November 6, 2023
JCUA statement on antisemitic incidents in Chicago area
JCUA is deeply disturbed to learn that antisemitic messages were distributed around Chicago on the weekend of November 5. In Portage Park, signs blaming Jews for 911 were posted on car dashboards. In LaGrange, leaflets amplifying a conspiracy theory about Jewish power within the Biden administration were distributed outside homes.
The organization likely responsible for the leaflets is the Goyim Defense League, a hate group long-known for promoting antisemitic, anti-Black, Islamophobic, and anti-LGBTQ+ materials online and across the country. These incidents are part of a trend of Neo-Nazi groups exploiting violence in Israel and Palestine to push antisemitic conspiracy theories into the mainstream.
We condemn this abhorrent and antisemitic behavior. Such incidents are designed to make Jews in our community feel unsafe and to undermine solidarity between Jews and our neighbors. JCUA will continue working together across communities to confront white supremacy and ensure safety for all of us.