Harvard Law School Association of Los Angeles

HLSA of LA Statement Regarding Antisemitism

The month of September ushers in the High Holidays on the Jewish calendar, and we in the Harvard Law School Association of Los Angeles send our well wishes to all those who observe. This year, after months of isolation, families may once again reunite with their communities in person in houses of worship. But joy at that prospect is tempered by awareness of the rising risk of doing so as threats of antisemitism have surged in recent times. Indeed, according to a report from the Anti-Defamation League, 2019 and 2020 were “the highest and third-highest years on record for cases of harassment, vandalism, and assault against Jews in the United States since tracking began in 1979” and that number more than doubled in May 2021 compared to the same time period in 2020.

Incidents in recent months in particular recall a prior era. As hostilities between Israel and Hamas escalated last spring, we witnessed in horror a spate of reprisals against Jews in Southern California and across the United States: diners in a restaurant attacked by violent mob in Los Angeles; pedestrians assaulted on the streets of New York; and countless Jewish businesses and synagogues shattered, defaced with swastikas, and set on fire from coast to coast. The vitriol also loudly resonated online, as, for example, variations of the phrase “Hitler was right,” were tweeted thousands of times.

We, the undersigned, at the Harvard Law School Association of Los Angeles unequivocally condemn these deplorable acts of bigotry in the strongest terms. We profoundly believe that our country is strengthened by its diversity, and a violent attack against any group based on identity or faith is an attack on us all. We stand together with the Jewish members of our community, this holiday season and every day, and commit to working to advance our shared values of tolerance, diversity, and inclusion until the issuance of statements like this is no longer necessary.

Sincerely,