I’m so glad I went to the Unity March in San Francisco yesterday, March 3rd. We were all there, from elders walking slowly with canes to babies being carried in front packs, Orthodox and secular, Black and white. Many Israelis were wrapped in huge Israeli flags. We walked up Market Street singing Am Yisrael Chai. It was heartwarming and healing.
We packed Civic Center, where I noticed, among the many Israeli flags, some flags of India. It was very moving to read this today in the J. “I am here because it’s my moral duty to be with my Jewish brothers and sisters in the fight against antisemitism and terrorism,” said Param Desai, who was in the crowd holding one of the Indian flags. “We are very proud to be here.”
We need allies, and the Hindu community showed up for us. The speakers, including SF Mayor London Breed, California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, and Sheryl Sandberg, gave our mission, to combat antisemitism, full-throated support.
A very small group of hecklers stood in a cordoned-off area, making their noise. The police did a great job keeping them from bothering us. I wondered how our little friend group would fare on the walk back down Market Street to the ferry building without the crowd, since one friend was carrying a large Israeli flag. Across the street I spotted a small group of Israelis, one still wrapped in her huge Israeli flag. We were not bothered. I must say that I was glad to be with four friends. We took the train and the ferry together and, as we say in Hebrew, “haya kef.” (It was fun.) And it rained only part of the time.
The news reported “thousands” of us. A report from the stage put our number at 10,000. I was proud to be part of it.
Esther Baruch
