California Becomes First US State to Recognize Jewish Identity in Ethnicity Data

California has become the first US state to formally include Jewish identity in its definition of ethnicity for government demographic data.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1387 on Wednesday. The law expands California’s definition of ethnicity to include Jewish identity and changes how public agencies collect demographic information.

Beginning January 1, 2029, public entities that ask people to voluntarily identify their ethnicity or race will need to include a “Jewish” option. The requirement will apply to institutions including public schools, prisons and other state agencies.

Supporters say the change recognizes Jewish identity as more than a religious affiliation and will provide better information about California’s Jewish population.

Jewish California, a coalition of Jewish organizations that supported the legislation, said existing demographic systems often fail to capture Jewish communities. The group argues that improved data could help officials identify disparities in areas such as health, education, poverty and hate crimes.

The legislation also includes privacy protections governing the demographic information collected. Supporters have stressed that the law does not create a publicly accessible registry of Jewish residents.

California is home to approximately 1.2 million Jews, giving it the second-largest Jewish population of any US state after New York. The community includes Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, Persian, Israeli, Ethiopian and Latin American Jews.

Newsom supported the goal of the legislation but raised concerns about how state agencies would implement it.

He said accurate demographic information could improve policymaking. However, he warned that some provisions could make it difficult for agencies to comply with both state and federal requirements and called on lawmakers to revisit parts of the legislation.

The bill was sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Henry Stern and backed by numerous Jewish organizations across California.

Newsom also signed several other measures supported by the state’s Jewish community in recent days. Those include legislation strengthening security around houses of worship and expanding security grants for off-site religious events.