For many in Boulder’s Jewish community, the one-year anniversary of the June 1 firebombing on Pearl Street arrives with grief, vulnerability and unresolved anger. It also comes with a determination to carry forward the message of Karen Diamond, who died from her injuries in the attack, to respond to hate with love.
On June 1, 2025, Mohamed Sabry Soliman posed as a gardener before yelling “Free Palestine” and throwing Molotov cocktails at a Boulder Run For Their Lives gathering on the Pearl Street Mall, where the group held weekly demonstrations in support of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
More than a dozen people were injured, including Diamond, 82, who died about three weeks later from burns. Earlier this month, a Boulder County judge sentenced Soliman to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He still faces federal hate crimes charges.
Rabbi Marc Soloway of Bonai Shalom attended the sentencing. He said justice has been done, and that what matters now is carrying forward Diamond’s message from before she died.
“Her message to everybody was the only way to respond to such a horrific, hateful act is with love and kindness,” Soloway said. “Her family have been reinforcing that message. And I think we all need to reinforce that message.”
Rabbi Fred Greene of Congregation Har HaShem said there are still “a lot of feelings still of vulnerability, sadness and still some anger.” He said it’s important to take care of one another, build new bridges and help people see each other’s humanity.
“I hope people will be willing to hear and learn about complexities of relationships and identities, instead of trying to flatten all of those nuances, so we can really be a healthier community here in Boulder and beyond,” he said.
Ed Victor, who was present during the attack and helped extinguish the flames on one of the victims, said the day marked a turning point.
“Yes, June 1 happened, but what do I want to do about it?” Victor said. “Initially it was certainly showing up to the marches and being in community, but it’s also for me strengthening Jewish identity in the community.”
The weekly walks have since ended. On Oct. 13, 2025, 20 Israeli hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners were swapped under a ceasefire.
“We didn’t need to walk anymore,” he said. “It was a miracle. I get shivers when I think about it.”
The Boulder JCC is organizing a commemoration for victims of the attack at the opening of the Boulder Jewish Festival on the Pearl Street Mall on June 7.
“Coming back to Pearl Street one year later is both difficult and deeply meaningful for our community,” Jonathan Lev, executive director of the Boulder JCC, said. “We will begin the day by honoring those impacted by last year’s attack and reflecting on all that our community has endured. Then we will come together to celebrate Jewish culture, connection, and resilience. By holding both remembrance and joy, we honor the past while reaffirming our commitment to the future.”
Soloway said the Jewish community is feeling somewhat afraid and vulnerable, but that gathering together remains important. This year, June 1 coincided with erev Shavuot on the Jewish calendar. He said the community gathered into the early morning hours. The evening began with an acknowledgment of the date and of Diamond’s memory.
“We just started with an acknowledgment of where we were on the Jewish calendar, and honoring Karen’s memory,” he said. “And talking about how part of Jewish resilience is to carry on, carry on with our rituals, carry on with our practices, carry on with learning our sacred texts, carry on with the power of being in community together.”
