Finest Community Coalition formed to better combat antisemitism in San Diego

Torah scrolls at a San Diego synagogue File photo by staff Times of San Diego The Oct Hamas-led shock attacks in Israel that killed more than a thousand people was followed by a wave of antisemitism globally and San Diego was no exception The region has experienced a major rise in targeted assaults on Jewish people and bomb threats against Jewish institutions as well as the distribution of antisemitic flyers and vandalism including swastikas on private property in citizens areas and at schools A group of organizations and leaders have formed a coalition to combat antisemitism and other bigotry locally and build district resilience together The Finest Neighborhood Coalition is an independent initiative that is intended to act as a collaborative platform to coordinate strategies share best practices map existing efforts and fill gaps and respond collectively when the organization deems appropriate Organizers noted that a unified and collective approach is crucial to maintaining safety and resilience in the region San Diego is our home and I want to do everything in my power to ensure that it remains a place where my children and all Jewish children will feel safe secure and proud of who they are disclosed Finest Neighborhood Coalition director Adam Maslia in a message These concerns are not theoretical for me they are deeply personal and reflect the reality we are living in Antisemitism has deep historical roots and while its forms may evolve its impact remains undeniable The coalition engages nearly two dozen partner organizations including Jewish Federation of San Diego Leichtag Foundation Lawrence Family JCC the Jewish Region Foundation ADL San Diego and American Jewish Committee along with locality leaders from diverse backgrounds The coalition isn t only about addressing hate stated Heidi Gantwerk president and chief executive officer of Jewish Federation of San Diego It s about building relationships fostering hard but necessary conversations and building a San Diego that is stronger more connected and united against division The coalition stated that it is eager to recruit and engage concerned non-Jewish partners to strengthen and unite the San Diego population s response to antisemitism