Boulder council issues racial‑healing and Holocaust‑remembrance declarations and a separate declaration condemning antisemitism; public comments show sharp, at‑

The Boulder City Council on Jan. 16 read and accepted three declarations: declaring Jan. 21, 2025, as the National Day of Racial Healing; designating Jan. 27, 2025, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day; and adopting a resolution condemning antisemitism.

Mayor Pro Tem Folkerts presented the National Day of Racial Healing declaration and invited Pastor James Ray of Second Baptist Church to accept it. Pastor Ray thanked the council and said the declaration “values and promotes two things that I heard, truth and transformation,” and he urged the community to work for reconciliation.

A separate declaration recognizing International Holocaust Remembrance Day was read to the council and memorialized the victims of Nazi persecution. The reading noted the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and said the city “joins with all those whose lives were affected” and condemned antisemitism and bigotry in all forms.

Council member Benjamin read a declaration specifically condemning antisemitism and named local representatives who accepted it: Stephanie Clark of Stop Antisemitism Colorado, Susan Rona of the Anti‑Defamation League Mountain States office, and Jonathan Lev from the Boulder JCC. Stephanie Clark told the council she was “encouraged to see Boulder’s leaders take a public stand against antisemitism” and said recent disruptions and threats had made some Jewish residents and elected officials feel unsafe. Susan Rona, ADL regional director, described a dramatic increase in contacts to her office and urged continued community action to prevent hate speech from escalating.

Following the declarations, the meeting moved into the open‑comment period. More than two dozen speakers addressed a range of topics; many focused on antisemitism, the Israel‑Gaza war and related protests on campus and in the community. Some speakers thanked the council for the declarations and reported fear and harassment experienced by Jewish residents and students. Others used their public time to criticize U.S. foreign policy, call for a ceasefire in Gaza or to link local investments and corporate relationships to the conflict overseas.

Speakers included local Jewish community leaders and representatives — Stephanie Clark, Susan Rona and Jonathan Lev — who emphasized safety and solidarity. Other speakers in the public comment period represented a variety of perspectives: some urged the city to do more to protect Jewish residents from harassment and intimidation; others argued the city should speak out about civilian deaths in Gaza or consider economic measures. Several speakers urged nonviolent protest rights while condemning hate and intimidation.

Council members who presided over the declarations underscored that the ceremonial resolutions were statements of the council’s stance and called for community dialogue. No formal legislative action beyond the adoption of the ceremonial declarations was taken at the meeting.

The declarations and the large public turnout illustrated deep divisions within the community since Oct. 7, 2023, with many Boulder residents urging both stronger action to combat antisemitism locally and calls for attention to humanitarian harms in Gaza. Council members and community leaders said the declarations are a step for the city, and several invited further discussion about how to ensure public safety and keep council chambers a place for civil civic participation.