Boulder Jewish Festival kicks off amid tight security one week after attack
Boulder Jewish Festival kicks off amid tight security one week after attack
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Authorities charged alleged Boulder attacker with attempted murder
Authorities formally charged Mohamed Sabry Soliman with 118 criminal counts including dozens of attempted murder charges.
BOULDER, Colo. − The Boulder Jewish Festival was kicking off Sunday amid heightened security at the site where 15 people were injured in a fiery attack on a rally demanding the return of Israeli hostages from Gaza.
This is the 30th anniversary of the festival, one of the longest-running Jewish cultural festivals in the nation.
"We look forward to sharing this day of resilience, culture and community solidarity in downtown Boulder, exactly one week after an antisemitic terror attack shook the Jewish community," organizers said in a statement, promising "enhanced" security protocols.
Organizers said they are working closely with Boulder Police Department, JEWISHColorado and state officialsto ensure safety.
"These are precautionary measures and not based on any specific threat," the statement said. "The top priority is creating a secure, welcoming space where everyone can gather in solidarity and celebration."
The festival will include a solidarity walk with members of Run For Their Lives, the group that sponsored the walk that drew the attack June 1. The walk will conclude with a "powerful, community-led program" featuring speakers including some from Run For Their Lives Boulder. Among them will be Moshe Emilio Lavi, whose brother-in-law, Omri Miran, 49, was kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 and remains in captivity.
No one died in the June 1 attack, but the wounded include eight females and seven males, ages 25 to 88, police said. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian native who's been held on a $10 million bond, faces more than 100 criminal counts including multiple counts of attempted murder.
"The Jewish community is deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from near and far − local and global, interfaith, young and old," the statement said. "All are welcome, and we hope to have a tremendous turnout and show of solidarity."
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