Antisemitic flyers in Lafayette prompt alert from school district; also seen in Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Concord
The Lafayette School District sent a letter to the community Monday warning of an uptick in antisemitic activity in the past week.
In a letter signed by district board president Meredith Meade and superintendent Brent Stephens, the pair said, "We are writing to you today with a heavy heart, in response to the deeply troubling incidents that took place in our community last week. Antisemitic fliers were distributed in front of homes in several Lafayette neighborhoods, as well as in surrounding communities, and we want to take a moment to address this matter directly."
The district leaders said they "unequivocally condemn these acts of hate" and are "especially unwelcome in our community."
"To our Jewish families, staff, and community members, we want to extend (our) deepest support. Our district is dedicated to ensuring that our schools are places where diversity is celebrated, where every individual's identity is honored, and where all students can learn and thrive without fear of discrimination."
Lafayette was one of at least four cities in which residents reported antisemitic flyers being left on driveways the past week. Walnut Creek City Councilmember Kevin Wilk -- the city's first Jewish council member -- said Tuesday they were also reported in Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and Concord.
Among the messages was one in large text that said "Hitler was right."
On Saturday, at least two people hung a banner off a Concord freeway overpass, saying "Not White Not Welcome," along with an alleged symbol of the antisemitic group Goyim Defense League (GDL).
Antisemitic flyers have been found on Bay Area driveways the past couple years, including those in Walnut Creek and Concord.
Rabbi Jill Perlman of Temple Isaiah in Lafayette sent congregants a letter this week, sharing Anti-Defamation League information about the flyers and the group believed to be behind them.
"The in-your-face antisemitism these flyers convey is meant to offend and erode our community's sense of security and belonging," Perlman wrote. "However, Goyim Defense League, the hate group behind these efforts, and those who distribute these flyers on their behalf, have typically avoided activity that risks arrest. If you encounter individuals associated with leafleting and other GDL provocations, avoid engaging with them and report them to your local police."
Perlman wrote that the activity doesn't represent an increased threat, though anyone with information on the people or vehicles associated with the hate speech should report it to law enforcement.
"Waking up to antisemitic literature is disturbing and painful, adding trauma to what many in our community are already experiencing," Perlman wrote. "In these tenuous times, let us continue to lean on one another and hold each other up."
Walnut Creek, Concord, and dozens of other municipalities around the Bay Area have shut down online and phone-in comments during public meetings since last year after a coordinated effort from antisemitic groups to spread their views into public discourse.