Antisemitic material distributed in neighborhood near Modesto synagogue during Hanukkah
On the third day of Hanukkah, residents in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood, not far from Modesto’s only synagogue, woke to find antisemitic flyers on their driveways.
The flyers were stuffed in clear plastic zip-lock bags and weighted with chicken feed. They contained hateful content similar to what has previously been distributed in Modesto and throughout the state and country.
It’s at least the third time in Modesto that hate material has been distributed in the past six months, said Congregation Beth Shalom Rabbi Shalom Bochner.
“The individuals who do this are trying to stir up hate. They are trying out frightened people and I would never want to give them any sense of satisfaction,” he said when asked if he would discuss it at Tuesday night’s public menorah lighting outside the Gallo Center for the Arts downtown.
“They have certainly not scared me; they have increased my determination to spread light and proud Jewish identity.”
The Anti-Defamation League reported a 34% increase in antisemitic incidents nationwide in 2021 compared to the year before, and Bochner believes the data will show the upward trend continued in 2022.
“Unfortunately, we are living in a time of increasing hate speech and violent acts and 60% of reported hate crimes in this country are focused on the Jewish community despite the fact that we are 2% of the country’s population and 0.2% of the world population,” he said.
Hate groups have accused the Jewish community of having total control over the media, immigration, the weather, politics and more. The flyers distributed Tuesday made accusations that the faith controlled “every single aspect of Disney Child Grooming” and the “LGBTQ movement.” They also included photos of prominent Jewish people with stars of David superimposed on their foreheads.
“It is almost laughable if it wasn’t for the fact that some segments of the population believe this,” Bochner said.
Sherwood Forest resident Mark Garcia said he found the flyers on his and other driveways when he walked his dogs at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday. In his walk around the block, he estimates he saw over two dozen of them. “It was very disturbing,” he said.
Garcia, a hairstylist, said a client who lives in the Wycliffe neighborhood said she received similar antisemitic material at her home about six months ago, and The Modesto Bee reported around the same time that flyers had been distributed in the Enslen Park neighborhood.
Modesto police said people should report these incidents so they can be documented and, in some cases, investigated as possible hate crimes. While the hateful material is mostly protected under free speech, threats and inciting violence are not, said Sgt. Kalani Souza. Even if it does not rise to that level, there are littering charges or municipal code violations that can be pursued for going door-to-door without a permit.
It appears the people behind Tuesday’s flyers were attempting to avoid some legal trouble by including the disclaimer: “These flyers were distributed randomly without malicious intent.”
But the content is certainly malicious, Bochner said, and more people need to call it out for what it is: “Complete untruths that stir hate and promote violence.”
“People look the other way when there is hateful rhetoric. We are aiding and abetting if we are not responding,” he said. “City government should respond to these incidents; there should be public statements made.”
Bochner also gave advice for what the average person can do when they encounter hate:
- “If you see something, say something. It is not just around terrorism, it’s around hate. Bright light disinfects,” he said. “If it just becomes background noise, we lose our agency as individuals.”
- Build bridges between religious and ethnic groups, the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups. Make an effort to learn more about these groups. “We can ask people, ‘How are you feeling? How can I make you feel safe?”
Get involved with groups that build positive connections, like the Stanislaus County Interfaith Council, and ask your religious leaders to do the same. The council meets monthly, and as needed, to discuss matters of concern to a variety of faith traditions, to educate one another, and to share information about the faiths and their upcoming events.
To support the Jewish community right now, attend one of the public menorah lightings now through Dec. 25.
To report hate material to police, call the nonemergency dispatch number at 209-552-2470.
This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 12:21 PM.
