As a church, Ivanhoe provides extraordinary support to those in need in our surrounding communities, but we rarely use our sanctuary or media pulpits to address prevailing news. Yet when hateful graffiti defaces a faith community, particularly as these acts of hate and antisemitism unfold so close to home, we cannot stand by in silence. Today, we publicly stand in solidarity with our neighbors in faith by sharing the following message of support with Congregation Or Shalom. A copy, accompanied by signatures of the members of our congregation, has been sent, and its text is offered as an invitation for all who read this to join us in prayer, solidarity, and action against antisemitism and all forms of hatred.
Ivanhoe Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
Mundelein, Illinois
September 8, 2025
To our neighbors at Congregation Or Shalom,
On behalf of Ivanhoe Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, we write with heavy hearts and deep concern following the hateful vandalism that defaced your synagogue grounds and holy space. It grieves us that such acts of antisemitism and intimidation continue to threaten communities of faith, and we want you to know that we stand firmly with you against hatred in all its forms.
Your congregation’s presence enriches the life of Vernon Hills and our larger community, and we cherish the bonds of the common faith traditions that connect us. God calls us through a diaspora of different voices to an ever greater welcome and loving of neighbor, and we pray that our community will continue to speak clearly and act boldly for the dignity, compassion, and peace God calls us to.
Please receive this letter as a sign of our solidarity and prayers. We hold you in God’s light, trusting that love is stronger than hate, and that our collective witness for justice and hope cannot be silenced.
With sorrow for what you have endured, and with steadfast friendship,
With hope and resolve,
Barry Johnson, Moderator
