CHICAGO — A Chicago-area man charged in connection with a violent 2024 assault on two Jewish pro-Israel students at DePaul University pleaded guilty this month to a misdemeanor battery charge, drawing criticism from Jewish community advocates who say it falls far short of meaningful accountability.
On November 6, 2024, 20-year-old Adam Erkan approached Max Long, an Israel Defense Forces reservist, and Michael Kaminsky outside the DePaul University student center in Lincoln Park. Erkan was masked and, according to local reports, shouted antisemitic epithets before physically assaulting the two students who were peacefully advocating for Israel.
The violent confrontation left Long unconscious with a brain injury and Kaminsky with a fractured wrist requiring surgery. Surveillance footage captured part of the assault, and two individuals were reportedly involved; only Erkan has been apprehended.
Originally, prosecutors charged Erkan with multiple felony counts, including hate crimes and aggravated battery, but in late November 2025, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery as part of a plea agreement. The more serious hate crime charges were dropped.
Under the plea deal, Erkan received two years of probation and 100 hours of community service, without prison time. Community leaders and advocacy groups have condemned the sentence as insufficient given the severity of the attack and its clear, biased motivation.
Daniel Schwartz, president of the Chicago Jewish Alliance, said the light sentence sends a troubling message about how violence against Jews is treated in Chicago. “When a convicted attacker walks away with probation and community service after admitting to a targeted assault,” Schwartz said, “it signals that violence against Jews does not carry serious consequences in this city.”
Advocates, including representatives from The Lawfare Project, which represented the victims, argued that the plea deal may understate the hateful nature of the assault. They emphasized that the second attacker remains at large and should be identified and prosecuted.
In the year following the incident, both Long and Kaminsky reported ongoing safety concerns and hostility on campus. Long, who experienced a concussion, took a leave of absence from studies amid threats. Kaminsky and Long also filed a civil lawsuit against DePaul University, alleging the school failed to provide adequate protection and allowed an environment in which Jewish students are unsafe.
This episode is part of a broader pattern of heightened tensions at U.S. college campuses since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East in October 2023. Jewish students advocating for Israel have frequently reported harassment, intimidation, and violence at universities nationwide.
While the guilty plea represents some degree of justice, Jewish organizations and civil rights advocates insist that the case is far from over. They continue to press for the arrest and prosecution of the second suspect, as well as institutional reforms at DePaul to ensure that Jewish and pro-Israel students can exercise their rights without fear of violence.
The outcome of this case highlights broader concerns about campus safety, bias crime sentencing, and the protection of free expression for Jewish students advocating for Israel in an increasingly polarized environment.
