CHICAGO (WLS) — Officials want to make sure Jewish students at DePaul and other Chicago schools feel taken care of after a anti-Semitic attack on campus earlier this week.

Security guards dressed in bright blue vests patrolled Friday morning outside DePaul’s student center in Lincoln Park, where two Jewish students were attacked Wednesday afternoon.

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Chicago police are currently investigating the attack as a hate crime.

“It’s just disappointing. DePaul really has a family atmosphere and we have a great community,” said DePaul junior Haley Walker.

She said students were shocked by the violence.

“Those kinds of things really don’t happen on this campus. DePaul is truly a welcoming and open campus; so for something like this to happen is saddening,” Walker said.

The CPD said the attack occurred as students were visibly showing support for Israel.

Investigators say that during the incident, one of the suspects made anti-Semitic comments before repeatedly punching a victim.

The victims’ injuries were minor and the two Jewish students refused medical treatment.

The I-Team has learned that one of the victims was Max Long, 27, an Israeli army reservist.

They covered for Long for more than a year, interrogating him while he was deployed to Israel with an explosives unit after the Oct. 7 attacks.

The I-Team was preparing a follow-up report on Long’s return to DePaul and recently spoke to him about his regular public appearances on campus flying an Israeli flag, offering to talk about the conflict with others.

“We have to find a way to move forward and live, you know, together. And that can only happen once these stigmas and, you know, these fears are put aside and we’re able to converse. ” Long said.

Long said two men wearing ski masks ambushed him, punched him and pushed another Jewish campus leader to the ground, before fleeing.

“Obviously, they’ve been pretty shaken up. They’re worried about their friends; they’re worried about their own safety as they move around campus,” said Charles Cohen, executive director of Metro Chicago Hillel.

Metro Chicago Hillel oversees DePaul Hillel.

“It’s something that Jews all over the world carry with them, the feeling that at any moment they could find themselves in a dangerous situation because of the wearing of the kippah, the Jewish star, the being associated with Israel,” Cohen said.

Cohen said he personally spoke with both victims.

“We sent them DoorDash gift cards, just so they didn’t have to worry about dinner. It’s part of how we do our job,” he said.

DePaul released a statement on the assault, writing in part: “We are outraged that this happened on our campus and will do everything we can to hold those responsible accountable for these heinous acts.”

The DePaul Academic Staff Alliance also released a statement saying, “The DePaul Academic Staff Alliance is appalled by the attack on our students this week. There is no place for violence on a college campus. There is no place for anti-Semitism on a college campus. campus. We are working with the administration to support our students and we hope for a speedy recovery for the students who were assaulted.

Governor JB Pritzker released a statement Friday saying: “I am horrified by the violence perpetrated against two Jewish students at DePaul University who were exercising their First Amendment rights to express support for Israel. I have asked the Illinois State Police to assist the Chicago police to apprehend the perpetrators and I will offer any additional assistance necessary to bring them to justice.

“I am also concerned about protests outside a synagogue in the Loop, during which Jewish participants were harassed and their place of worship vandalized.

“Hate has no place in Illinois and I will continue to work with law enforcement to protect our communities from it.

“This incident preceded an attack on Jews at a soccer match today in Amsterdam, where Israeli fans were chased and beaten in anti-Semitic attacks. I call on our allies around the world to take action against the hatred and violence amid rising intolerance around the world.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call DePaul Public Safety at 773-325-7777 in Lincoln Park or 312-362-8400 for the Loop campus.