This comes as religious-based hates crimes are on the rise and law enforcement agencies are warning members of the Jewish community to be alert for possible threats.

The amount of antisemitic incidents in Jacksonville grew from three in 2021 to 27 in 2022. This came at a time when Antisemitic incidents across the county had risen 36% over the last year.

After incidents such as anti-Semitic messages being projected on buildings in Jacksonville, lawmakers Thursday called for passing a measure that would define certain acts as hate crimes and increase criminal penalties.