We live in a period of time where the hallmark of our existence is our profound alienation from each other. In this isolated environment, we are divided and pitted against each other, based on irrational fears and biases. This phenomenon is not new nor is it spontaneous. The rise of hate in this country can be seen rising and falling in cyclical patterns going back centuries. Unfortunately, a terrible and bizarre act of antisemitism has occurred in our city, not once but twice, by the same person this month. This individual brought terror into Emanu El Synagogue, desecrating their place of worship and harassing children.
It is a sad state of affairs that such an act is both shocking and unsurprising. This incident comes on the heels of a series of tragedies from LA, to our City, to Baton Rouge, to Atlanta, and to Memphis. Emanu El Synagogue is a vital institution in this city; it provides community and meaning to all who walk through its doors, and its impacts can be felt rippling throughout the city. This act of hate must be met with fierce resistance, in our actions, our words, and our very spirit. If you are reading this report, and feel the same moral conviction that we feel in our hearts to protect our community, heed our words: the violence is here, it has always been here, and you must not despair. Lift up your spirits, your voices, and your community, and prepare yourselves.
This rise of hate-fueled violence will pass; the fascists have already lost. Every day we breathe, every day we find joy, is a day worth celebrating. There is joy to be found in our community and that joy is worth sharing; that joy is worth preserving.
Emanu El Synagogue
This brings us to January 14th, 2023, when Ezra Law broke into Emanu El Synagogue through a window and damaged property inside, including desecrating a Torah scroll with red wine and “extensively vandalizing” the synagogue. Emanu El’s rabbi was preparing for a Bar Mitzvah, a ceremony to welcome Jewish boys into adulthood. Law was arrested, granted bond, and released the very next morning. She spent the following week posting threats, directly targeting Emanu El, its staff, and others on her Instagram account. She even listed a year of death, 2023, for one Emanu El staff member, who is very much still alive. This should absolutely be seen as a threat. Law returned to Emanu El on January 21st, 2023. She then began harassing children attending a preschool lesson, who were quickly removed to safety. Law was arrested once again and charged with felony criminal mischief of a church and misdemeanor criminal mischief.
Ezra Law is a Messianic Jew and alleged member of “Jews For Jesus”, a right-wing Evangelical Christian organization whose main focus is to proselytize and coerce Jewish people into Evangelical Christianity. We know she is a Messianic Jew because she has told us so in her own words in her Instagram posts; this claim is also supported by her threats to Emanu El members, claiming she’ll “strip them of their US citizenry and Jewry for having falsely represented to be a Hebrew.” This distinction is important; simply put, Law follows a heretical, right-wing sect of Christianity that targets Jewish people. And with those who espouse right-wing beliefs, it’s only a matter of time before these individuals escalate to violence and hate crimes. Threats against the Jewish community need to be taken with the utmost seriousness and urgency as antisemitism is on the rise across the country.
We share our deepest sympathies with Emanu El at this time. May we turn this instance of targeted hate into a renewal of community, support, and solidarity. It is our duty that Emanu El, and all places of refuge for the oppressed who are affected by the rise of fascism, continue forward without fear of violence but with an outpouring of love, hope, and faith from the community.
It’s vitally important that people keep their eyes open for hate and understand the historical precedent of targeting oppressed communities. Nazi Germany wasn’t built overnight, it came after decades of unaffected citizens choosing to ignore the voices of Jewish people warning them of the fascist escalation. We thank the community members who chose to speak up prior to Law’s first break-in at Emanu El. We have hope that more will join the fight against fascism and will speak up in instances of antisemitism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and hate. This fight involves us all, we cannot afford to allow fascists a single inch, or a single threat.
All Power to the People