The 2024 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism kicked off on Dec. 11 with an opening gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, where leaders from over 200 municipalities came together to collectively confront antisemitism and develop ways to promote tolerance at the local level.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) hosted the event, which Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman chaired. The gala marked the beginning of a three-day conference that included remarks from Peter Paltchik, the Israeli Olympic bronze medalist in Judo, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, Chancellor of New York City Public Schools, and others who shared their insight on the fight against intolerance. The evening included an interactive art installation with cartoon comic panels inspired by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, as well as virtual reality programming from NGO ISRAEL-is, where guests were able to immerse themselves in the stories and experiences of five survivors of the Oct. 7 massacre.
Summit panelists on Dec. 12 included Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook and Mayor Friedman. The Courier’s Dec. 20 issue will contain a full report of the summit programming.
Photo by Bianca Heyward
