Hi! My name is Tessa, I am a senior at Vernon Hills High School and raising funds for my congregation to help facilitate restoration from recent vandalism. Let me tell you more, please keep reading!

For my government class, we have been assigned a civic engagement project. The idea is to make our community a better place to live in.

I have been a member of Congregation Or Shalom for 16 years. Throughout this time, I have observed the holidays, become a Bat Mitzvah, and been confirmed. Due to this, Or Shalom is significant to me and has been a place of peace and celebration.

In September, Or Shalom was vandalized. Hateful words were marked on the Synagogue, and it shook my world. I have always seen antisemitism in the world around me, but I have now experienced it first-hand. This event influenced me to take action, which is what I have decided to focus my civic engagement project on.

I am raising money to donate to the congregation. It is not just any donation, as the money will go towards the materials needed to create a mural at the site of the vandalism. Judaism calls for love, not revenge, as stated in the Torah, and this is exactly what Or Shalom is doing.

Please consider donating, but if you are unable to, please share this message with your friends and family so my Synagogue can become a place of peace and love again. Thank you!

Below is the story as told by my Rabbi on Sept 3, 2025:

By now, you may have heard that on Sunday evening antisemitic graffiti was painted on the wall of our parking lot at Congregation Or Shalom. The words “Hate Jews” appeared on the wall, and the incident was immediately reported to the police. We are working with law enforcement and our security partners as they investigate.

We sent a notice to our congregation that our Jewish tradition teaches that curses and blessings are so very intertwined. As the curse of antisemitism has breached our property, we can choose how to respond. Do we meet hate with hate, or to allow this to push us into a cycle of fear? Or do we choose to rise to the moment and meet hate with love and with hope. If you are just hearing about this and wish to send a message of support and love - it means the world to us now.

The cowardly act of this individual who spraypainted on our walls in order to make us feel alone and afraid is bringing about the opposite impact on me - I'm hearing from so many people, from interfaith partners, from community partners, from local police and politicians, reaching out to share that this statement on our wall does not speak for them - that they still stand with us and our rights to be ourselves and gather in safety and protection to be who we are. Those who are reaching out in love and hope, you are turning the curse intended for this moment into a blessing. Thank you for sharing your love with us.

This act of antisemitism is painful, but we will not let it define us. We remain committed to building a community rooted in peace, belonging, and resilience. Together we will stand in defiance of hate and celebrate hope. In the weeks ahead, we will invite submissions from our community for a mural to cover the wall, turning what was meant to curse us with harm into a lasting blessing, reminding us to strive for joy and peace.

We are stronger than hate, and the values we hold endure. Thank you for standing with us in this moment.