On March 3, I found antisemitic literature, which had been distributed to multiple parks, schools and homes in the northern Cook County suburbs, delivered to my front door. Receiving this type of material, I was confronted with a stark reminder of the continuing antisemitic bile perpetuated by neo-Nazi groups throughout the country.
Antisemitic action led by white supremacist groups, designed to stoke hatred and instill fear, is as virulent as ever. Even though Jews comprise less than 2% of the U.S. population, the FBI reported that anti-Jewish bias accounted for 57% of religiously-motivated hate crimes in 2020. In the first three months of 2022, Jewish communities in Cook County have faced dozens of incidents of leaflet drops, vandalism, broken glass, presence of swastikas, verbal attacks and physical assaults.
