Governor Newsom Signs Safe Worship Zone Act at the Same Synagogue Where Protesters Stormed a Community Event Last Year

LOS ANGELES, CA – Less than a year after a protest outside Wilshire Boulevard Temple turned violent – demonstrators lit smoke canisters, blocked cars and congregants from entering, and forced their way into a private community event – Governor Gavin Newsom returned to that same sanctuary to sign the law it inspired.

The Governor signed Assembly Bill 2664, the Safe Worship Zone Act, in a ceremony inside the historic Los Angeles synagogue, joined by David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California, Board Chair Debi Graboff, clergy and lay leadership of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, six members of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus – Assemblymembers Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda), Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), and Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood), and Senators Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) and Henry Stern (D-Calabasas) – and leaders of the bill's cosponsoring organizations: Tye Gregory of JCRC Bay Area, Rabbi Noah Farkas and Joanna Mendelson of Jewish Federation LA, and David Englin of ADL Los Angeles.

On December 3, 2025, a group of demonstrators blocked cars and people from entering Wilshire Boulevard Temple, cutting off congregants from their own house of worship and parents from their children in the temple's religious school. Several protesters forced their way inside a private bridge-building event between the Jewish and Korean communities, shouting at attendees, destroying property, and assaulting a security guard. Two people were arrested, one for battery and one for vandalism.

The following spring, Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan introduced Jewish California's proposal, citing the Wilshire Boulevard Temple incident directly, along with a similar episode the year before at Adas Torah. ADL, JCRC Bay Area, and Jewish Federation LA joined Jewish California as co-sponsors. They collectively organized a broad and diverse support coalition and carried the bill from introduction to the Governor's desk.

AB 2664 establishes a 100-foot zone around the entrances of houses of worship, inside which no one may approach a congregant within 8 feet without consent to hand out literature, display a sign, or otherwise obstruct, harass, or intimidate them. It is modeled on Colorado's buffer-zone law protecting reproductive health clinics, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, and balances two co-equal First Amendment protections: right to worship and right to protest.

AB 2664 passed amid strong opposition, but with the kind of support these bills rarely draw: Muslim, Sikh, Christian, and Hindu organizations joined dozens of Jewish groups in backing the bill, which passed with 34 of the Senate's 40 votes and 61 of the Assembly's 80 votes. Anti-Jewish bias events in California have risen more than 250% over the past decade, according to the state Attorney General, a sharper increase than for any other group.

"Every Californian, no matter their faith, will now be able to walk to their place of worship without fear of being surrounded or intimidated," said David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California. "Governor Newsom signing this bill alongside Jewish California and our partners speaks to the depth of the relationship we have built together, and to how seriously he takes the safety of every Californian who gathers to practice their faith. We’re grateful to Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan, the Jewish Caucus, and our interfaith partners for standing behind this effort."

"With the Governor's signature, California is sending a clear message: everyone has the right to practice their faith safely and freely," said Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda). "Antisemitism is rising, and so is hostility towards other religious communities. This law protects all worshippers of all faiths, and it ensures that faith can be practiced without fear."

Governor Newsom also signed Assembly Bill 1836 at the signing ceremony, authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) and sponsored by Jewish California and Equality California. The bill expands the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program (CSNSGP) to cover offsite community events – menorah lightings, Pride celebrations, cultural festivals – closing a gap that had limited funding to a nonprofit's own physical building. It passed the Senate unanimously and the Assembly 78-0, with one abstention.

"Our communities don't just gather behind security doors – we gather for religious holidays in the park, we demonstrate, and we host public festivals and parades," said Bocarsly. "Vulnerable communities should not have to worry about safety when practicing our traditions in the community. But with hate-motivated violence on the rise, the cost of securing these gatherings has become prohibitive for many organizations, threatening the very community-building that defines us. We thank Assemblymember Gabriel for his ongoing leadership in creating and expanding the state’s nonprofit security grant program. We're proud to work alongside Equality California to make sure every Californian can come together without fear."

"California is stepping up to protect our communities, so that Californians of all faiths and backgrounds can gather together and celebrate without fear," said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), Chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus. "This bill sends a powerful message that California will continue to stand with the LGBTQ+ community and all others targeted by hate. We will never let hate win."

Under Governor Newsom, at the request of Jewish California and the Jewish Caucus, the state has allocated $395 million to the CSNSGP, including a this year's generational commitment of $80 million in permanent, ongoing annual funding. AB 1836 is numbered for the Jewish symbol of life – 18, and its double, 36 – corresponding to the numerological value of the Hebrew word chai, meaning life.

“Every Californian should be able to walk into a synagogue, church, mosque, or other house of worship without fear," said Governor Gavin Newsom. "California is continuing to protect these organizations and the people they serve, and we’re strengthening that work from the front door to expanding security resources to community events statewide.” 

Both laws take effect January 1, 2027.

Follow the status of all Jewish California bills at our Policy Agenda Tracker: https://tracker.jewishcal.org/