MACON, Ga. — Hundreds of Central Georgians gathered Sunday afternoon for a service of love and unity following a hate demonstration in Macon and Warner Robins last week.
The service brought out state leaders like Representative Sanford Bishop and Senator Jon Ossoff.
"America still is and still represents to the world the values of universality, of human rights, of tolerance, of love, of kindness," Senator Ossoff said.
About 900 guests gathered and clapped their hands in support of Macon's Jewish community as several musical choirs sang songs of peace.
"Here today serves as an important reminder that our community welcomes, supports, and loves us, and that we are safe," President of Temple Beth Israel Simon Becker said.
Macon-Bibb governmental and religious leaders each shared their messages of unity.
"There is no place, I repeat, no place here for the ignorance, the hate, the antisemitism directed here at our Jewish neighbors last weekend," Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller said.
State Representative Sanford Bishop shared a reminder from our country's pledge that everyone is created equal.
"One nation, under God, indivisible, for justice and liberty for all," he said.
Representative Bishop promoted speaking up in moments of injustice saying, "If you see something that is not fair, that is not just, you must say something. You must do something."
Senator Jon Ossoff shared his family heritage with the crowd. He is related to holocaust survivors and Georgia's first Jewish Senator.
He spoke against any symbol of hate.
"Hate is an idea or feeling. The swastika is a symbol of massacre, slavery, medical experimentation," he said.
Senator Ossoff went on to share that it's peoples love and kindness that will drown out hate, which is why people like his own family have come to America.
"We are willing, not just to put into word our belief of what America is, but to put it into deed," he said. "We understand and we believe in, and we will fight for, and we are committed to the values that all are created equal. That we are out of many one, and that we are one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all."
According to the FBI, 51% of religious hate crimes are attacks against the Jewish community. Speakers shared that they hope common unity will help this diminish, especially in the Central Georgia community.
Leaders shared that this unity doesn't stop at the Jewish community, but includes, African Americans, the LGBTQ+ community and all other marginalized groups.