President Gauronskas,
Attached please find a copy of City of Miami Beach Resolution No. 2022-32088:
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF MIAMI BEACH,
FLORIDA, RECOGNIZING THE GROWING PROBLEM OF ANTISEMITISM IN
THE UNITED STATES, AND URGING THE FLORIDA EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION TO ADOPT THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST
REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE'S WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM AS
AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR PROMOTING TOLERANCE AND
DIVERSITY IN FLORIDA SCHOOLS.
(Sponsored by Commissioner Alex Fernandez)
This Resolution was passed and adopted by the Mayor and City Commissioners of the City of
Miami Beach on March 9, 2022.
Respectfully,
Rafael E. Granado
City Clerk
c: Commissioner Alex Fernandez
MIAMI BEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
Office of the City Clerk
Tel: 305-673-741 1
March 14, 2022
President Andrew Spar
Florida Education Association
213 South Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Dear President Spar,
Attached please find a copy of City of Miami Beach Resolution No. 2022-32088:
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF MIAMI BEACH,
FLORIDA, RECOGNIZING THE GROWING PROBLEM OF ANTISEMITISM IN
THE UNITED STATES, AND URGING THE FLORIDA EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION TO ADOPT THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST
REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE'S WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM AS
AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR PROMOTING TOLERANCE AND
DIVERSITY IN FLORIDA SCHOOLS.
(Sponsored by Commissioner Alex Fernandez)
This Resolution was passed and adopted by the Mayor and City Commissioners of the City of
Miami Beach on March 9, 2022.
Respectfully,
Rafael E. Granado
City Clerk
c: Commissioner Alex Fernandez
MIAMI BEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
Office of the City Clerk
Tel: 305-673-741 1
March 14, 2022
Secretary -Treasurer Nandi Riley
Florida Education Association
213 South Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Dear Secretary -Treasurer Riley,
Attached please find a copy of City of Miami Beach Resolution No. 2022-32088:
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF MIAMI BEACH,
FLORIDA, RECOGNIZING THE GROWING PROBLEM OF ANTISEMITISM IN
THE UNITED STATES, AND URGING THE FLORIDA EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION TO ADOPT THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST
REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE'S WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM AS
AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR PROMOTING TOLERANCE AND
DIVERSITY IN FLORIDA SCHOOLS.
(Sponsored by Commissioner Alex Fernandez)
This Resolution was passed and adopted by the Mayor and City Commissioners of the City of
Miami Beach on March 9, 2022.
Respectfully,
Rafael E. Granado
City Clerk
Commissioner Alex Fernandez