Antisemitic flyers placed on cars again, this time in Chicago's West Ridge community
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Neighbors in another Chicago community woke up to antisemitic messages on their cars Monday morning – this time in the form of cardboard flyers.
Similar situations have occurred in other parts of town recently. But this was the first time it had happened in the 50th Ward – and in a predominantly Jewish community in West Ridge.
The community was quick to respond, with new flyers set down where the antisemitic notes were left. These new flyers were filled with information on where and how to report the hate incidents to the city.
Meanwhile, fear lingered in the quiet community.
"It's pretty horrifying that something like this could happen," said Elyasheve Amster.
Amster woke up to seeing handwritten flyers spewing hateful, antisemitic remarks placed on the dashboard of several of his neighbors' cars along Sherwin Avenue between Francisco and Sacramento avenues.
"It can be very dehumanizing," Amster said. "No one should have to experience that at all - to wake up and see that people want you dead simply because of who you are."
Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) had just landed in Chicago from a trip to Israel when she was alerted to the hate incidents.
"As soon as I landed, I called the superintendent of police. I called the Mayor's office," said Silverstein. "The Jewish community is always on high alert. This doesn't help things, with antisemitism up close to 400%."
That statistic is according to a report published in December by the Anti-Defamation League. The Jewish advocacy group has tracked more than 2,000 antisemitic incidents since Hamas' attacks in Israel on Oct. 7 of last year.
"The fact that it's happening is really sad, because it takes away from the real message that both sides are trying to convey," Amster said. "We all want peace. We all want everyone to be safe and happy - and when you spread hate like this, it detracts from that."
In Chicago, this latest hate incident is one of several reported in different neighborhoods throughout the city. In February, similar cutouts were left on cars in Lincoln Park.
"It definitely makes us concerned, and puts on even higher alert than we already are," said Silverstein, "but we're a very strong community, and we will stand together, and we will fight this together."
CBS 2 checked with Chicago Police late Monday. They said they were investigating, and no one was in custody.
The alderwoman asked everyone to check their surveillance cameras to see if any part of the distribution of the hateful flyers was caught on video.
