Chicago City Government

Jewish leaders, led by the Anti-Defamation League’s Midwest office, are publicly pressuring Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to establish a dedicated antisemitism task force after city data showed a 58% increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes from 2023 to 2024 while incidents targeting other groups declined. At a Monday press conference, ADL Midwest director Rebecca Weininger and Chicago Sinai Congregation Rabbi Amanda Greene urged Johnson to adopt the Chicago Commission on Human Relations’ recommendations, including forming a task force populated by mainstream Jewish community leaders to advise on Jews’ "lived experience" and shape executive policies. The commission’s July report documented a sharp rise in bias‑motivated crimes against Jews, and advocates say a formal task force would mirror existing city task forces on missing and murdered women, reparations, and Black immigrants. Johnson’s office declined to comment to Fox News Digital on whether he will act on the recommendations, fueling concern among Jewish groups who say City Hall is not doing enough to address rising antisemitism. The dispute highlights how big‑city mayors are being pushed to respond to hate‑crime spikes with concrete structures and accountability rather than general statements against bias.