Following the heinous shooting of a community member on his way to shul on Saturday morning, Agudath Israel of Illinois hosted a press conference calling upon the appropriate parties to address community concerns, to be transparent, and to prosecute the offender to the fullest extent. The community has been justifiably frustrated over how the attack was covered by the media as well, and as such, another goal was to reset the narrative. Lastly, AIOI sought to highlight that the attack once again demonstrated that Orthodox Jews are significantly more vulnerable to antisemitic violence. The Chicago Rabbinical Council and ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Midwest along with other Jewish organizations participated as well.

AIOI’s director of government affairs, Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, explained that members of the Orthodox Jewish community, who are visibly Jewish and generally live in concentrated areas to be within walking distance of their synagogues, are the most vulnerable to attacks, especially while walking to their places of worship. What transpired was a realization of the community’s worst fears; something AIOI and others have been warning of for years.

In addressing the fact that hate crime charges were not among the numerous other charges filed against the offender, Rabbi Soroka said, “Are we disappointed that hate crime charges weren’t filed? Yes, but we also understand that the investigation is ongoing and that there can be additional charges tacked on later. Which means we will be watching the State’s Attorney’s office closely as time goes on. There is no room whatsoever for political considerations. And while we also understand there are legalities and hate crimes aren’t easily prosecuted, we expect every effort is made to prosecute a hate crime for what it is.”

He also noted that it’s important to understand that whether or not this is prosecuted as a hate crime, that is an irrelevant technicality in terms of how the community is experiencing what transpired. “We just experienced an act of violence that strikes at the heart of our communal family. We, as a community, celebrate joyous occasions together, we mourn tragedies together, and we will fight for our safety together. And that is why we are here today.”

{Matzav.com}