Massachusetts

Antisemitism education amendment passed in Massachusetts

Published

2 years ago

May 23, 2024

Antisemitism education amendment passed in Massachusetts

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – As the Massachusetts Senate continues to debate their budget bill, an amendment to combat antisemitism passed last night.

We spoke with Senator John Velis, and he told us it was an emotional night in State House as many of his Jewish colleagues shared their experiences with antisemitism. He believes requiring the state to come up with a curriculum to educate students and teachers on the vast history of antisemitism is a step in the right direction. Especially as the number of antisemitic instances are on the rise here in the Commonwealth.

Longmeadow parent Shelley Barron told us, “My involvement was really catalyzed by, there was an incident where there was a swastika found on a whiteboard in Longmeadow High School seen by the child of a friend of mine and by our child, so that was very distressing for many of us here in the Longmeadow and kind of the Lower Valley Jewish community.

Shelley Barron is a parent of a 1st grader at Blueberry Hill Elementary School in Longmeadow. As a Jewish mom raising Jewish children, she told us she’s noticed an uptick in antisemitic biases, especially since October 7th when the Israel-Hamas war officially ignited.

This uptick in hatred here in western Mass is what has led her to become an advocate for educating students and the public on the harm of antisemitism, and now an amendment to the state senate budget introduced by Senator John Velis would require the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to come up with a curriculum to educate students and teachers on antisemitism both historically and beyond. It passed 40 to 0 on Wednesday night.

Velis explained, “I’ve had a lot of meetings recently. I should say with constituents telling me about their kids, kids eight years old, just young young, young telling me about how their loved one, their child, their grandson, granddaughter is embarrassed to say, sad to say, scared to say that they’re Jewish.”

From vandalism to physical assault and verbal harassment, Senator Velis told us antisemitism in our state has gone up over 100%.

To put that in perspective, only 3 percent of our state’s population is Jewish, meanwhile, that small group of our population is on the receiving end of over 60% of all hate crimes that occur in Massachusetts.

Senator Velis added there are five states with 50% of Jewish hate and antisemitism in the U.S. and Massachusetts is among those five.

These alarming numbers are why the senate is working to lend a hand to our Jewish residents and find the root cause of this severe hatred.

Barron added, “I think it’s actually really important to integrate age appropriate curriculum to create safer schools for all children.”

CEO of the Jewish Federation of Western Mass told us there is a lack of understanding by many administrations and officials on what truly qualifies as an act of antisemitism, and they are noticing a lot of hatred going unreported. Gorenstein feels this amendment could potentially help to target this issue.

“I hope that it will help our schools and communities better recognize and connect the dots when these small, isolated things actually happen that they are part of a bigger picture unfortunately and a framework that we want to be disrupting.”

The budget is being reviewed in the Senate as we speak, and once passed, it will then go to a conference committee to come up with a compromise bill with the house. Senator Velis is optimistic that this antisemitism education amendment will be included in the final draft. I did reach out to DESE as well as the Massachusetts Teachers Association for comment but haven’t yet heard back.

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Massachusetts

Haverhill man charged in deadly wrong-way crash on Route 128 in Danvers

Published

58 minutes ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Haverhill man charged in deadly wrong-way crash on Route 128 in Danvers

A Massachusetts man is facing charges after a wrong-way crash that killed a New Hampshire resident last week.

The crash happened around 9:49 p.m. Friday on Route 128 in Danvers. A Hyundai Elantra was traveling in the wrong direction when it hit a Nissan Sentra on the southbound side of the highway.

A passenger of the Sentra, identified as 58-year-old David Mackey of Sandown, New Hampshire, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Elantra’s driver, 42-year-old Jerry Andujar Bodden of Haverhill, is charged with motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation and improper operation of a vehicle, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office said, adding that prosecutors intend to bring more charges for allegedly operating under the influence of alcohol.

Bodden pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Monday in Salem District Court, according to prosecutors.

Judge Randy Chapman ordered Bodden held on $50,000 bail. Conditions include a monitored bar on alcohol consumption, GPS monitoring and home confinement with the exceptions of work, legal and medical appointments, prosecutors said. He is also prohibited from driving while the case is ongoing.

Bodden is due back in court Jan. 21, according to the district attorney’s office.

The highway was shut down for several hours for the investigation but has since reopened.

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Massachusetts

Driver Finds Bullet Lodged In Vehicle After Alleged Road Rage Shooting On Massachusetts Highway, “My Life Could Have Been Taken.”

Published

13 hours ago

December 15, 2025

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Driver Finds Bullet Lodged In Vehicle After Alleged Road Rage Shooting On Massachusetts Highway, “My Life Could Have Been Taken.”

Updated on: December 15, 2025

A Massachusetts man says he narrowly escaped death after an alleged road rage shooting on I-495 and is now speaking publicly in hopes of generating new leads for investigators.

Steven Burns was driving home from work on Nov. 4, coming through Marlboro, when he noticed a white truck tailgating him on the highway.

Bullet lodged in vehicle after alleged road rage shooting on I-495 in Marlboro, Massachusetts/CBS Boston

“It wasn’t until after I pulled over and actually saw that there was a bullet lodged in my B-frame that I said, ‘wow,’” Burns said. “My life could have been taken in an instant over something as dumb as road rage.”

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Massachusetts

Mass. snowfall totals: Which communities got the most snow this weekend?

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

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Mass. snowfall totals: Which communities got the most snow this weekend?

Snow fell across Massachusetts overnight on Saturday and throughout Sunday morning thanks for a fast-moving low pressure system, according to the National Weather Service.

The snowfall is expected to continue into and through the afternoon in many communities, lasting longer in Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties, the weather service said. Southeastern Massachusetts is predicted to see 2 to 4 inches of snow, with cities and towns closest to the coast getting up to 6 inches. A winter weather advisory is set to remain in effect in these counties until 7 p.m. Sunday.

Read more: Mass. weather: Snowy Sunday with dangerous, arctic cold to follow

As of the early afternoon on Sunday, no communities had received more than 4 inches, according to the weather service. Falmouth and Dennis recorded getting the most snow so far at 4 inches as of 3:15 p.m.

Here are the snow totals for Massachusetts as of mid-afternoon on Sunday. This article will be updated throughout the day.