Our community demands protection in the wake of the antisemitic incident at Wilshire Boulevard Temple. To help you stay informed, we’ve organized news coverage, statements, commentary, and articles on the concrete steps we’re taking to protect Jewish life in one central location. Explore the stories and updates below.
Enough Is Enough: We Are Running Out of Time to Protect Our Jewish Community
By Rabbi Noah Farkas
After yet another incident, this time at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, our community is left reeling. Once again, when Jews gather in our sacred places, we are infiltrated by haters. Once again, when we want to develop solidarity with our neighbors, protesters arrive to drive our communities apart. Once again, the Jewish community of our city is beside itself at the tepid response of our elected officials.
From the streets of New York to the streets of Los Angeles, our Jewish communities are under assault. Growing threats seek to disrupt our lives, prevent us from exercising our constitutional rights, and destroy our indigenous connection to our homeland, Israel.
2 arrested after pro-Palestinian protest disrupts event on LA synagogue campus
By Philissa Cramer
The mayor of Los Angeles has denounced as “abhorrent” and antisemitic a protest that disrupted an event held Wednesday on the campus of the historic Wilshire Boulevard Temple, one of the largest synagogues in the city.
Two people were arrested during the incident, which took place after pro-Palestinian activists who were protesting outside the synagogue entered an event featuring Jewish security professionals and disrupted it.
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Protesters ‘targeted Jewish community’ at Los Angeles synagogue, rabbi says
By Aaron Bandler
Things “turned unlawful,” and two people were arrested—one for battery and the other for vandalism—after a group protested outside and within Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jeff Lee, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, told JNS.
Private citizens held the suspects, who were then transported to the police department and booked, Lee said.
Iran, Qatar, other foreign actors backing anti-Israel demonstrations, LA Israeli consulate says
By Michael Starr
Foreign actors backed protests like the Wednesday Los Angeles synagogue demonstration, claimed the Israeli Los Angeles consulate, also warning that unless authorities checked belligerent behavior, it could lead to another Washington embassy staff terrorist attack.
Some of the protesters at the Innovating Safety, Empowering Communities public safety event at Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s Audrey Irmas Pavilion had no connection to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said Deputy Consul General of Israel to The Pacific Southwest, Yulia Rachinsky-Spivakov, and were likely an example of foreign backing of anti-Israel demonstrations.
Jewish leaders, lawmakers, scramble to protect synagogues amid threatening anti-Israel protests
By Matthew Kassel
As anti-Israel demonstrators increasingly target synagogues in protests that have turned violent and used antisemitic rhetoric, some Jewish leaders and state lawmakers are now calling for more expansive legislative safeguards to help bolster protections for houses of worship.
The new efforts have come in the wake of threatening behavior outside synagogues in New York City and Los Angeles that drew forceful condemnation from elected officials and raised concerns among Jewish leaders who fear that such incidents will normalize antisemitic harassment disguised as anti-Zionism.
