Officials want Jewish DePaul students to feel safe after antisemitic attack on campus

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Officials want to make sure Jewish students at DePaul and other schools across Chicago feel taken care of after an antisemitic attack on campus earlier this week.

Security guards in bright blue vests patrolled the front of DePaul's Lincoln Park Student Center Friday morning, where two Jewish students were attacked on Wednesday afternoon..

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The Chicago Police Department is now investigating that assault as a hate crime.

"It's just disappointing. DePaul is really a family atmosphere, and we have a great community," DePaul junior Haley Walker said.

She said students are shocked by the violence.

"Those types of things really don't happen on this campus. DePaul is really a welcoming and open-arms campus; so, for something like this to happen is saddening," Walker said.

CPD said the attack happened while the students were visibly showing support for Israel.

Investigators say during the incident one of the suspects made antisemitic remarks before repeatedly striking a victim.

The victims' injuries were minor, and both Jewish students declined medical treatment.

The I-Team learned one of the victim's was 27-year-old Max Long, a reservist with the Israeli Army.

They have reported on Long for more than a year, interviewing him while he was deployed in Israel with a counter-explosives unit, after the Oct. 7 attacks.

The I-Team was preparing a follow-up report on Long's return to DePaul, and had recently spoken to him about his regular public appearances on campus donning an Israeli flag, offering to speak with others about the conflict.

"We need to figure out a way to move forward and and to live, you know, together. And that can only happen once these stigmas and, you know, and these fears are put aside and that we're able to converse," Long said.

Long said two men with ski masks ambushed him, hit him and pushed another Jewish campus leader to the ground, before running off.

"Obviously, they have been pretty shaken up. They are worried about their friends; they are worried about their own safety moving around campus," said Charles Cohen, executive director for Metro Chicago Hillel.

Metro Chicago Hillel oversees DePaul Hillel.

"This is something that, all over the world, Jews carry with them, the sense of that, at any moment, they might be in an unsafe situation because of wearing a yarmulke, because of wearing a Jewish star, because of being associated with Israel," Cohen said.

Cohen said he's personally spoken with the two victims.

"We sent them DoorDash gift cards, just so they didn't have to worry about dinner. It's part of how we do our work," he said.

DePaul issued a statement on the assault, writing in part, "We are outraged that this occurred on our campus and will do all we can to hold those responsible accountable for these hateful acts."

The DePaul Faculty Staff Alliance also released a statement, saying "The DePaul Faculty Staff Alliance is appalled at the attack against our students this week. There is no room for violence on a college campus. There is no space for anti-semitism on a college campus. We are working with the administration to support our students and we hope for the quick recovery of the students who were assaulted."

Gov. JB Pritzker released aa statement Friday, saying, "I am horrified by the violence perpetrated against two Jewish students at DePaul University who were exercising their First Amendment right to express their support for Israel. I have asked Illinois State Police to assist Chicago PD in apprehending the perpetrators and will offer any additional assistance necessary to bring them to justice.

"I'm equally concerned about protests outside a synagogue in the Loop in which Jewish attendees were harassed and their place of worship was vandalized.

"Hate has no place in Illinois, and I will continue working with law enforcement to protect our communities from it.

"This incident preceded an attack on Jews at a soccer match today in Amsterdam, where Israeli fans were chased down and beaten in antisemitic attacks. I call on our allies around the world to take action against hate and violence amidst a rise of intolerance worldwide."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked call DePaul Public Safety at 773-325-7777 in Lincoln Park or 312-362-8400 for the Loop campus.