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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.'
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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.
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'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.
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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.'
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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.
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