Antisemitic Paperwork In Plastic Bags Dropped On Wilmette Parkways

WILMETTE, IL — Plastic bags filled with antisemitic written material and weighed down with rice were found in Wilmette for the first time Wednesday, authorities said.

Village officials said the hateful content and manner of distribution appeared similar to packets littered around other North Shore communities earlier this year, most recently in Glencoe, Kenilworth, Highland Park and Winnetka.

Wilmette Village President Senta Plunkett said in a statement that she and village trustees "absolutely reject" the circulation of antisemitic materials.

“[W]e strive to foster an inclusive community and are both saddened and disgusted by these actions in Wilmette and our neighboring communities," Plunkett said. "In no uncertain terms, we denounce all forms of hate speech and stand by our Jewish neighbors.”

Cook County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution in support of the county's Jewish population and against the rise in antisemitic events in April.

It describes eight incidents targeting the Orthodox Jewish community in Chicago's West Rogers Park neighborhood that occurred between Jan. 13 and Feb. 1, including assaults and vandalism.

In March, plastic bags containing antisemitic flyers began showing up in residential front yards and parks in Arlington Heights, Glenview, Niles, Park Ridge and Skokie, according to the resolution.

"These flyers contained anti-Semitic tropes that Jews control the world and allege that the 'Covid Agenda,' Biden Administration, and the war in Ukraine, are part of a Jewish global conspiracy. The flyers list names of people in the Government believed to be Jewish and include photos and images of the Israeli flag next to many of the names," according to the resolution.

"Some of the flyers also allege that Jews control the North Shore, Cook County Sheriff’s Police, and Cook County government officials," it said.

Other recent antisemitic incidents reported in Illinois include a March 18 bomb threat to North Suburban Beth El Synagogue in Highland Park and threats to Jewish day care facilities in Skokie.

Village staff said in a statement that the recent dissemination of hate speech provides an opportunity to educate the public about historic atrocities and discuss how such displays harm residents.

Wilmette police are working with their counterparts from neighboring departments to investigate who is responsible for the antisemitic packets, which appear to have been dropped at random, according to staff.

Wilmette-Kenilworth Patch has requested additional information about the case and will provide updates with any further details received.

Police Chief Kyle Murphy sought to assure residents that his department is fully committed to close cooperation with local, state and federal agencies to investigate the "reprehensible" packets.

"This is the first one that we've experienced in recent memory," Murphy told Patch.

Related:

• Lawmakers Condemn Antisemitic Packages Found Around Chicagoland
• Britton Receives Antisemitic Letters Regarding War In Ukraine
• Hate Crime Charges Filed In Antisemitic Vandalism In Rogers Park
• 'Antisemitic' Display Draws Ire In Window Of Wilmette Condo