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White House Condemns Blocking of L.A. Synagogue, Antisemitism & Violence
The White House has condemned a show of violence and intimidation outside of Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 21, when demonstrators blocked congregants from entering the Jewish house of worship. The confrontation devolved into chaos and violence, with at least one person hospitalized.
In a statement, the President said, “I’m appalled by the scenes outside of Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles. Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American. Americans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worship—and engaging in violence—is never acceptable.”
“For the first time this weekend, I felt that I may have to move away from Los Angeles for the same reason I came.”
Before turning violent, the gathering was a protest against a synagogue-sponsored real estate seminar allegedly selling West Bank land. The incident resulted in one arrest, though investigations are ongoing. California Governor Gavin Newsom also condemned the protest, calling it “antisemitic.”
The Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles, where the synagogue is located, is the most densely populated Jewish community on the West Coast.
A video showed Naftoli Sherman, a Jewish man who operates a mobile barbershop in the neighborhood, beaten by a mob. Sherman said that 10–15 protesters jumped him. “One guy punched me in the nose, and I was gushing blood. All the other ones were kicking me in the head. It was so scary. You’re getting jumped by a bunch of people, and the cops are just standing there and watching. They’re not interfering. The other Jewish people were the only ones to protect me.”
“There’s a lot of talk over the past 12–15 hours about self-arming and doing our own neighborhood watch groups and having our own self-funded groups,” said one Hollywood figure, who wished to remain anonymous. The entertainment industry “has now been mobilized because we are so unified, and we’re such a powerful voting block.”
The neighborhood is also home to the Sony and Fox Studio lots and talent agencies, including the prestigious Creative Artists Agency. Director Jonathan Jakubowicz, who fled from his native Venezuela to escape antisemitism, now says he feels unsafe in Los Angeles.
“For the first time this weekend, I felt that I may have to move away from Los Angeles for the same reason I came,” he says. “The Jewish community has been doing a good job protecting itself, but the level of violence keeps growing, and I don’t know how much longer we can go on our own without the help of the authorities.”
Anti-Defamation League president Jonathan Greenblatt said, “Blocking a place of worship is unacceptable, period, but the violent chaos that erupted outside the Adas Torah synagogue is a new level of alarming. It’s good to see the Jewish community of Pico-Robertson come together and send a strong message in response.”
