The 50th Ward has more synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in a two-mile stretch than in the rest of the city combined. We are proud of our identity as Chicago’s largest Jewish community, and we are proud of our diversity. However, communities like ours are increasingly facing danger.
Early this year, our neighborhood was rocked by antisemitism. Swastikas were drawn on synagogues and schools, and windows were broken at Jewish-owned businesses and places of worship. The attacks came mere days after Holocaust Remembrance Day. The police arrested an offender and charged him with multiple hate crimes.