From the Frontlines: An Insider's Perspective on the Attack on the Boulder Jewish Community

"From the Frontlines" is an ADL podcast which brings listeners to the frontline in the battle against antisemitism and hate. Right now, that frontline is a dangerous one for Jewish communities. Two weeks ago, in Boulder, Colorado, fifteen people were injured, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor, and the attacker had 16 more Molotov cocktails ready to throw. The perpetrator spent a year planning to target peaceful Jewish community members showing solidarity with Israeli hostages. This is the second violent attack on the U.S. Jewish community in just two weeks, and it follows closely on the heels of the torching of Governor Shapiro’s home in Pennsylvania during Passover because of his support for Israel. Since January 2020, ADL's Center on Extremism has documented 16 terrorist plots or attacks targeting Jews, with nine of those incidents occurring within just the past 12 months. We are living through what we can only describe as an unprecedentedly high threat environment. Susan Rona joined the podcast to discuss this attack and offer an insider look at what happened that day and what has been the aftermath. She is the Regional Director of ADL’s Mountain States Region based in Colorado and has been on the ground responding to this attack and supporting the affected community. Susan has been working around the clock with law enforcement, community leaders, and the victims in the aftermath of what the FBI is calling a targeted act of terrorism This podcast was recorded on June 13, 2025.