A Rally Against Antisemitism in San Diego

Photos Tom and Nadin Abbott

The rally was held in Hillcrest by the flag pole. It was a rally held by both the LGBTQ community and the Jewish community, highlighting the rise of antisemitism in the United States, the State of California, and the City of San Diego.

This is now at alarming levels. Anti-defamation League Regional Director Fabienne Perlov gave the data to the assembled crowd of about two hundred people, with a single silent counter-protester. There have been over a thousand incidents nationwide, with a three hundred percent increase in antisemitic attacks. San Diego has seen a rise of four hundred percent. Given the history of the city, it was not particularly surprising.

This has made life for many of our Jewish youth less straightforward, and we have seen incidents across college campuses as well as schools. Young people are afraid and unsure about their identity and are forced to hide it.

The ADL is recording these incidents. As she pointed out, this is about the society we live in. However, she also emphasized that we humans “can hold many truths at the same time.” They are not necessarily in opposition to each other. So yes, you can be pro-Israeli and want a bright future for Palestinians. And I guess my usual disclaimer with these stories is to feel free to critique the…