In the aftermath of the U.S. and Israel’s attack against Iran, community members across Los Angeles responded to the rapidly unfolding situation in the Middle East with a variety of sentiments. Many greeted the news of the death of Ayatollah Khamenei with excitement. Though there was uncertainty about what would ensue in the days following, those interviewed by The Journal acknowledged the strikes against the Islamic Republic in Iran constituted a pivotal turning point in the history of the Middle East.
“I’m elated, I’m excited, I hope they finish the job,” Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh, vice president for Jewish engagement at American Jewish University, told The Journal. “I care a lot about civilian casualties in the crossfire, and I’m texting with people in Israel stuck in the crossfire. The people in Iran have been through so much already, and there’s pressure on the Trump administration to pull back… [But I support a] complete regime change.”
“I’m also concerned about the safety of Americans and Jews,” Rabizadeh, speaking to The Journal hours before the start of Purim, continued. “The algorithms are skewed; there are things are out there that are false. I’m even scared with Purim happening tonight [that someone could target Jews].”
For Miriam Heller Stern, CEO of Builders of Jewish Education (BJE), the past weekend’s geopolitical events coincided with a different event — the annual gala benefit for her organization, which promotes and supports Jewish day school education in Los Angeles. As she spoke to a crowd of approximately 400 people on Sunday night assembled at Sephardic Temple, she acknowledged that the gathering was happening at a pivotal moment in Jewish history.
“This is obviously a moment of great upheaval for the Jewish community,” Stern told The Journal. “I think it’s very much on people’s minds and people understand that investing in Jewish education is a cause that unites us and can’t be put aside every time there’s a crisis. That was the focus of the night, and I think people felt called to action in a moment of history.”
While Trump’s decision to attack has garnered criticism among many Democratic elected officials, most Republicans said they supported President Trump’s decisive actions against Iran. In an interview with CBS News’ “Face the Nation” this past weekend, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called Trump’s decision to attack Iran the “single most important decision of his presidency.”
Likewise, Roger Zakheim, director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, called the weekend’s surprise strikes against Iran this country’s “most consequential strategic military action in 47 years,” on “Fox News Sunday.”
Not all Democratic officials, however, offered outright criticism of the president’s decision to strike. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), posted on X March 1: “All American and Israeli raids are against regime and military targets. In contrast, the majority of Iranian strikes are aimed at killing as many civilians as possible. And they have killed many Arab civilians.”
On Feb. 28, the day after the first strikes against Iran, Iranians across Los Angeles gathered in Westwood, a hub of Persian life in Los Angeles, to celebrate the death of Ayatollah Khamanei, Iran’s supreme leader, who had led Iran since 1989. Locally, anti-war demonstrations also took place.
On social media, meanwhile, many leaders in the Iranian Jewish community offered words of solidarity with the U.S. and Israel’s actions.
“The operation to liberate the Iranian people is not about left or right, but right or wrong,” local attorney and community leader Sam Yebri said in comments posted online. “When the people whose government and military are being bombed and celebrating, that should tell you everything. This is not a war against Iran; this is war for Iran and its people.”
Since the attack began on Friday night, Jewish Federation Los Angeles has been monitoring the situation and publishing updates to its social media accounts. The organization promoted a briefing that, organized by Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and held March 1, featured Israeli journalist Haviv Rettig Gur, JFNA Board Chair Gary Torgow and JFNA President Eric Fingerhut.
Speaking with Fingerhut, Gur, a political analyst and a senior analyst at The Times of Israel, challenged the widely disseminated idea among critics of Trump’s actions that Israel had dragged the U.S. into this conflict.
“I don’t think this is about Israel at all,” Gur told Fingerhut. “I think this is about China … Iran is the base of the anti-American axis in the Middle East … The Americans have cornered the Sunni [Muslim] market. The Shia [Muslims], led by Iran, is the anti-America axis and having that pushback against America and against the America-led world order is foundational for the Chinese in this strategic region.”
In a statement, the LA Federation expressed solidarity with the sizable Iranian-Jewish population in Los Angeles and said they were liaising with local law enforcement to ensure the community was safe during this heated moment.
“As the situation in the Middle East continues to unfold, many in our community are looking for reliable information and reassurance. Our hearts are with the Israeli people, with soldiers defending our ancestral homeland, with American service members and with the anxious families living under a cloud of uncertainty,” the LA Federation said. “We know this moment feels deeply personal for many, especially the Persian Jewish community that is such a vital part of Los Angeles. We see you, and we stand with you.”
Milken Community School, a local Jewish high school with a significant Iranian-Jewish student population, shared a similar statement with Milken families.
“This moment touches many within our Milken and Los Angeles communities in immediate and personal ways,” the school said. “For Persian members of our community, it intersects with family roots and lived experience. We honor the many emotions this brings and remain united as a community.”
