Antisemitic flyers found on vehicles, in yards in West Ridge; CPD investigating: alderwoman

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago Alderwoman Debra Silverstein said antisemitic flyers were found in West Ridge Sunday night into Monday morning.

They were found on windshields and in yards in the 50th Ward, in the 2900-block of West Sherwin Avenue.

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Silverstein said she has spoken with a police commander, and the investigation is being treated very seriously.

If a flyer was placed on your property, you're asked to not throw it away because any physical evidence or security camera footage could help police.

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Residents are also being asked to check their Ring doorbell cameras to see if they have any footage that could be helpful.

The hate flyers are making some in the neighborhood nervous and fearful.

"Somebody took like a cardboard box, and just took a bunch of pieces of cardboard and wrote things like, 'Jews cause COVID' or 'the Jewish media lies,'" West Ridge resident David Freedman said.

Freedman lives in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood near Sherwin and Francisco avenues, where the flyers were found.

"Whether it's far right or far left, it's just not very Chicago. Like, it's just not how we are here, and it's sad to see it happening here," Freedman said.

Silverstein, who represents the 50th Ward, said she found out about the flyers as she landed in Chicago on a plane from Israel. She said she immediately contacted the mayor and CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling.

"The superintendent has assured me that he has our back, and that he will be out there, and is escalating this and making sure they get down to the bottom of it," Silverstein said.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitism has skyrocketed across the country since the October Hamas attacks on Israel.

In light of what took place in her ward, Silverstein, who is the only Jewish alderperson on City Council, started putting out new flyers in the neighborhood with information on how to report hate incidents to the city.

"My neighborhood is a very orthodox Jewish community, and so we're always on high alert. We're a very strong community, and we are going to fight this together," Silverstein said.