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Chicago Tribune
17 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Mobile tolerance museum brings its anti-hate, anti-Semitism lessons to Jewish Festival in Morton Grove: ‘We need more of this'
The Greater Chicago Jewish Festival drew big crowds to the St. Paul Woods forest preserve area in Morton Grove Sunday for a day filled with community and family entertainment, and an exhibition from the Los Angeles-based Mobile Museum of Tolerance. The biennial festival included usual accoutrements of a summertime cultural festival, including dancing, live music, roasting food and crafts tables. But a standout was the security on hand. Signs near the entrance assured visitors undercover law enforcement would be patrolling, and uniformed officers from seven different agencies walked the grounds. The festival was fenced in and visitors had to pass through a security checkpoint. The mobile exhibit, which was displayed on a bus, is described by its owners as 'a self-contained classroom on wheels' that offered festival goers an opportunity to explore anti-hate and antisemitic workshops and other activities. The mobile museum arrived in the Cook County woods nearly two years after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. On May 21, two Israeli embassy staff workers were fatally shot in Washington, D. C. And more recently, an Egyptian man is facing attempted murder and federal hate crime charges, accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at a group of people in Boulder, Colorado June 1 who were holding their weekly demonstration for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. 'Right now, it's a very tense time for the Jewish community,' Alliya Kazan said as she left the bus Sunday. A regular visitor to libraries, schools and community events since it launched in 2021, the exhibit teaches visitors about two recent periods of injustice, the Holocaust and the pre-Civil Rights Movement era in the South. Videos showcase interviews with people who lived through these pivotal times. Modern voices are also featured alongside video and photos from those events. Kazan said there's too much miscommunication across cultures and the exhibit's videos show how communities have in the past worked together during times of intolerance. 'We need more of this in the political discourse,' she said. Videos featured as part of the mobile museum don't mention the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, much less the antisemitism that's happened since then, but visitors said that given all of the recent events, the exhibit's approach to history is welcoming. 'It was a very immersive experience,' Kazan said. 'It gives people the opportunity to have an immersive experience as opposed to just reading something and I think that's really great.' Another visitor, a man who didn't want to give his name given the political climate, said he hopes the mobile exhibit can bring people together. 'I'm here to be part of this, and in light of all the horror and tragedy that happens in the Jewish community, the community needs to stand together,' he said. The bus was accessible from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the festival. Elizabeth Blair, the mobile museum's education coordinator, said that after only a few hours of being open, hundreds of people had stopped by. She said that while the video presentation hasn't changed to incorporate specific recent world events, the headlines trickle into conversations that guests have after they visit the exhibit. 'In terms of people's comments, we're hearing people say we need this [mobile exhibit],' Blair said. 'They've been very supportive. … I've been sort of encouraged by the lack of pushback over the last few years.' The Mobile Museum of Tolerance will roll to the Grayslake Area Public Library June 19 the library's Juneteenth celebration.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jewish festival organizers boost security amid recent anti-Semitic attacks
MORTON GROVE, Ill. (WGN) – The largest Jewish cultural event in the area is set for this weekend, right on the heels of two violent anti-Semitic attacks. On Sunday, a forest preserve in Morton Grove will be hosting a Jewish festival, featuring three music stages, 50 artists' booths and numerous food options. 'It is in that regard the longest-running Jewish festival in America and the largest Jewish cultural event in the area,' Michael Lorge, founder and chair of the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival, said. 'The philosophy is to share Jewish culture, food, dance music with everyone.' Chicago officials raise concerns over federal immigration raids in Pilsen The Greater Chicago Jewish Festival started in 1980 and runs every two years. It will be held at St. Paul Woods in Morton Grove this Sunday, June 8. 'It draws from around the area, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan people come,' Steve Franklin, a member of the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival Steering Committee, said. 'We've had as many as 15,000 people or more come to the event.' This year's event comes on the heels of two violent anti-Semitic attacks. Two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. were shot and killed outside a D.C. museum last month. On Sunday, June 1, a man threw Molotov cocktails into a crowd of demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, taking part in a walk bringing attention to Israelis still being held hostage in Gaza. A total of 12 people were injured. Suspect in DC Jewish museum shooting faces murder, firearm charges in 'death penalty eligible case' 'It's terrible. People feel angry. At the same time, people feel resolved. We do not back down on this,' Lorge said. With incidents like these taking place throughout the country, there is concern people might not feel safe taking part in Jewish events. 'We are not going to be afraid. We are not going to cancel the festival or say to people, 'Be careful. Don't come.' We're saying come. It's a time of solidarity. This is a time to share our culture in the most positive way,' Lorge said. SEE ALSO: 4 more victims ID'd in Colorado fire attack, bringing number of injured to 12 Festival organizers said this year they are working with seven different law enforcement agencies and their own security staff to keep the event safe. 'We have the festival itself, our own officers, Chicago off-duty police with a bomb sniffing dog, all kinds of resources that are part of our planning,' Lorge said. 'The grounds will be fenced. There will only be one entrance in and out. We are telling people there will be metal detectors. We want people to get inside and feel comfortable and celebrate, because we're sharing this event, not just with the Jewish community, but the whole community.' Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Organizers told WGN-TV no vendors or musical acts have canceled. The event will be held Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Skokie Corporation Counsel, former trustee Michael Lorge retires
Skokie's top attorney was recognized for his 13 years of service as the village's Corporation Counsel at the May 5 Board of Trustees meeting. At the meeting, Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita (13th), Illinois House Rep. Kevin Olickal (16th), Illinois Senators Ram Villivalam (8th) and Laura Fine (9th) spoke highly of Michael Lorge's service to Skokie and his influence in the Chicago area. Prior to his appointment as the head of the village's legal department, Lorge served as a Skokie Village Trustee and Niles Township Trustee. He is the founder and chair of the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival, the largest cultural event in the Chicago Jewish community, per village records.
Chicago Tribune
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Skokie Corporation Counsel, former trustee Michael Lorge retires
Skokie's top attorney was recognized for his 13 years of service as the village's Corporation Counsel at the May 5 Board of Trustees meeting. At the meeting, Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita (13th), Illinois House Rep. Kevin Olickal (16th), Illinois Senators Ram Villivalam (8th) and Laura Fine (9th) spoke highly of Michael Lorge's service to Skokie and his influence in the Chicago area. Prior to his appointment as the head of the village's legal department, Lorge served as a Skokie Village Trustee and Niles Township Trustee. He is the founder and chair of the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival, the largest cultural event in the Chicago Jewish community, per village records.
