SUSSEX, Wisc. — Neighbors in Sussex are concerned after finding anti-Semitic fliers in their driveways over the weekend.
Britney Botts-Kastern has lived in a neighborhood north of Main Street since 2009. She said the area is generally pretty quiet.
“As the granddaughter of a Jewish man, it felt personal. It feels scary and I’m disgusted,” Botts-Kastern said.
TMJ4’s Kaylee Staral drove around the neighborhood and found several similar fliers in other people’s yards.
The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department said their deputies in Sussex are aware of this incident and are currently looking into it.
“I feel like if we stay quiet about this we’re saying it’s OK and it’s welcome here. I don’t, my family doesn’t, and my friends don’t either,” Botts-Kastern expressed.
Earlier this year, there was a similar scene in Kenosha County. The unwelcome messages first appeared in late 2020 before a man was fined over $4,000 for littering. Those fliers reappeared this March.
More anti-Semitic fliers are also being found across the country in cities like Denver, San Francisco, D.C., and Miami to name a few.
The Anti-Defamation League reported a 36% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in 2022. It was the highest reported since they started recording in 1979.
Several local faith organizations are speaking out and offering resources to those affected. The Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council released this statement Sunday evening:
The Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council received multiple reports on the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 6 about antisemitic fliers being distributed in neighborhoods in Sussex, Wisconsin. We are appalled at these brazen acts of spreading this antisemitic and hateful rhetoric. We are currently investigating and will be working with law enforcement and the victims. For those who have experienced or witnessed antisemitism, you can confidentially report the incident at MilwaukeeJewish.org/ReportAntisemitism
The Chabad of Waukesha-Brookfield also spoke out. Their statement is below:
We are always concerned when we hear about people who want to cause fear or hate against any group of people. We tend to think that happens somewhere else, but in reality, it happens right here in Waukesha County. It saddens me to think that someone has an agenda, in this case, specifically against Jewish people. In times like this, we continue to be resilient, and we remember that Jewish tradition teaches that even a bit of love and light will always outshine darkness and evil of this world. Our response is to try and let that light of love, kindness and empathy shine a little brighter in a hurting world.
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