State Sen. Ben Allen, chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, puts a mezuzah on his office door with Rabbi Mendy Cohen. (Photo/Courtesy California Legislative Jewish Caucus)
State Sen. Ben Allen, chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, puts a mezuzah on his office door with Rabbi Mendy Cohen. (Photo/Courtesy California Legislative Jewish Caucus)

California Jewish legislators hang mezuzahs on their offices to celebrate ‘mezuzah bill’

By JTA, Sam Sokol | August 14, 2019

Jewish state legislators in California hung mezuzahs on their office doors after returning from summer recess.

During the recess, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that bars landlords and homeowners associations from prohibiting their tenants from affixing mezuzahs to their doors and door frames. The California Legislative Jewish Caucus, which has 16 members, had lobbied hard for the measure.

The bill was introduced following complaints from Jewish renters and condo owners who were told to remove their mezuzahs because of a building or apartment complex policy.

Known to some as the “mezuzah bill,” it also had the support of secular organizations, as well as Catholic and Hindu groups.

JTA

Content distributed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency news service.

Sam Sokol

Sam Sokol is a Jerusalem-based journalist who covers Israel for JTA.