More than 40 Bay Area Jewish community groups, synagogues and schools are working together to organize a solidarity march and rally on Sunday, March 3, in San Francisco.
The Unity March will take a broad stand against antisemitism, which has spiked in the Bay Area and beyond since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre and subsequent war. Organizers expect a large turnout and hope to set a tone similar to that of the massive March for Israel that took place in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 14.
“The event started as an initiative of American-Israeli individuals living in the Bay Area that share a strong concern of the rise of hate crimes against Jewish people in our area,” co-organizer Rachel Batish said in an email.
Sponsors include the Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area, Consulate General of Israel, Israeli American Council, Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, Oshman Family JCC, Jewish Silicon Valley, StandWithUs, American Jewish Committee and Anti-Defamation League.
The march, set from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., will begin at the Ferry Building on Embarcadero Plaza. From there, participants will walk along Market Street to the rally in front of City Hall, where there will be speakers, including Sheryl Sandberg, the former Facebook executive who has become an international advocate for the survivors of sexual violence on Oct. 7.
Also on the speaker list is Jeff Rosen, district attorney for Santa Clara County, who wrote in op-ed for J. in 2021: “History has shown time and again that the targeting of Jews does not end with Jews. Antisemitism is a societal problem, one that regrettably has emerged with unsettling regularity in the United States today.”
Pawan Deshpande, who serves on the leadership council of the Hindu American Foundation, will also speak. The Jewish community and the HAF have previously worked together, particularly on the declassification of the Hindu swastika as a hate symbol.
Participants can sign up to volunteer or get more information on the event website, where there are also ready-to-print rally signs such as “Antisemitism is racism,” as well as suggestions on spreading the word on social media.
Organizers are prioritizing security, Batish said.
“SFPD is taking the event very seriously and is dedicating the needed resources to assure public safety,” she said. Organizers have also hired a private security company and will train community volunteers “to assist in maintaining order and ensuring a peaceful event.”
The march has raised more than $8,000 toward a $10,000 goal on GoFundMe. The money will help pay for security, city permits, insurance and infrastructure costs for items like portable toilets and the stage.