Jewish community leaders see rise in antisemitic incidents in Chicago

Jewish community leaders and organizations across Illinois on Tuesday condemned antisemitic incidents in Chicago since Oct. 7, saying some of the city’s Jewish community has felt bullied and intimidated by pro-Palestinian activists. 

“We are sounding the alarm, and we are asking for help,” said David Goldenberg, the Anti-Defamation League’s Midwest regional director, at a Tuesday news conference. “You can mourn the loss of Palestinian lives while also categorically rejecting antisemitism in our streets.” 

The Anti-Defamation League, an advocacy group that targets antisemitism, released a report Tuesday saying Chicago has seen a rise in antisemitic incidents since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. Goldenberg said it’s likely that the number of incidents — acts of vandalism, harassment and assault — that the ADL tracked in Chicago in 2023 will exceed the number in the previous two years combined.  

One of the incidents the report mentioned is the assault of a Jewish man carrying an Israeli flag outside a screening of the documentary “#Nova” at the Logan Theatre in Logan Square on March 11. The documentary is about the Oct. 7 massacre at the open-air Tribe of Nova music festival, where Hamas killed at least 364 people. 

Alison Pure-Slovin, the director of the Midwest region of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the organization that hosted the screening, said pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted the event, creating what she called an unsafe environment for attendees.

“This country protects the right to free speech, but free speech must also mean that the Jewish community feel safe to stand up for America’s ally, Israel, that we should attend an event about Israel carrying the Israeli flag and wear a Jewish star or kippah or any other recognizable Jewish symbol and attend synagogue without the fear or need for armed guard,” she said. 

Chicago police confirmed that a 59-year-old man was walking in the 2600 block of North Milwaukee Avenue when a group approached him and attempted to grab something from his hands at 7:09 p.m. Police said the victim then fell to the ground, and the offenders took his personal belongings. Two of the offenders then struck the man in the head before fleeing in an unknown direction, police said.  

Police said the man refused emergency medical services. No suspects are in custody, and detectives are investigating. 

“I did not say anything to anyone, as we walked up I did not look at anyone, I did not give anyone the finger, I simply walked up holding an Israeli flag,” the man told Channel 7 after the incident. He asked not to be identified because of safety concerns.    

The ADL report also mentioned the cancellation of Jewish musician Matisyahu’s concert at the House of Blues earlier this month. The American rapper and beatboxer said on Instagram that the event was canceled due to “threat of protests.” 

“While the true details surrounding this decision remain opaque, and while the responsible parties all point fingers at one another over the decision, I can assure you there have been no threats of violence received by our security team, who have been vigilant in knowing what is happening in each city,” Matisyahu said. 

The U.S. Palestinian Community Network-Chicago and the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression encouraged people to call and email the House of Blues to demand that the venue cancel the performance, calling Matisyahu “racist” and “Zionist” for reportedly supporting Israeli soldiers. The groups called the cancellation a victory. 

Dan Goldwin, the executive director for public affairs at the Jewish United Fund, said Tuesday that the cancellation was “ironic” since Matisyahu’s song “One Day” supports peace. 

“These activists don’t care if you’re a peace-loving Jew,” he said. “They care only if you’re a Jew.” 

Kylie Miller, a sophomore at Roosevelt University, said that as a Jewish student she often feels uncomfortable or scared during campus protests, especially when she wears a Star of David necklace. She said she sees antisemitism on social media. 

“I’ve had many, many people replying to (posts) and telling me, ‘That’s not antisemitic,’ and I think there needs to be a message that you don’t get to tell us what is dangerous, what feels wrong and causes us pain,” she said. 

A national survey released last month from the American Jewish Committee, a prominent advocacy organization, also found that nearly two-thirds of American Jews say they feel less secure in the U.S. than they did a year ago. 

Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, where the group killed some 1,200 people and took 250 people hostage.

More than 31,800 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. Much of northern Gaza has been leveled, and an international authority on hunger crises warned on Monday that 70% of the people there were experiencing catastrophic hunger and that famine was imminent. 

Anti-Muslim and anti-Arab incidents also are on the rise in the U.S. According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Islamophobic incidents were up 178% in the last three months of 2023 from the previous year.  

On Sunday, a man shattered the front door of the Downtown Islamic Center in the 200 block of South State Street after harassing worshippers while making racist comments. The vandalism comes amid Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. 

The Associated Press contributed reporting.