Mark S. Kiselica
AJP Chair of Outreach to Non-Jewish Allies
One of my activities as the AJP Chair of Outreach to Non-Jewish Allies is to discover and connect with non-Jewish individuals and organizations that support initiatives reflecting the core values of AJP. Related to the AJP mission to promote knowledge about the Jewish people and their historical experiences and to support campaigns to prevent and combat antisemitism, I am pleased to provide to you this profile of Robert Mercuri, State Representative for District 28 of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Rep. Mercuri is a devout Christian, a dedicated father and husband, a graduate of West Point who was awarded a bronze star for heroism during his service in Baghdad, a successful businessman, and a true ally in the effort to support education regarding genocide and to combat antisemitism. During a recent interview, Rep. Mercuri, who in his friendly and genuine manner prefers to be called “Rob,” told me that he has been deeply troubled by the alarming spike in antisemitism that has swept through our country, including hate crimes and numerous acts of intimidation perpetrated against Jews in Pennsylvania, many of which have occurred at colleges and universities in the state. As an ongoing, conscientious expression of his devotion to address these issues, Rep. Mercuri has been a leader of admirable legislative initiatives, which have included the following:
- In December 2023, Rep. Mercuri co-sponsored legislation to require institutions of higher education in Pennsylvania receiving taxpayer support to recognize antisemitism and to categorize calls for the genocide of the Jewish people as acts of bullying, harassment, and intimidation in institutional codes of conduct.
- In March 2024, Rep. Mercuri introduced legislation that would call for taxpayer funding to be restricted from any university that does not clearly outline in their code of conduct that antisemitic behavior is prohibited on campus.
- In June 2024, Rep. Mercuri co-sponsored legislation that would solidify the Commonwealth’s support for Israel by withholding state funds from any institution of higher learning that boycotts or divests from Israel, as well as prohibiting holdings in the Pennsylvania State Treasury or Commonwealth pension funds from being divested from Israel.
Although the bills pertaining to these legislative proposals were not passed into law, they have had a positive, practical effect. The presidents of major public universities in Pennsylvania have confirmed that they have made changes to the codes of conduct at their schools, which now prohibit antisemitic words and actions on their campuses. Also, the state of Pennsylvania will not divest from Israel.
As a proud member of AJP and fellow Gentile and resident of Pennsylvania, I thank Rep. Mercuri for his work to fight hate and to protect the rights and safety of Jews in Pennsylvania.
