Chicago's Oldest Jewish Bar Association Offers Partnership to City in Fight Against Antisemitism

Anti-Jewish Hate Crime Statistics

The Decalogue Society of Lawyers writes to Chicago Mayor Johnson offering legal resources & requesting antisemitism task force as anti-Jewish hate crimes rise.

This isn't about politics — it's about protecting people.”

— David Fish, Decalogue Committee Against Antisemitism and Hate

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, May 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Decalogue Society of Lawyers, the nation's oldest Jewish bar association, wrote to Mayor Brandon Johnson offering the Society's full partnership in combating the rising tide of antisemitism in Chicago — and urging the Mayor to establish the City antisemitism task force recommended last year by the Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR).

The Society's letter comes as data from the CCHR shows anti-Jewish hate crimes in Chicago rose 58% from 2023 to 2024, even as overall hate crimes in the city declined. Jews, approximately 3% of Chicago's population, accounted for more than one-third of all reported hate crimes in 2024. Recent incidents — including the shooting of a worshipper en route to synagogue in October 2024 and a bomb threat against Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel Congregation in Lakeview this past March — have deepened concern across the community.

"We come to this not as critics, but as committed partners. The Decalogue Society has served this city for more than 90 years, and our members — Chicago lawyers who live and work in these communities — are ready to roll up their sleeves alongside the City to make sure every Chicagoan, including our Jewish neighbors, feels safe." — Alexander D. Marks, President, Decalogue Society of Lawyers

The Society is offering substantial pro bono legal expertise to assist the City: drafting ordinances and policies, reviewing proposed legislation, developing legally sound anti-bias training modules for city employees, CPS teachers, and law enforcement, and helping design outreach programs for Jewish institutions citywide. These resources align directly with recommendations already issued by the CCHR — recommendations the Society urges Mayor Johnson to formally adopt and implement.

"This isn't about politics — it's about protecting people. We want to work with the Mayor's office, the Commission on Human Relations, and community organizations to build something that works. Our attorneys have the skills to help design a task force that is effective, equitable, and lasting. We simply ask for the opportunity to do that together." — David Fish, Decalogue Committee Against Antisemitism and Hate

The letter requests that the Mayor's office coordinate with the Society on task force membership and mandate. It was signed by Alexander D. Marks and David Fish, and copied to Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th Ward) and Acting CCHR Commissioner Kenneth Gunn.

Alexander D. Marks
The Decalogue Society of Lawyers
decaloguesociety@gmail.com

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