The Justice Department is rolling out a new Antisemitism Advisory Committee and a 15-city National Awareness & Action Tour in response to what officials are calling a "rising tide" of Jew-hatred across the United States. The committee will be chaired by Leo Terrell, who already heads the DOJ task force to combat antisemitism, and is designed to tighten coordination between federal officials, local law enforcement and Jewish community leaders. The announcement lands as Jewish organizations and researchers report sustained increases in harassment, vandalism and assaults nationwide, with federal officials saying the goal is to turn on-the-ground concerns into concrete recommendations for the attorney general.
In a press release from the Department of Justice, the agency said the Anti-Semitisim Advisory Committee (ASAC) will advise the attorney general and department leadership on "coordinated, timely, and effective responses to antisemitism." Members are expected to be "citizen leaders" who must be approved by the President. The department pitched the new panel as a complement to the existing DOJ Civil Rights Division efforts and the internal task force. The release, posted May 19, also formally named Terrell as the committee’s chair.
Terrell told Jewish Insider that he has already submitted a slate of nominees to President Donald Trump and is now waiting for the White House to sign off. According to Jewish Insider, Terrell will also lead the department’s 15-city tour, where he plans to meet with faith leaders, local officials and law enforcement to "identify practical solutions" at the local level. The itinerary is still being finalized, and Terrell added that he is considering expanding the tour beyond the original 15 stops.
What the committee will do
In a second press release, the Department of Justice said the National Awareness & Action Tour and the advisory committee are intended to boost reporting of antisemitic incidents, improve coordination between local law enforcement and Jewish communities, encourage interfaith opposition to antisemitism, and address bias in K-12 schools and on college campuses. The department said the tour is meant to help local officials increase incident reporting and to assist communities in developing security and prevention strategies. Recommendations from the committee will be sent to the attorney general and other DOJ leaders to shape coordinated enforcement and outreach.
Why communities want federal help
Advocacy groups point to sharp rises in anti-Jewish incidents in recent years. The Anti-Defamation League’s Audit of Antisemitic Incidents recorded 9,354 incidents in 2024, the highest total in the ADL’s 46-year history, and reported a steep year-over-year jump in campus cases. The ADL argues that the numbers show a problem that stretches across cities, campuses and major institutions, and that stronger federal coordination could help standardize both reporting and protective measures. Local Jewish leaders have repeatedly pressed for more federal support for synagogue and school security, more robust incident tracking, and clearer enforcement channels.
Reporters and officials say the new committee builds on presidential directives that instruct federal agencies to use existing legal tools to protect Jewish Americans. As reported by the Baltimore Jewish Times, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said, "Protecting civil rights of every American remains a core responsibility of the Department of Justice." That language signals that the administration intends to treat antisemitic harassment and threats as a civil-rights enforcement priority.
For now, the next steps are mostly procedural. Nominees to the advisory committee must receive presidential approval, and Terrell’s travel schedule is still being worked out. He told Jewish Insider that he is open to adding more cities beyond the initial 15. Jewish communal organizations and local officials are watching for the final roster of committee members and the tour calendar, which will set the pace for how quickly recommendations might translate into enforcement changes or new funding. In the meantime, community advocates say they are looking for clarity on how federal guidance will actually shape local policing, school policies and long-term prevention strategies.
