The Jewish community in Boulder, Colorado, is grappling with fear and trauma after a Molotov cocktail attack injured twelve people at a Shavuot rally calling for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The attack, carried out by Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, targeted participants of Run for Their Lives, one of hundreds of global events dedicated to honouring the 58 hostages still in captivity more than 600 days after their abduction, reports The Jerusalem Post.
Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn confirmed that the injuries ranged from minor to severe burns. One of the victims was a Holocaust survivor.
“This was out of left field,” said Chany Scheiner, whose husband is the rabbi at the Boulder County Centre for Judaism. “This is not something we ever dreamed would be in our backyard. It’s horrific, and we can’t wrap our heads around it.”
Brandon Rattiner of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) described the mood of the community: “We are really suffering and scared… isolated and vulnerable.”
The attack comes amid growing concerns over antisemitism in Colorado. Rabbi Marc Soloway, a long-time leader in Boulder’s Jewish community, warned earlier this year: “Many of us simply do not feel safe or supported.” He shared his experience of being physically and verbally threatened at a City Council meeting. He pointed to the rising tide of anti-Zionism, which he described as a “pernicious form of antisemitism.”
In response to the attack, JEWISHcolorado and a coalition of organisations, including the Anti-Defamation League, StandWithUs, Stop Antisemitism Colorado, and others, are coordinating community support and emergency security funding. Grants for Jewish preschools will be fast-tracked with the help of the Tepper Foundation.
“This is not alarmism,” the JCRC stated. “We must look in the mirror and ask how our society allowed this to happen — and keep happening.”
Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) President Eric Fingerhut described the Boulder firebombing as “another example of a wave of domestic terror attacks aimed at the Jewish community.” He called on Congress to increase Nonprofit Security Grant funding to $1 billion and urged stronger protections for Jewish institutions, including schools, synagogues, and community centres.
Fingerhut also demanded accountability from tech platforms for amplifying antisemitic hate and incitement: “The US government must hold social media, gaming, and messaging platforms accountable.”
Meanwhile, watchdog group CAMERA condemned media outlets for downplaying the attack. CEO Kurt Schwartz criticised headlines such as “Multiple people burned in attack on Boulder’s Pearl Street,” saying, “This is a journalistic failure and, more troublingly, a moral one. When the media buries or sanitises attacks like this, it normalises antisemitism.”
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum expressed solidarity with the Boulder community: “We are heartbroken by the tragic attack. We stand with you — in care, in solidarity, and with deep appreciation for your unwavering support.”
As tensions escalate and Jewish communities in the United States confront increasing violence, leaders continue to urge action against antisemitism and the rhetoric that fuels it. “Violence against Jews is immoral and must end,” the JCRC insisted. “Colorado must be a place where every Jew feels safe, supported, and free to live their authentic Jewish lives.”
Photo credit: MARK MAKELA / REUTERS
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