Mayor Says Antisemitic Attack on Synagogue Mural Will Strengthen, Not Divide Community

Pasadena Mayor Victor M. Gordo condemned the antisemitic vandalism of the community mural at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center in a statement issued Sunday, calling the defacement of the mural “distressing and disturbing” and saying the people responsible “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” [File photo of Mayor Gordo. Vandalism photo supplied by PJTC]

Mayor Victor Gordo said Sunday that those who defaced a community mural at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center with antisemitic graffiti will fail in their apparent effort to divide the community, saying acts of hate ultimately inspire unity and solidarity.

“I have no doubt that the intended purpose of the vandals, to sow division and distrust, will backfire, as messages of hate always inspire a community to unity and solidarity,” Gordo said in a statement released Sunday.

“The immediate response of our community, that of love and compassion and inclusiveness, has already shown our quality. I encourage everyone to continue to support our friends, neighbors, and strangers alike with the unconditional humanity and sympathy that reflect our values in all times.”

The mayor’s comments came two days after a community mural at the synagogue was spray-painted with multiple swastikas and the message, “Zionism is not welcome,” according to the congregation.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident as a hate crime.

Gordo described the mural as “a representation of the strength of our community and our ability to overcome the many challenges and obstacles we have faced in the recent past,” calling its desecration “distressing and disturbing.”

The mural was created after the Eaton Fire as a symbol of hope and resilience and was itself a response to an earlier antisemitic attack. Completed during a community painting day on May 2, it bears the message, “We are all responsible for each other.”

The artwork transformed one of the last remaining walls of the synagogue, whose campus was destroyed in the Eaton Fire, after it was defaced with antisemitic graffiti in January.

Members of the congregation partnered with muralist Miriam Hellmann, the Art Over Hate Collective, the Sparks of Kindness Youth Fund and students from the synagogue’s religious school to create the mural as a statement of healing and solidarity.

In the wake of Friday’s vandalism, Rabbi Josh Ratner said the congregation remains committed to rebuilding.

“We are outraged by this deplorable and shameful act,” Ratner said Friday. “But we will not let this vandalism, nor the vandalism that preceded it, define us. PJTC remains committed to rebuilding, to the safety and prosperity of our community, and to living our Jewish values openly and without fear.”

Gordo echoed that message, praising what he called the community’s immediate response.

“The immediate response of our community, that of love and compassion and inclusiveness, has already shown our quality,” he said.

The mayor urged residents to continue supporting one another.

“I encourage everyone to continue to support our friends, neighbors, and strangers alike with the unconditional humanity and sympathy that reflect our values in all times,” Gordo said.

The Sheriff’s Department has not announced any arrests in the case. Authorities are working with congregation leaders, who said they are coordinating with local, county and federal law enforcement as well as Jewish security organizations as they prepare to restore the mural.