On Monday, February 9, the President’s Religious Liberty Commission will hold its fifth hearing. The Commission will turn its focus to anti-Semitism, as well as issues in the private sector. The hearing will be held at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
First Liberty President and CEO Kelly Shackelford serves as a Commissioner. He represents the only nonprofit religious liberty legal organization on the Commission.
Violence and Anti-Semitism Have No Place in America
We represent The Mission Church and the Christian & Jewish Alliance in a major federal court case against agitators who disrupted multiple worship services. Both religious ministries have suffered ongoing harassment as they seek to bring churches and synagogues together for worship and prayer.
The Alliance was founded in the wake of the horrific massacre of more than 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023, and the following surge in anti-Semitic attacks worldwide.
In the aftermath of October 7, members of the Jewish community in the San Diego area felt isolated, having witnessed the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and experiencing widespread hatred even from their own neighbors.
Refusing to believe the Jewish people were alone in their struggle, Cohen-Reeis felt called to create an interfaith organization to support Israel and the Jewish community in the San Diego area.
The Mission Church and many other houses of worship answered the call. Last March, they held a worship service to support their Jewish neighbors and the nation of Israel.
Posing as ticketed guests, agitators infiltrated the sanctuary, yelling slurs until they were escorted out. More agitators lined up inches outside the door, physically obstructing worshippers trying to leave the church, calling church members “Nazis” and yelling, “Mission Church, you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!”
On Easter Sunday, the same agitators shouted vulgarities through a bullhorn and held signs with bloody photos of dismembered babies directly across from where children were enjoying Easter activities in the parking lot.
Showing a pattern of hostility, a similar group of disruptors also blocked entrances and blared loud sirens for three hours at an interfaith worship event in September 2025 hosted by the Christian & Jewish Alliance. They hit worshippers’ cars, called them “baby-killers,” pushed a Jewish guest into a busy street, and refused to leave even after police arrived. At least three of the named defendants are local leaders of Code Pink San Diego, a group known for its anti-Semitism.
First Liberty filed a federal lawsuit to hold these agitators accountable. Federal law protects places of worship and individual worshippers from the intimidation, interference, and obstruction carried out by this hostile group.
We’re also fighting in federal court to stop anti-Semitism in Florida. First Liberty sued the Logger’s Run HOA in Boca Raton for discriminating against our clients, Rabbi Naftaly and Henya Hertzel, and other Jewish residents. The association at one point admitted it “did not want religious Jews” in the neighborhood. One of the managers even said they “should have ended your kind in the 1930s.”
Protecting Religious Liberty in the Marketplace and Private Sector
The Commission also will get to hear the story of our client, Lacey Smith, a flight attendant who was fired for expressing her religious beliefs.
Alaska Airlines wrongfully terminated Lacey and another flight attendant for posting concerns on an internal company website about the “Equality Act” and its impact on women and people of faith. The company invited questions saying it welcomed diverse views, but then fired our clients for their comments.
First Liberty sued Alaska Airlines in 2022. We argued the case in federal appeals court last fall and await a ruling from the Court.
Religious discrimination in the workplace remains a serious problem. Lacey’s testimony is an opportunity for the Commission and the country to hear about the pain and struggle that everyday Americans face when they’re forced to choose between their faith and their livelihood.
The Commission will submit a comprehensive report to the President by July 4, detailing the current state of religious liberty in the United States. That report will include policy recommendations and actionable strategies to reaffirm and protect religious freedom as the cornerstone of American life.
