Thousands of people gathered along Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall for the Boulder Jewish Festival on Sunday, only a week after the city experienced an antisemitic attack that injured 15 people.
The FBI labeled the incident an act of terror after a man on an expired visa threw Molotov cocktails at a group of peaceful walkers advocating for the freedom of hostages held in Gaza.
The festival featured local artists, traditional food, song and dance, and several speeches from Jewish leaders in the greater Boulder community, advocating for unity within the Jewish community and interfaith community.
The Boulder Jewish Community Center said Sunday’s turnout was its largest in its 30-year history.
“It’s a sad and somewhat scary time for Jewish people now,” Ikey Mamiye, who was at the festival, said. “To see how many of us are here and how many supporters we do have- it’s a lot more of a common feeling, especially during these times.”
Mamiye said this year’s festival had a greater purpose in light of Sunday’s attack.
There were tributes to the hostages 56 hostages still held in Gaza. Attendees wore stickers with the number “611” — the number of days since they were taken in captivity.
Run for Their Lives, the group of peaceful gatherers attacked earlier in the month, also saw hundreds of people walk in solidarity Sunday, far more than the dozen it typically draws.
“As Jews, the scariest thing I’ve heard is Jews could be targeted without it being considered antisemitic,” Mamiye said. “I think that’s a very, very scary sentiment to make justification for targeting Jews. So, I think it’s amazing so many people showed up today and were not afraid. We’ll always stand together as a community.”
Some at the festival said they drove from as far as Durango to attend, noting the importance of standing together as a greater Jewish community during this time of increased antisemitism.
According to the Anti-Defamation League's most recent numbers released in late April, there were 9,354 antisemitic incidents across the United States in 2024. This represents a 5% increase from the 8,873 incidents recorded in 2023, a 344% increase over the past five years and a 893% increase over the past 10 years.
According to the ADL, it is the highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents 46 years ago.
