The community in Skokie, a heavily Jewish village in the Chicago area, is “on edge” after three recent incidents, including ones that targeted children, according to Susan Haggard, president of the Chicago Jewish Alliance.

“They’re angry. They’re scared, as you can imagine,” she told JNS. “They want action to be taken.”

On April 19, the village stated that it was “aware of two separate incidents that occurred over the weekend at local parks involving groups of pre-teen and early teen youth.”

“In both incidents, youth reported that individuals used antisemitic language or made comments questioning their national origin or religious identity, escalating into physical altercations,” the village said.

It added that it “takes these incidents very seriously” and that “behavior that targets individuals based on religion, ethnicity, national origin or identity is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our community.”

“In response, the village is working with representatives of the Jewish community,” it added.

Denise Franklin, deputy chief of the administrative division of the Skokie Police Department, told JNS that the department received a report about “an incident involving antisemitic behavior among youth” at Terminal Park on April 25.

“The incident did not involve physical contact and has been reviewed and documented as a non-criminal incident with a noted religious bias, consistent with the village’s procedures for identifying and tracking hate and bias-related incidents,” Franklin told JNS. “The Skokie Park District has been made aware of this incident.”

The department stated on April 19 that two days prior, on Friday evening, officers responded to a “reported altercation involving a small group of female youth” at Lorel Park.

“During the course of the altercation, members of one group reported that members of the other group questioned their religious identity and national origin and made other comments about their appearance and identity,” the department said. “Individuals reported that the group also threw woodchips and pulled their hair, and that one individual was struck with an open hand on her leg.”

The next day, on April 18, police learned of an incident at Central Park “involving pre-teen and early teen youth playing basketball,” the department said. “Three youth from the Jewish community reported that opposing youth used antisemitic language during the course of a game. The dispute escalated, and one youth reported being punched and his necklace damaged.”

Haggard, of the Chicago Jewish Alliance, told JNS that three recent antisemitic incidents come within six months of another antisemitic incident, which took place on Oct. 7, 2025.

The alliance is calling for expanded park surveillance.

“Currently there are no cameras. We want cameras installed,” Haggard told JNS. “The incidents, whether it’s a coincidence or not, have all been on Shabbat, where typically Jewish children aren’t carrying phones.”

The alliance is also calling for police and other security to be at the parks during Shabbat and for the village to provide “real-time communication and provide clear, timely alerts and updates through a centralized public platform.”

It seeks a “publicly accessible dashboard tracking incidents, data, trends and outcomes” and “regular public community meetings, with accessible forums on antisemitism, with dedicated time for community questions and answers” in addition to regular board meetings, Haggard told JNS.

“We want Skokie to act firmly and rapidly to try and prevent more incidents like this from happening,” she said.

Rebecca Weininger, Midwest senior regional director at the Anti-Defamation League, told JNS that the community is “concerned, as most American Jewish communities are right now.”

“We are concerned about Jewish children everywhere and any time any child gets targeted for their identity,” she said. “We are confident that the village is taking this seriously. The fear is warranted, and we are inspired by how the community is channeling that fear into coming together and working alongside elected officials to remain a welcoming community while confronting hate.”

The Skokie community “has the benefit of knowing that its elected officials at all levels are partners with the Jewish community and they are seen,” Weininger told JNS. “These incidents did not happen because Skokie is lax in its enforcement of anti-hate measures or has chosen not to recognize antisemitism as a societal problem. Just the opposite.”

The Jewish community in Skokie has “clear lines of communication” with the mayor, park district, village trustees and police, according to Weininger.

“All of the mainstream Jewish organizations are working together to ensure that every Skokie official has sufficient training on antisemitism and hate and the resources to report and respond to it,” she said.

A spokesman for the Jewish United Fund of Chicago told JNS that “these incidents are highly disturbing and Skokie’s Jewish families are understandably concerned.”

“JUF has been in regular contact with the mayor, park superintendent, chief of police and school officials,” the spokesman said. “To date, all of those officials are taking the incidents seriously, and they are deeply engaged with us to find solutions.”

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