SAN FRANCISCO INTERFAITH COUNCIL
CONDEMNS RISE IN ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS
“They came for the Communists, and I did not object, for I was not a Communist;
They came for the Socialists, and I did not object, for I was not a socialist;
They came for the labor leaders and I did not object, for I was not a labor leader;
They came for the Jews and I did not object, for I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to object.”
Penned by Martin Niemoller in 1946, in opposition to the Nazi regime
It is the San Francisco Interfaith Council’s (SFIC) fundamental policy, historical practice and moral responsibility to speak out and stand in solidarity with communities of faith being singled out and targeted because of their religious beliefs.
Our San Francisco-based Rabbinical clergy and their advocacy partners have apprised us of widespread reports from community members, particularly Jewish parents, expressing concern for their children, who are experiencing cyberbullying and harassment on social media platforms, among which are hateful memes that include “Hitler was right.” Moreover, in recent weeks, our nation has seen the emergence of violent incidents against Jewish Americans: diners attacked in Los Angeles, teenagers assaulted in New York, and a Jewish Major League athlete threatened at knifepoint, to name but a few. Reports of property damage at Jewish institutions, including vandalism, graffiti, and thrown rocks and bricks, are once again on the rise. Threatening graffiti was reported just last week at the San Francisco-based Chabad of Noe Valley.
The San Francisco Interfaith Council joins our brothers and sisters in the Jewish community to express deep concern and to denounce the rise in antisemitism in the Bay Area and across the nation. We speak decisively and as one community, as we know where hateful rhetoric and incitement leads and must work together to prevent this trend from further manifesting itself in our beloved City. In this spirit, the SFIC calls upon our faith partners and elected leaders to join us in confronting and condemning hatred against our Jewish sisters and brothers.
We ask San Francisco religious leaders to share this message with their faithful and to encourage those witnessing or aware of antisemitic incidents to report them to law enforcement and the Anti-Defamation League (incident report form).
