Leaders gather together in Pico-Robertson to denounce recent antisemitic shootings
On Monday night, Jewish community leaders gathered Los Angeles' most powerful officials for a town hall on how to combat hate and antisemitism following a pair of shootings in Pico-Robertson.
"The horror we are experiencing is real," said Rabbi Noah Farkas, President/CEO Jewish Federation.
LA's top cops Michel Moore and Robert Luna as well as Mayor Karen Bass all appeared to show their support.
"I don't just look at this community as a Jewish community," said Bass. "This is right where I grew up."
The town hall happened just blocks away from the two shootings that happened last week. Both victims were Jewish, one of whom was shot in the arm. The shooter was arrested and is facing hate crime charges.
Bass said one of her goals is to hire more police officers to help keep communities safe.
"One of the things that certainly needs to happen in the LAPD, which we all agree to, is LAPD is down in its numbers," said Bass. "We need to increase the numbers."
The shootings last week follow a series of other recent incidents including antisemitic flyers being distributed and the vile scene last October where a banner of hate was unfurled on an overpass along the 405 Freeway by a group of people echoing the ugly rhetoric being spread by Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.
"First we had a shooting, then a second," said Bass. We have no way of knowing if it's going to stop. I actually look at it as an escalation that started with flyers... banners across the freeway and now a shooting."
Officials also pointed out that the number of hate crimes across the board may be worse than we know.
"As bad and scary as hate crime stats are," said Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel. "Hate crimes are dramatically under-reported. That is the truth and anyone who is paying attention to this will tell you that. We are facing much more hate, even that the statistics tell us we are."
Jewish leaders also expressed their fear of even bringing their children to school, to bring their kids to the synagogue, wearing things that may identify them as Jewish and make them targets. Nonetheless, they said that they will not let fear rule them. Leaders added that they will move forward and fight back against the hate.