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By Donald H. Harrison
 SAN DIEGO--Some media attention has focused this weekend on the so-called Westboro Baptist Church’s foray of hate through San Diego County, but from my point of view more attention—in this instance of the positive variety—should go to the Anti-Defamation League and to the leaders of San Diego’s synagogues and Jewish organizations that were targeted for demonstrations by the Kansas-based hate group.
Members of the WBC, who might more appropriately be called "Westboro Bigots and Children," held picket signs, screamed and sang invective about Jews, gays, and a variety of Christian churches as they moved through nearly 30 San Diego County venues gathering some transitory publicity but little else. Morris Casuto, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, likened the WBC to tumbleweed that blows through the landscape, causing a momentary distraction but no lasting effect.
Conversely, what may have lasting value for the community—as well as any other community that might in the future be faced with vagabond provocateurs—was how ADL in cooperation with the United Jewish Federation of San Diego County alerted Jewish organizations and synagogues throughout the county of WBC’s intentions and offered analysis and advice on how to deal with the group.
The first step, prior to WBC’s arrival in San Diego, was the convening of a meeting of the leaders of synagogues and Jewish organizations at the United Jewish Federation offices. There, assistant director Heather Frank briefed the leadership on the modus operandi of WBC, based on reports that she and her colleague Monica Bauer had gathered from other ADL chapters and other sources throughout the United States.
The short version of their report was that however vile WBC’s signs and slogans may be, the organization has shown itself to be non-violent. The group, which includes attorneys, notifies police in advance of its visits to a locality, reminding them that the First Amendment guarantees Freedom of Speech.
Once arriving at a location, the group holds up its signs to gain the attention of any drivers who might be passing by, while taunting any representatives of the targeted group who might be on hand to watch their demonstration. Along with Morris Casuto, I watched this pattern unfold on Friday on a street corner near the United Jewish Federation offices, and later in front of the Jewish Family Services offices, both in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego.
I subsequently traveled up to Carlsbad in time for Erev Shabbat services at Chabad of La Costa, which were attended by many delegates of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), who are holding an off-the-record National Summit on foreign policy this weekend at the nearby La Costa Resort.
Chabad Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort had covered the fences of his small shul with banners that might silently respond to the demonstrators. WBC members drove in their van past the Chabad congregation, saw the signs, and set up almost a block away at the intersection of La Costa Avenue and El Camino Real. As a result, there was no contact on Friday night between the worshipers and the WBC.
At the ADL/UJF sponsored meeting a week before the picketing, Frank and a representative of the San Diego Police Department had reassured the Jewish community representatives that so long as no members of their organizations responded physically to WBC taunts—and
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thereby unwittingly provided the hate-mongers with grounds for a lawsuit—the picketing would prove ineffectual, a bad smell carried away by the wind.
With police on hand to monitor the goings-on, no congregation or organization needed to fear any attack upon their premises, no matter how many protesters the WBC might bring, the Jewish leadership group was informed.
Many of the representatives who attended that meeting thereafter sent advisories to members of their congregations and organizations, forewarning them of the coming unpleasantness and urging them—in the event that they encountered WBC demonstrators—to walk on by, resisting any temptation to argue.
Bauer and Frank meanwhile shared their knowledge with non-Jewish groups targeted by WBC, including Christian religious organizations and LGBT organizations. They reported that members of these groups expressed their appreciation to ADL for its warnings and advice.
Even as Casuto kept an eye on the WBC as a sign-bearing contingent of three adults and three children took positions near the UJF and AJE offices, so too did attorney Phil Ginsburg and other volunteers monitor the goings-on at other targeted locales throughout the weekend.
The LGBT community mounted a counter-demonstration near San Diego City College where WBC’s signs and chants targeted the lesbian and gay community. Kept on opposite sides of Park Boulevard from each other, the small WBC group and the much larger group of local protesters had no physical interaction.
Casuto was effusive in his praise for law enforcement, saying that they helped to reassure the Jewish community in advance of the visit and by the presence of their squad cars during the demonstrations. In Carlsbad, squad cars parked at the Chabad property.
While Jewish community organizations decided against counter-demonstrations, representatives of other groups decided to peacefully show their contempt for the hate-mongers. Among them was Dale Goodman, a member of Patriot Guard Riders, who rode his big yellow motorcycle bedecked with American flag and POW/MIA banner past the WBC demonstrators, protesting that organization’s picketing at funerals of American soldiers killed in action.
Typical of its rhetoric,
the WBC suggests that God wants the soldiers dead to punish the United States for its embrace of homosexuals.
Another counter-protester near the United Jewish Federation offices was Wendy Sue Biegeleisen, a peace activist and J-Pride member, who has been an organizer of various gay pride demonstrations.
Still another was Denise Bick, who said while watching the demonstration near UJF, “I’m appalled. Hate does not belong in this world, and people like that should stay where they came from.”
Rabbi Eilfort commented during Erev Shabbat services to his congregants and AIPAC members that this was Shabbos Bereishis --the Shabbat on which the first parasha of the Torah (Genesis 1:1-6-10) is read. He said that there is a Chasidic belief that that which happens on Shabbos Bereishis is a harbinger of what will happen throughout the year. That being the case, he said, he looks forward to a year of pleasure—in that he was able to host the AIPAC delegates—and excitement in being able to overwhelm hand-carried picket signs of hate with large banners of love and positive belief.
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ADL assistant directors Monica Bauer and Heather Frank