Westfield Senator John Velis is co-chair of the new State Commission on Combatting Antisemitism.
Its mission is to report data on trends in antisemitic activity, review steps taken to combat hate crimes and implement federal strategies.
There were 440 antisemitic incidents reported in Massachusetts in 2023, a 189-percent increase from the previous year according to the Center on Extremism and the Anti-Defamation League.
(Photo by HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images)