The Jewish Federation of San Diego County joins countless individuals and organizations in expressing our outrage over the violence of the Minneapolis police officers that led to the death of George Floyd. We share in the heartbreak, pain, and sorrow provoked by his loss and the loss of many others through sordid acts of hate and bigotry. May their memory be for a blessing. We recognize and are grateful to the many in law enforcement who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities, which only amplifies our anger towards those who demonstrate such callous and brutally violent behavior. 

The Talmud teaches that anyone who destroys one life has destroyed an entire universe. And as Jews, we are committed to the idea of not remaining silent in the face of hatred and bigotry. We pledge to our brothers and sisters in the African-American community – and all communities of color – to stand together to reverse the systemic racism embedded within our country’s institutions and society in general.

In the strongest terms, we also condemn those who are taking advantage of the anguish over George Floyd’s death by hijacking what would be peaceful rallies across the country for their own violent and destructive agenda. These acts, including those in our backyard in La Mesa, threaten our communities as well as our democracy as a whole. The action of those causing destruction must not distract us from the fight for justice.    

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel taught, “Racism is man’s gravest threat to man – the maximum hatred for a minimum of reason.” We all have a part to play and, together, we can and must be stronger than hate. We must stand for a world free of racism and bigotry in all of its forms.