Dear Friends,

Yesterday, October 27th, marked the four-year anniversary of the Pittsburgh mass shooting, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. The shooter walked into the Tree of Life Synagogue during the Shabbat morning prayers and yelled, “All Jews must die,” as he opened fire upon worshippers, murdering eleven.

The shooter’s social media posts revealed that this action was the culmination of years of exposure to age-old antisemitic tropes – that Jews are master manipulators and responsible for all the world’s ‘ills.’

It was clear then, as it has been clear many times since, that there is a direct line between hate speech and deadly violence.

From President Trump’s post to an Ohio State Senate candidate’s comments and Los Angeles City Council members’ leaked tapes, antisemitism has revealed itself at all levels of government in recent weeks. Of course, Kanye West’s blatant and ongoing threats towards Jews mirror language used by the Pittsburgh shooter. With all of this hate speech revealed in quick succession, it’s no surprise that a litany of other antisemitic incidents quickly followed suit across California – on front lawns, at schools, and draped over the 405 freeway.

Terrifyingly, the man who broke into Speaker Pelosi's home this morning and violently attacked her husband has posted a litany of antisemitic statements on his blog, connecting what he deemed was subversive Jewish power with policies supported by the Speaker.

It is clear yet again that there is a direct line between hate speech and deadly violence, especially when that speech comes from people with a platform.

We don’t expect elected leaders to condemn every incident, but this moment felt different. So JPAC reached out to elected leaders across the state to remind them about the anniversary of the Pittsburgh massacre, brief them on the events of recent weeks, and share with them the heightened sense of fear and trauma permeating through the Jewish community right now. We also encouraged them to speak out in support of our community.

The outpouring of support has been moving.

Around half – nearly 60 – of our state lawmakers have put out statements of support thus far.

Here are some of them:

The Legislative Jewish Caucus also held a powerful press conference in Sacramento this week.

Perhaps condemning hate speech might just be an antidote to deadly violence, especially when it comes from people with a platform.

We encourage you to thank all those who spoke up so they continue to stand with us in the future. At the link above, you will be able to click on an image and be taken directly to the original tweet, which you can respond to and/or re-share.

This terrifying moment only underscores how important JPAC’s work is. We will continue to champion policies that combat each stage in the evolution of hate. We are grateful that you are part of this holy work.


With Love and Strength,

David Bocarsly
Executive Director, JPAC

JPAC is the voice of California’s Jewish community to the State Capitol, and the largest single-state coalition of Jewish organizations in the nation. We advocate in Sacramento on behalf of the Jewish community’s concerns and broadly shared values. Our member organizations collectively serve hundreds of thousands of Californians of all backgrounds and represent the interests of California’s 1.2 million Jews.
JPAC is a Coalition of California's Leading Jewish Community Organizations:
Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles • Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund • Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco – Bay Area • Jewish Family Service LA • Jewish Family and Children’s Services of SF • 30 Years After • American Jewish Committee • Anti-Defamation League • Bet Tzedek Legal Services • ETTA • Hadassah • HIAS • Holocaust Museum Los Angeles • JCRC of Jewish Silicon Valley • Jewish Center for Justice • Jewish Community Relations Council of Sacramento • Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay • Jewish Family and Children's Service of Long Beach and Orange County • Jewish Family Service of San Diego • Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley • Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara • Jewish Federation of Orange County • Jewish Federation of San Diego County • Jewish Federation of the Desert • Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region • Jewish Free Loan Association • Jewish Long Beach • Jewish Vocational Service San Francisco • JVS SoCal • Rhoda Goldman Plaza