As tensions over the war in Gaza simmered across the country, Chicago experienced new cases of antisemitism from hate-filled flyers on the city's Far North Side to Israeli flags spray-painted on the campus of Northwestern University.
Ald. Deborah Silverstein, who represents the city's 50th Ward, said her phone began pinging as she arrived on a plane from Israel Monday afternoon.
"I was sent pictures of these antisemitic flyers on windshields in my neighborhood, one block away from a synagogue," she explained.
Silverstein, the only Jewish alderperson on Chicago’s City Council, advocates for the Jewish community and is sponsoring a hate crime ordinance after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.
She recently received a major award in Israel for the country’s independence day celebration. But after hearing about the flyers, she was so distraught, she left the award on the plane. The alderwoman focused immediately on getting doorbell camera video of whoever is responsible for putting up the flyers.
"As soon as I brought my luggage into the house, I started running outside and knocking on doors," the alderwoman said.
On Monday, she walked with Chicago's Commission on Human Relations and spoke with Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, hoping for a supportive statement from his department after several recent hateful incidents.
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"I'm hoping they make a statement about this," she stated. "What I want, I want my community and entire Jewish community to know that the police are supporting us, police are taking this seriously."
The incident on the Far North Side followed reports of U.S. and Israel flags being vandalized with red spray paint on Northwestern University's Evanston campus.
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"It's very unfortunate that people are using the current situation to express their Jew hatred," said Rabbi Shlomo Soroka of Agudath Irael of Illinois.
The rabbi stated that all of these actions play off increased tension and fear.
"That’s exactly what somebody wanted to do, play off of those fears," he said. "And we’re not going to be intimidated."
