Antisemitic flyers tossed on porches of homes around central Wisconsin

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - Antisemitism is on the rise throughout the country and here in central Wisconsin. There have been multiple reports of antisemitic flyers being placed on porches in neighborhoods in Wausau. The flyers contained hateful and offensive claims about the Jewish community.

Around 3 a.m. on Monday, a masked man was caught distributing antisemitic papers on people’s porches. Rabbi Altshuler said he hasn’t seen the pamphlets, but heard about them from Mayor Katie Rosenberg.

“I wish that I could say that I was surprised,” said Rabbi Benjamin Altshuler, Mt. Sinai Congregation. ”This is not the first time that something of this nature espoused in our region and certainly not in our country. I was disappointed more than anything else that a community such as ours is seeing this type of activity.”

The Anti-Defamation League, or ADL, is the world’s largest anti-hate organization. Their mission is to protect Jewish people and ensure fair treatment to all.

“It’s happening here in the Midwest most recently but even within the last couple of months,” said Trent Spoolstra, the associate regional director for ADL Midwest. “There was an incident at the University of Denver. I believe there was an incident in Atlanta, in late December. There was an incident in Los Angeles also.”

It’s unknown who the masked man handing out hateful flyers is, but the ADL believes the flyers could be coming from the same group as the other incidents.

“We at ADL believe that it is primarily a group called the Goyim Defense League, or GDL for short. It is a far-right radical organization,” said Spoolstra.

Rabbi Altshuler believes the hate stems from worry. ”This is a nationwide issue and it’s coming from a place of fear in a time of change. We’re more aware of diversity in our country and perhaps that is something that isn’t welcomed by everyone,” said Rabbi Altshuler.

The ADL Midwest suggests reporting antisemitism to law enforcement to keep track of each incident.

You can also file a claim on the ADL’s website.

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