Police and the FBI are investigating a hate crime after a Jewish household in Highland Park received a threatening letter, prompting a hazardous materials response.
The Highland Park Police Department and Highland Park Fire Department responded around 8:30 p.m. Sunday to the 900 block of Marion Avenue for a report of a suspicious letter.
City officials said residents of a home reported receiving a threatening letter containing antisemitic comments.
The letter was sent through the United States Postal Service (USPS) and delivered to the home’s mailbox.
The Highland Park Police Department notified the FBI and the State Terrorism and Intelligence Center.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level to bring a significant emergency response to the area, including a hazardous materials team.
“Neighbors are respectfully requested to allow law enforcement to work,” the city said in an alert Sunday evening.
The letter was tested for hazardous materials and deemed to be non-toxic by the fire department hazardous materials team.
The city said it will continue to work closely with state and federal law enforcement to investigate and monitor for threats.
“We understand that reports such as this are deeply disturbing, frightening, and offensive,” the city said in a statement.
“The City unequivocally condemns antisemitism and all acts of hate, standing in solidarity with our Jewish community. Antisemitic and hate-motivated acts have no place in our community or anywhere,” the statement said.
The Highland Park Police Department has implemented a “close watch” on houses of worship and other significant sites in the community in the past few weeks following increased concerns regarding “global antisemitic activity.” The increased watch will continue.
City officials say they have also communicated with clergy serving Highland Park’s Jewish congregations. “Public safety is the City’s top priority. The City strongly condemns antisemitism.”
“Our Jewish community deserves to live free from fear of violence, and Highland Park police will continue to partner with regional, state, and federal law enforcement to monitor antisemitic and other hate-motivated activity,” the statement said.
Community members are asked to report concerning behavior to the public safety non-emergency line at 847-432-7730.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said that the antisemitism act reported in the community Sunday has “shaken many of us, and understandably so.”
“It is a reminder that even in a place like Highland Park—where we strive to lead with compassion and inclusion—hate can still find its way to our doorstep. Let me say this clearly: Highland Park condemns antisemitism in all its forms. It has no place in our city,” Rotering said.
“We are living through a time when antisemitism is rising—not only across the world, but here at home. That reality is painful and for many in our community, it is personal. We understand the fear, the hurt, and the anger that such acts provoke,” she said.
The mayor said that Jewish families have been “part of the story and the fabric” of Highland Park for generations. “Their contributions to our civic, cultural, and spiritual life are deep and enduring.”
“That legacy will not be erased or overshadowed by hate. This incident is being taken seriously by our Police Department,” Rotering said.