Jewish synagogues in Los Angeles celebrate Rosh Hashanah
Around the world, including in Southern California, synagogues celebrated the start of Rosh Hashanah with hopes for a more peaceful era to begin the Jewish New Year.
The Sinai Temple in Beverly Hills celebrated the holiday with the theme of "rhythm of joy," to start "the new year with the new beat Rabbi Erze Sherman said.
"We look outside our walls right now, we find increased polarization and division and brokenness, and someone would say darkness in the world," Rabbi Nicole Guzik said. "We want to remind everyone ... that joy and despair can exist side-by-side."
Antisemitic attacks in the U.S. have spiked since the start of the Israel-Gaza War. The Anti-Defamation League's recent annual report on antisemitism found more than 9,000 incidents in the U.S. in 2024, the highest mark since 1978. The states with the highest levels of incidents were New York and California.
On Monday, the Beverly Hills school officials said security cameras captured a man vandalizing an elementary school with a swastika. Last month, at least eight swastikas were drawn on a grade school banner in Tarzana.
The Beverly Hills Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department and the LA County Sheriff's Department have also increased patrols near synagogues.
Synagogues have hired private security firms for additional protection, including Magen Am. The team of volunteers and former Israeli military started in LA's predominantly Jewish neighborhoods a few years ago but expanded to Orange County and San Diego.
"I'm here because I want a peaceful, thriving community, and these days, security is part of that," said Rabbi Yossi Eilfort, president of Magen Am. "We fight because we're here for our community, and we love our families."
