October 18, 2023
Denver, CO

Hamas’s slaughter on October 7, of more than 1,400 Israeli civilians including hundreds of children, women, elderly, babies and 30 Americans, along with the abduction of more than 200 others, again including Americans, has left Colorado’s Jewish community deeply shaken. Over the days since, numerous incidents at Colorado middle and high schools and universities have occurred where Jewish students report being verbally assaulted and ostracized for their religious and cultural identity and support of Israel. The Colorado Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) fears these hostile antisemitic incidents will become more frequent over the coming weeks and months, as we are seeing around the world. At this moment, our community needs compassion and solidarity.

That’s why we are so saddened and troubled by recent statements and actions that seem to relish in our community’s pain. On October 14, the Denver Chapter of Democratic Socialists of America released a statement euphemistically describing the largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust as “negative blowback” that “should come as no shock,” before signing off with a slogan that has long been used as a rallying cry by Hamas. This is just one of many statements we have seen from a range of progressive organizations failing to condemn terrorism and the intentional murder of civilians.

We are heartened by a multifaith coalition of universities nationwide that spoke out stating, “[w]e, the presidents and chancellors of universities and colleges across the United States of America and the world, stand with Israel, with the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas’ cruel rule in Gaza and with all people of moral conscience.” We agree that all innocents deserve protection and encourage all Colorado universities to endorse this statement.

The JCRC is proud of the many national and state Democrat and Republican leaders who have strongly condemned Hamas and expressed support for Israel. We encourage all others—especially those purporting to fight for a more just world—to follow their lead. For additional resources, visit the JEWISHcolorado resource page here.

ABOUT the JCRC:
The JCRC is the community relations and public affairs agency for the Jewish community, with 39 member agencies and 15 at-large members representing different parts of the community. A program of JEWISHcolorado, the JCRC works to:

• Provide a communal space to cultivate understanding and joint action amongst diverse groups within the Colorado Jewish community;
• Ensure the security and safety of diverse minority communities throughout the state in the face of rising antisemitism, intolerance, and hate; and,
• Foster understanding and appreciation for the Jewish community’s relationship with Israel, and to increase knowledge, exposure, and support for Israel among diverse groups of Coloradans.