Local Jewish leaders encourage community to stand together amid recent threats

By KRISTYN LEON

SEATTLE -- Local Jewish leaders have a message for all of those who may have felt targeted or threatened in recent days and weeks.

They said they’re not going to give in to the hate and there are options out there if you feel unsafe at any time.

According to Nancy Greer with the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, the hatred isn’t anything they haven’t seen before.

"I’m sad to say that another thing that we have accomplished is that we’ve dealt with yet another anti-Semitic incident,” said Greer.



Two days ago, anti-Semitic graffiti was found scribbled across some buildings in Ballard, and on Monday there was a bomb threat at a Jewish Community Center on Mercer Island.

“The fact that it happened here in our own backyard, on the one hand, is not a surprise because it happened in so many places,” Greer said, “but it is home.”

Greer also told Q13 News that lately she’s received a lot of phone calls, particularly from concerned parents in the community.

“It’s horrible what’s going on,” said Greer. “We are telling our community and all communities to be vigilant.”

“Not only do they get real-time information about what’s going on, we provide resources to them,” said Greer. “If they want, we can walk through their facility with experts to kind of point out weaknesses and how they might better secure their facility.”

According to the FBI, hate crimes have gone up significantly in recent years. For instance, Muslim hate crimes have risen 67 percent from 2014 to 2015.

“Our community is scared,” said Greer. “They are uneasy. They are on edge.”

Yet despite the latest spike in threats and hate crimes across the country, Rabbi Daniel Weiner with Temple De Hirsch Sinai said now is the time to stand together in solidarity, and not live every day in fear.

“We are not going to let those who hate us define who we are and how we live,” said Weiner. “To allow fear to seep in and change who we are is to empower them.”

Right now, there are more than 100 members in Safe Washington. For more information on how to get involved, click here  http://www.safewashington.com/