Community Affairs
A Joint Statement for the Jewish Community
San Luis Obispo is home to a thriving and diverse Jewish population with a strong sense of belonging to the larger community. Perhaps that is why our area was recently targeted by a small and fringe hate group seeking attention by distributing antisemitic fliers designed to heighten concern and reaction.
We won't address the content of the fliers to avoid amplifying them, but the conduct warrants response – particularly in the context of rising antisemitism nationally and globally and with the global effects of the Israel-Hamas war.
The troubling trends of antisemitism are mirrored in hate and bigotry targeting Black, Latino, AAPI, LGBTQ+, Muslim and other often marginalized or minority groups. Whether fueled by animus, political division, social isolation, or ignorance, we reject the diminution of others' value based on their identity and immutable characteristics that contribute to it. These disgusting incidents intended to spread hate and fear provide an opportunity, as do other recent incidents targeting other groups, to reaffirm our conviction in the value of a diverse and inclusive community that respects and embraces the wide range of experiences, beliefs, and backgrounds that define it.
Our community is at its best when we come together to reject bigotry in all of its forms.
SLO Jewish Leadership:
Lauren Bandari, Executive Director of SLO Hillel and VP, Community Affairs of JCC-Federation of SLO
Abby Lassen, Community Affairs Chair of JCC-Federation of SLO
Rabbi Chaim Hilel, Chabad of SLO/Cal Poly
Rabbi Micah Hyman, Congregation Beth David
Rabbi Samuel Rosenbaum, Temple Ner Shalom
Isaac Feldman, Temple Ner Shalom
Bill Alexander, President, Congregation Ohr Tzafon
Rabbi Meir Gordon, Chabad of Paso Robles
Community Partners:
John Laird, California State Senator
Dawn Addis, California State Assemblymember
Dan Meisel, Executive Director, Anti-Defamation League, Tri-Counties
Erica A. Stewart, Mayor of San Luis Obispo
SLO County Board of Supervisors - Dawn Ortiz-Legg, Bruce Gibson, John Peschong, Jimmy Paulding, Debbie Arnold Dan Dow, District Attorney Chief Rick Scott, San Luis Obispo Police Department
Sheriff Ian Parkinson, SLO County
What To Do if You Find a Flyer:
After consulting with local law enforcement and our representative from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) we would like to share the following steps to take if you find a flyer:
1. Contact local law enforcement's non-emergency line (more information here). Relay the date, time and location in which you found the flyer, and the contents of the flyer.
2. If you have a home security camera (such as a Ring, Blink or Simply Safe) please check your footage to see if you can identify the vehicle used to distribute these flyers. Sharing this information with local law enforcement will help to aid in their investigations.
3. Report the flyer to relevant agencies. Note that there are multiple places to file hate crime reports. Although it may seem redundant to file the same incident with multiple agencies, keep in mind that doing so gives more accurate data to organizations tracking and combating hate.
-If you live in the City of San Luis Obispo, please file a report here.
-File a report with the ADL here.
-Report hate crimes to the California Department of Civil Rights here or call 1-833-8-NOHATE
Do NOT visit the website listed on the flyer.