ADL: Antisemitic incidents in Conn. doubled in 2022

The number of reported antisemitic events in Connecticut doubled in 2022 compared with the previous year, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

The ADL tracked 68 antisemitic cases in Connecticut in 2022, up from 34 in 2021. The 68 tracked cases included 55 incidents of harassment and 13 incidents of vandalism.

That puts Connecticut at number 11 nationwide in terms of the number of antisemitic incidents. According to the ADL, antisemitic incidents were seen in 34 communities, one out of every five Connecticut towns.

“This follows a 42 percent increase the previous year — a disturbing figure that we hope will serve as a stark reminder of the hard work still ahead to tackle all forms of hate and antisemitism here in our state,” ADL Connecticut Regional Director Stacey Sobel said in a news release.

The ADL’s report on antisemitic incidents follows a report issued earlier this year showing a 115 percent increase year over year in the amount of white supremacist propaganda seen in Connecticut.

The antisemitic incidents tracked by the ADL in Connecticut included the appearance of 21 swastikas in public places, coffee shops, schools and parks, among other locations.

The ADL said Connecticut Jewish organizations reported two bomb threats, including one synagogue, and three socalled “Zoom bombings” were reported during Jewish and Holocaust remembrance events.

The ADL reported a Fairfield County high school student was called a slur by a group of students who removed his yarmulke. Reports of antisemitism at Connecticut schools made up 32 percent of the total.

Nationally, the states with the highest number of reported antisemitic incidents were New York, California, New Jersey, Florida and Texas. All told, there were 3,697 antisemitic incidents in 2022, which the ADL said was the highest it has seen since the organization started tracking them in 1979.

“It’s deeply troubling that there was such a sharp increase in school- and collegebased antisemitic acts,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “This is a reminder of the need for more targeted education efforts aimed at rooting out hate and teaching acceptance. Holocaust education is increasingly important, which is why we are advocating for the passage of state laws mandating Holocaust education so schools are equipped to teach that history and ensure its lessons endure.”