By Heidi Gantwerk
SAN DIEGO — We are heartbroken and outraged by the tragic shooting that took place yesterday at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to the families of the young couple, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lichinsky, both working at the Israeli embassy, who were just about to get engaged. Our entire community is mourning this senseless act of hatred and violence.
We are committed, today and every day, to the safety and security of our local Jewish community. In moments like these, we are reminded of the importance of remaining vigilant while also leaning into our collective resilience and care for one another.
Following the attack in Washington, our Community Security Director, Bill Ganley, worked through the night to coordinate with law enforcement across San Diego County. Thanks to his leadership and the strong partnerships he has built, all Jewish organizations in our region will receive increased patrols throughout the weekend from local law enforcement agencies, including San Diego Police, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, Carlsbad Police, Chula Vista Police, and Coronado Police.
We want to emphasize that there are no known threats to the Jewish community in San Diego at this time. The increased security measures are being taken out of an abundance of caution.
We are deeply grateful to our local law enforcement agencies for their support of our community, and we extend our sincere thanks to all of the security professionals and volunteers at our Jewish institutions who show up every day with courage and care to help keep our community safe.
To further support our collective security awareness, Jewish Federations of North America will host a system-wide security briefing today at 12:00 PM PST. They’ll discuss the current situation, its impact on our communities, and steps being taken to keep us safe. Register here.
Antisemitic terror and violence is designed to instill fear and keep Jewish people and their friends and families from feeling safe participating in Jewish life. But I could not be prouder of the vitality and diversity of Jewish life here in San Diego. In the past week alone, we have had incredible spiritual, cultural, philanthropic, somber and festive events at many of our synagogues and agencies; so many that our team had to split up to be a part of them all. My colleagues and our San Diego kehillah continue to inspire me every day, and I will show up, again and again, without fear, to celebrate this community because my life is so much richer for it.
As we move forward, please report all security threats, antisemitic, or hate-related incidents to the Secure Community Network (SCN) and Bill Ganley.
We also encourage you to take advantage of the many support resources available in our community. If you’re not sure where to turn, please contact Matt Goldberg, Director of Caring and Community Relations, and he will help connect you with the right support.
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Heidi Gantwerk is president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of San Diego.