Antisemitic incidents reach all-time high in US
Antisemitic incidents tracked across the country reached an all-time high last year, as New England reports of assault, harassment and vandalism jumped 42% over 2020.
That’s according to the Anti-Defamation League’s annual report of antisemitic incidents, which was released on Tuesday. The 2,717 reported incidents in the U.S. last year was a record high since the ADL started tracking such data in 1979 — and it was a 34% increase year over year.
The New England region had a total of 155 reported incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism. The 42% jump in antisemitic incidents in the region outpaced the 34% increase nationally.
“The alarming increase in antisemitic incidents in the region and across the country should be deeply concerning to all,” said Robert Trestan, ADL’s New England regional director. “The numbers increased in nearly every category, including harassment and vandalism.
“The message that the data is sending is crystal clear: antisemitism remains a pervasive ill in our society that must be stemmed, or else we risk normalizing this hatred,” he added. “ADL is steadfast in our commitment to disrupting and exposing antisemitism wherever it rears its ugly head and urge all to join us in this fight.”
Massachusetts had a total of 108 reported antisemitic incidents last year, a 48% increase from 2020.
Vandalism reports increased by 66%, and harassment incidents increased by 26%. Massachusetts also recorded two assaults, while no assaults were reported in 2020.
One of those violent incidents was when Rabbi Shlomo Noginski was stabbed outside Shaloh Jewish Day School in Brighton. Noginski was reportedly stabbed eight times, and his assailant has been charged with hate crimes.
There was also an incident in Newton involving a group of teenagers who threw rocks at a young boy who was wearing a kippah.
A total of 54 cities and towns in Massachusetts had at least one antisemitic incident last year. There were incidents of white supremacist propaganda, incidents in K-12 schools and vandalism of Jewish institutions.
The ADL responded to school and youth sportsbased incidents, including in Duxbury where a high school football coach was fired after his team identified plays using Holocaustrelated and Jewish terms, including using the death camp “Auschwitz” as an audible during practices and games.
Massachusetts recorded the seventh-highest number of incidents per state in the country (108), following New York (416), New Jersey (370), California (367), Florida (190), Michigan (112) and Texas (112).
The ADL released its annual audit of antisemitic incidents ahead of Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, which starts this evening.