Anti-Semitic Signs Found In Northern Wisconsin Town

Jewish leaders are decrying anti-Semitic signs that appeared recently in northeastern Wisconsin on both private and public property.

Two signs were found on private property in the early morning on July 30 in Algoma, a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan. The property owner was part of the Jewish community.

Elana Kahn-Oren of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation says four other large wooden signs were placed on public property, including a speed limit sign.

“They said, ‘Jews get out, Jew go back to where you came from’,” she says. “I’m paraphrasing – I can’t tell you that I have the exact same language but it was very close.”

Kahn-Oren says other signs contained language such as, “Kill the Jews, Keep Algoma clean,” and “Jews get out.” She says some signs had crude swastikas.

The signs were quickly removed. The incident is under investigation by the Algoma Police Department and the FBI as a hate crime.

Kahn-Oren says because two signs were found on private property it might be a personal issue, but that it serves as a wakeup call for Algoma and Wisconsin as a whole. “It could just as easily have been hate against African Americans or LGBT people or Latinos or whoever. Our choice is, ‘What do we allow in our community?’”

Algoma’s city administrator issued a written statement saying discriminatory, threatening, and anti-Semitic signs won’t be tolerated. The Anti-Defamation League is offering a $1,500 reward to find the person or persons responsible.