Beverly Hills’ Oct. 7 memorial. Photo: BeverlyHills.org

At a time when Jewish students shelter in their dorm rooms to avoid harassment on elite campuses; when demonstrators in major cities chant genocidal slogans; and when antisemitism spikes globally to alarming levels, one California city has stood firm in its principles: Beverly Hills.

While city councils across California have been swept up in performative debates about ceasefires and BDS movements — issues they have no Constitutional authority to influence — Beverly Hills has demonstrated what genuine municipal support for its Jewish community looks like in the aftermath of October 7, 2023.

As an Israeli American who has witnessed what’s happened across America since Oct. 7, I’ve found the contrast between Beverly Hills and other municipalities to be both refreshing and instructive.

When Vice Mayor Dr. Sharona Nazarian posted on February 27, 2025, that “Beverly Hills has always stood against antisemitism and injustice,” it wasn’t just rhetoric — it was backed by consistent action. The city didn’t just issue statements; it created meaningful spaces for remembrance and education.

The 1,400 flags installed at Beverly Hills Garden Park — attempting to represent victims from 30 different nationalities on October 7 — offered a visceral reminder of the human cost of terrorism. Unlike the debates raging on social media, this memorial didn’t reduce complex geopolitics to simplistic narratives. It simply honored lives lost, and it did so prominently, right beside the iconic Beverly Hills sign, where tourists from around the world stop for photos daily. The city has since reinstalled the memorial twice — and put up cameras to ensure it isn’t vandalized.

Perhaps most encouraging of all is Beverly Hills’ commitment to creating a permanent October 7 memorial. As approved in November 2024, this memorial will be located at the northeast corner of Rexford Drive and Burton Way; it is designed to echo the 9/11 Memorial, and will incorporate educational signage about the terror attack. The city has already committed $500,000 to the project, with additional fundraising underway.

The Beverly Hills approach represents a fundamental understanding that supporting Jewish safety isn’t just about words. It’s about creating physical spaces where remembrance and education can occur. It’s about illuminating its City Hall orange in memory of the Bibas family, and hosting vigils where community members can mourn together. It’s about allowing for the expression of grief without apologizing for standing against terrorism.

What other communities might learn from Beverly Hills is that supporting Jewish community members doesn’t require municipalities to solve the Middle East conflict. It simply requires them to uphold their basic obligation to ensure all residents feel safe and valued.

When a February 2025 grassroots vigil featured balloons released in memory of the Bibas family at Beverly Canon Garden, it represented something profound: the ability of ordinary citizens to express solidarity in public spaces without fear. That fundamental right — to gather, to remember, to mourn without intimidation — is precisely what has been under threat in too many American cities.

While other California cities have seen their council meetings derailed by activists demanding they weigh in on international conflicts well beyond their jurisdiction, Beverly Hills has demonstrated that local governments can both acknowledge global events and remain focused on its primary responsibility: creating a safe, welcoming community for all its residents.

Rather than treating the Israel-Hamas conflict as an opportunity for political grandstanding, Beverly Hills has approached it as what it is: a human tragedy that affects many of its residents personally. In these divisive times, Beverly Hills shows us that communities don’t need to choose between supporting Palestinian humanitarian concerns and standing against antisemitism. They simply need to prioritize the safety and dignity of all their residents while refusing to import geopolitical conflicts into municipal governance.

At a moment when Jews increasingly question whether they are welcome in America’s progressive cities, Beverly Hills offers a reassuring answer: Here, at least, is one place where Jews need not apologize for their grief, hide their identity, or qualify their right to safety.

That shouldn’t be rare — but in today’s climate, it is. And Beverly Hills deserves recognition.

Roni Brunn is the Vice President of Media Relations at the Harvard Jewish Alumni Alliance, and a social media content creator.