Antisemitism is increasing in Illinois, particularly affecting college campuses. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has published a new report that shows a 74 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in Illinois between 2022 and 2023. Last year, there were more than 200 incidents of antisemitism reported across the state, with 11 of them happening in Champaign-Urbana.
“Regrettably, there are problems.” Rabbi Dovid Tiechtl, the executive director for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Chabad Campus for Jewish Living and the senior Rabbi for Champaign-Urbana, explained that there are problems in the classrooms, hallways, and streets. “We are collaborating to put an end to that hate.”
The ADL reports that almost 70 percent of all incidents of antisemitism occurred in Illinois following the attacks on October 7th.
The University of Illinois Police (UIPD) have reported an increase in vandalism and graffiti since October 7th. These incidents include messages and images supporting Palestine, as well as some property damage that may be considered antisemitic. Rabbi Dovid mentioned that many students experience and observe hatred through social media posts.
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“Students share with me about their roommates, the people they live with, who they see posting hateful comments.” I see things today on the streets that my grandmother told me about from her experiences in the Holocaust. We witness the hate, the caricatures, and the cartoons being displayed on the light posts. Rabbi Dovid said that despite some students feeling more hate, the Jewish community is feeling more proud than ever before.
“According to Rabbi Dovid from Chabad, we tell the students not to let these things bother them and to keep going with their day,” he said. “Nowadays, there are more students proudly displaying their Jewish identity by wearing Jewish stars, kippahs on their heads, or hanging a mezuzah.”
The University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD) has reported that incidents of vandalism and graffiti have decreased significantly this semester. The university’s Jewish community wants to highlight that the administration has made efforts to ensure that the university is a safe place for everyone.
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