Chicago Jewish community denounces recent threats, attacks

CHICAGO - The Chicago Jewish community united on Wednesday to denounce recent threats and attacks targeting their community.

Less than ten days prior, a Jewish man was physically assaulted by anti-Israel protesters while attempting to attend a screening at The Logan Theatre about Israel and Hamas.

Leaders say anti-Semitism has increased since the onset of the conflict between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7.

In February, instances of graffiti supporting Palestine and anti-Semitism appeared in Logan Square, indicating a concerning trend in Chicago.

"ADL [Anti-Defamation League] has been tracking anti-Semitic incidents since 1979, and we've never seen anti-Semitic activity this bad here in Chicago. Now, later this spring, we'll release our audit, our annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents for 2023, but I'm confident that the total number of anti-Semitic incidents we tracked in Chicago last year will easily exceed the 75 anti-Semitic incidents we tracked in 2021 and 2022 combined," one leader said. 

Moreover, the Islamic community has also fallen victim to hate. Security measures were heightened at a downtown Islamic center this week following an attempted door shattering at a mosque on South State Street.