Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
WASHINGTON – This week, the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) held a hearing to discuss the dangers of rising anti-Semitism from the perspectives of students, teachers, and Jewish leaders. The hearing included panels with testimony from graduate students, coaches, university administrators, and relatives of Holocaust survivors, as well as individuals who experienced religious liberty issues in the private sector and employment contexts. It also included testimony from Justice Department and Civil Rights leaders on the front lines of combatting anti-Semitism through the legal system. The hearing’s objectives aimed to understand the ideologies behind anti-Semitism, recognize present threats to religious liberty in the private sector and employment, and identify opportunities to secure religious liberty in these contexts for the future.
“Religious liberty is our first and foundational freedom,” said Chairman Dan Patrick. “Physical violence is the ultimate deprivation of this freedom. In recent years, our Jewish brothers and sisters have increasingly been faced with hostility and physical violence in their houses of worship and communities—as recently as this weekend, when a driver repeatedly rammed his car into a peaceful gathering at a Brooklyn Chabad. This is un-American and unacceptable. Following President Trump’s lead, the Religious Liberty Commission will be fully considering this issue to ensure that all Americans enjoy the full freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment.”
The witnesses included:
Yitzchok Frankel: Plaintiff in Frankel v. Regents of the University of California
In the wake of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, anti-Jewish protests emerged on college campuses nationwide. At UCLA, activists set up an encampment and enforced a “Jew Exclusion Zone,” segregating Jewish students and faculty and preventing them from attending class or accessing campus spaces. UCLA’s administration ordered police to stand down allowing the activists to wreak havoc on campus through the 2024-25 academic year. Three Jewish UCLA students and a Jewish UCLA professor sued UCLA in federal court. After battling the suit for more than a year, UCLA ultimately agreed to a permanent court order and paid more than $6 million in damages and fees.
Shabbos Kestenbaum: American Jewish Activist, Political Commentator
Kestenbaum is an American Jewish activist who filed a lawsuit against Harvard University over accusations that the school had failed to protect Jewish students from anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination.
Rabbi Ari Berman: President, Yeshiva University
Berman is a global faith leader, distinguished scholar, and educational visionary who is shaping contemporary discourse at the intersection of faith, ethics, and higher education. As the fifth president of Yeshiva University, Dr. Berman has anchored the university on the twin pillars of academic excellence and values-based education, guiding it into a new era of growth and innovation as a global leader in higher education.
Coach Bruce Pearl: Founder, Jewish Coaches Association
The all-time winningest coach in Auburn men’s basketball history, head coach Bruce Pearl has made the program into a national power by leading the Tigers to a pair of Final Fours, five Southeastern Conference Championships and six NCAA Tournament appearances in 11 seasons. Pearl is a Founder and Senior Advisor of the Jewish Coaches Association, a non-profit organization working to foster the growth and development of individuals of the Jewish faith at all levels of sports, both nationally and internationally.
Leo Terrell: Chair of DOJ’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
Terrell is an American civil rights attorney and former talk radio host who has frequently appeared on Fox News programs. Previously a Democrat, in a July 2020 interview, he declared his support for President Donald Trump—the first time he declared support for a Republican Party presidential candidate. In January 2025, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to appoint Terrell as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in the United States Department of Justice, where he currently serves as the Chair of the Department’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism.
Dr. Elizabeth Spalding: Author, Lifelong Educator, and Religious Liberty Advocate
A lifelong educator and frequent public speaker, Spalding is a Visiting Fellow at Hillsdale College’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C. She is a Senior Fellow at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy and serves as the Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation where she is also Founding Director of the Victims of Communism Museum. Spalding has taught on subjects ranging from the American presidency, religion and politics, and comparative ideologies to U.S. foreign policy, national security, and international relations. Her expertise is regularly sought for documentaries, podcasts, and other media outlets. She also serves on the Board of the Institute on Religion and Democracy.
Dr. Moshe Glick: Member of Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, New Jersey
Glick is a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and respected community leader in West Orange, New Jersey, who was unfairly charged with assault after coming to the aid of someone attacked by pro-Hamas protestor in November 2024. Last month, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy pardoned Glick, wiping away state charges and ending his baseless prosecution. The Justice Department filed a civil complaint under the FACE Act against entities and individuals who targeted Ohr Torah synagogue in West Orange, New Jersey, during the November 2024 incident that escalated into violence.
Liat Cohen-Reeis: Founder, The Jewish-Christian Alliance
Cohen-Reeis is a Jewish leader in the San Diego area who founded an interfaith organization to bring together Christians and Jews for worship and fellowship.
Pastor JC Cooper: Pastor, The Mission Church, San Diego
Cooper is the Associate Pastor of the Mission Church, which has locations in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Cardiff, Del Mar, and Rancho Santa Fe. His church community was targeted by violent protests after hosting joint Jewish-Christian worship events.
Seth Dillon: CEO, The Babylon Bee
Dillon is the CEO of The Babylon Bee, a fast-growing news satire site that has overtaken The Onion in traffic and engagement. Taking on the tone of a traditional news media publication, the Bee satirizes real-world events and public figures. Dillon’s experience with censorship and deplatforming has placed him on the front lines of the battle for free speech in the public square. He now speaks on college campuses and at conferences across the country about the effectiveness of humor, the moral imperative of mockery, and the dangers of censorship.
John Mertens: Acting Deputy Chief, Education Section for the Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice
John P. Mertens joined the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice in September 2025, after nearly twenty years as a litigator in private practice. He has represented civil rights plaintiffs on issues from political expression to freedom of consciousness. In July 2025, he completed a second term as president of the Board of Trustees of the largest synagogue by membership in the State of Utah.
Fr. Thomas Ferguson: Pastor, Good Shepard Parish
Father Thomas Ferguson is the pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria, Virginia. He is the author of Catholic and American: The Political Theology of John Courtney Murray.
Rabbi Meir Soloveichik: Rabbi, Congregation Shearith Israel
Meir Y. Soloveichik is Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel- the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States, the Director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University, and a Senior Scholar at the Tikvah Fund. He graduated summa cum laude from Yeshiva University, and received his Phd in religion from Princeton University. Rabbi Soloveichik’s recent book is Providence and Power: Ten Portraits in Jewish Statesmanship. Much of his writing and academic work focuses on the American Founding, and the unique story and role of religion in the United States. His podcasts include Bible365, a daily study of the Hebrew Bible that completes all of Jewish scripture in a year, and Jerusalem365, which tells the 4,000 year history of Jerusalem. In 2018 Rabbi Soloveichik was awarded the Canterbury Medal for his work on behalf of religious liberty by the Becket Fund.
Ambassador Sam Brownback: Former Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, Former Governor of Kansas
Sam Brownback formerly served as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and continues to work with coalitions around the globe to promote and protect the fundamental human right to religious liberty. Brownback was the 46th Governor of Kansas. He was first elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. He left office after being confirmed to the position of Ambassador-at-Large in January 2018. Prior to becoming governor, Brownback served in a number of elected government offices in Kansas. After one term in the House of Representatives, he served as Senator for Kansas from 1996-2011, having first won a special election to fill the seat left vacant by Bob Dole (R). Brownback began his political career in 1986 when he became the youngest individual to be the Secretary of Agriculture in the state’s history. During his tenure as Secretary, Brownback did double duty as a White House Fellow under the administration of George H.W. Bush. Brownback is a licensed attorney, having graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law.
Lacey Smith: Former Alaska Airlines Employee
In February 2021, Alaska Airlines posted an internal company message announcing its support for the “Equality Act,” a controversial bill that, among other things, would gut protection for people of faith under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Employees were invited to comment on the post, to which Smith respectfully expressed her concerns with the bill. Her post was swiftly deleted, work schedule paused, and within a month, Smith was fired. Since then, Smith has chosen to speak out and continue the fight for religious freedom.
Hermione Susana: Hospitality Worker, New York City
Susana is lifelong New Yorker who built a career as a hospitality industry worker. She was working in three different premium stadium and arena venues when her living was jeopardized because her religious beliefs were not accommodated in the face of corporate and city vaccine mandates.
Watch the hearing HERE.
The Religious Liberty Commission was established by President Trump under Executive Order 14291 and is tasked with producing a comprehensive report on the foundations of religious liberty in America, increasing awareness of and celebrating America’s peaceful religious pluralism, highlighting current threats to religious liberty, and developing strategies to preserve and enhance protections for future generations.