Attack on Jewish students at DePaul, vandalism at Loop Synagogue highlight disturbing trend, ADL says
CHICAGO (CBS) - After two Jewish students at DePaul University were attacked on Wednesday , and two men were arrested for trespassing and vandalizing a Loop synagogue the same day, the Anti-Defamation League said a recent string of antisemitic incidents in Chicago underscores a trend it has been tracking all year.
DePaul University President Robert L. Manuel said two Jewish students were physically attacked Wednesday afternoon in front of the Student Center on the Lincoln Park Campus at 2250 N. Sheffield Ave. Sources said one student who was attacked is an Israeli soldier currently on reserve, and one of the executive leaders of the Students Standing with Israel at DePaul.
The Chicago Jewish Alliance said students will often stand outside the DePaul Student Center hoping to have an open dialogue with others about the War in Gaza. Manuel said the two students were doing just that when they were punched by masked attackers.
Just a few hours later, Chicago Police say they were called to the Chicago Loop Synagogue, 16 S. Clark St. Members of the Jewish community were gathered there for a speaker, and said dozens of protesters harassed them as they entered the place of worship.
Some protesters even entered and then vandalized the synagogue.
The Chicago Police Department said two people were arrested for criminal trespass. One was also charged with damage to property.
These latest incidents come as another high-profile hate crime case was set to go before a judge.
Thursday was supposed to be the detention hearing for the man charged with shooting an Orthodox Jewish man who was walking to synagogue last month in the West Ridge, or West Rogers Park, neighborhood.
But defendant Sidi Muhammad Abdellahi , 22, was injured in a shootout with police, and was still not well enough to attend a court hearing. Thus, specific details of that recent hate crime have not been broken down.
Abdellahi is accused of shooting the 39-year-old man headed to synagogue in the 2600 block of West Farwell Avenue at 9:30 a.m. Saturday of last week. Abdehllahi is also accused of opening fire on police officers and paramedics afterward. Chicago Police officers returned fire and hit the suspect multiple times.
He faces terrorism and hate crime charges.
"It's a problem when we're not surprised when someone's shot because they're Jewish. We're not surprised that someone is assaulted because they're Jewish. We're not surprised that a Jewish institution is attacked, protested, and vandalized," said David Goldenberg, Midwest Regional Director at the Anti-Defamation League. "We're sad. were outraged. We're exhausted, but we're not surprised."
Goldenberg said over the last year, the ADL locally has tracked a 300% increase in the number of antisemitic incidents in Chicago.
The ADL said these latest incidents this week underscore the need for leaders in Chicago to identify better ways to support victims of hate and antisemitism.
"This is the American Jewish experience right now," Goldenberg said.
As for the DePaul case, the university said Chicago Police are still investigating the attack to determine whether to classify it as a hate crime.
