We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the increasing frequency of anti-Semitic attacks against Jewish communities and individuals in our communities and on our college campuses.

Just last week, a swastika and a scene of a concentration camp was drawn on Jewish student's dorm room at the University of Minnesota, following a swastika being drawn on a football field on the same campus a few weeks ago (http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/02/09/jewish-university-minnesota-student-swastika/). Moreover, the Sabes Jewish Community Center in St. Louis Park was recently part of an ongoing wave of bomb threats - in the middle of winter, infants, young people, and the elderly (some in bathing suits) were forced to stand outside without coats while the threat was assessed (https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/01/18/jewish-community-center-evacuated-after-bomb-threat). On February 20, the St. Paul Jewish Community Center was also evacuated because of a bomb threat (http://www.startribune.com/st-paul-jewish-community-center-evacuated-after-bomb-threat/414257263/ These incidents accompany a growing tide nationally of anti-Semitic incidents against individuals and institutions.

The Jewish community share the well-established fears of our Muslim, LGBTQ, Latinx, Asian, African-American and immigrant neighbors in an America with an ascendant white supremacist movement. The Jewish community is in a natural position to ally with these groups given its history struggling against bigotry - given that Jews are still the prime target of religion-based hate crimes, this community knows well what our neighbors too are experiencing.

As an elected official, we urge you to take a public and unequivocal stance condemming these anti-Semitic incidents. To not do so will strengthen the hand not only of those who hate Jews, but will encourage those who seek to similarly attack our fellow minority communities.

Thank you.