(Jewish Group) Anti-hate mural showcasing Jewish diversity goes up in LA neighborhood...

[Behind the Aegis]

Anti-hate mural showcasing Jewish diversity goes up in LA neighborhood where antisemitic shootings took place


Los Angeles leaders cut the ribbon for the unveiling of a new mural in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood. (Pictured from left to right: Ilan Davidson, President of LA County Commission on Human Relations; Robin Toma, executive director of LA County Commission on Human Relations; Supervisor Lindsey Horvath; Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky; Jeff Abrams, ADL Los Angeles regional director; Rabbi Rebecca Schatz, Temple Beth Am; Rabbi Noah Farkas, President and CEO of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles; Senator Ben Allen. Image courtesy of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles)

A massive mural of a Jewish mother lighting Shabbat candles has just gone up in a Jewish neighborhood of Los Angeles, the first in a series of anti-hate murals planned across the city.

Painted by the Iranian-Jewish artist Cloe Hakakian, “The Common Thread” was painted on the exterior of an event venue in Pico-Robertson, a heavily Jewish neighborhood known for its abundance of synagogues and kosher restaurants representing a range of Jewish traditions. In February, two Jewish men in Pico-Robertson were shot on two separate days by an individual whom officials said had “a history of animus towards the Jewish community.”

Flames painted on the mural take the form of the Hebrew words “l’dor v’dor,” a term meaning “from generation to generation” that describes how Judaism is passed down over time. She said she had drawn upon the insights that community members had been invited to offer in planning workshops.

“I’ve done a lot of community murals, but this one was special because the community and each individual contributed to it. They shared their experiences and struggles of being Jewish. Public art has a huge role in social change and in revolutions, past and present,” Hakakian told The Los Angeles Daily News ahead of the mural’s unveiling.

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