Temecula Jewish Community Letter in Support of the Resolution Condemning Antisemitism

March 8, 2022

President Adam Skumawitz

Member Allison Barclay

Member Barbara Brosch

Member Sandy Hinkson

Member Steven Schwartz

Superintendent Dr. Jodi McClay

To the Board Members and Superintendent of the Temecula Valley Unified School District:

The Jewish leadership of City of Temecula and Riverside County strongly supports the Temecula Valley Unified School District’s Antisemitism Resolution and we applaud their efforts in writing such a powerful resolution.

This resolution will go a long way in creating a safe atmosphere for Jewish students, faculty and staff, and the Temecula Valley Unified School District community, both in class and on campus. We also recognize what we teach our youth about their ancestral legacies and cultures is essential in the fight for racial and ethnic justice and equity, and it is with that belief that these efforts will hopefully extend beyond the boundaries of the schools.

FBI statistics from 2020 show that 57.5% of religious-based hate crimes were committed upon Jews who make up just 2% of the U.S. population. In California alone there has been a 60% rise in antisemitic hate crimes since 2017, according to the ADL.

The Southern California Jewish community has been a part of local civil society since 1850 and that legacy continues today. In that time, we have experienced everything from acceptance and prosperity to red-lining, hatred, and discrimination. Statistics show that the overwhelming number of hate crimes motivated by religion are against Jews. These are all rates that are too significant to ignore.

It was just two years ago that student Lori Kaye z”l was gunned down at a Poway synagogue. That trauma has not yet healed and in fact has been heightened in the face of the rising tide of antisemitism and the most recent events in Colleyville, Texas.

Jewish students and teachers alike have reported being afraid to wear clothing or jewelry that identifies them as Jews. They feel silenced. They feel hidden. The City of Temecula and Riverside County Jewish communities have been experiencing an increase in harassment, vandalism, assaults, emotional trauma and worse. This is unacceptable.

Jewish students and staff deserve to feel safe and we appreciate the resolution including training and resources for administration, teachers, and student leaders to prevent and address antisemitism. We appreciate the commitment you have made to work with organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League, the Governor’s Council on Holocaust Education and Genocide Remembrance, and Simon Wiesenthal Center, and others.

The importance of this resolution extends to the Temecula Valley Unified School District students and families. It is our hope that this resolution will empower Jewish students and staff.

We extend “kavod” -- honor and respect -- to Board Member Steven Schwartz and Superintendent Dr. Jodi McClay for bringing forward this resolution. Thank you both for taking the appropriate steps to ensure your Jewish students, as well as your Jewish staff, knows that the school board will stand up for them.

We urge the Board to vote yes an unanimously adopt the Antisemitism Resolution for Temecula Valley Unified School District.

Respectfully,

PEER K-12 San Diego

This letter is co-signed by the following organizations and individuals: