Antisemitic incidents tracked in the 2021 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents reached an all-time high of 2,717 in the United States last year – an average of more than seven incidents per day and a 34 percent increase year over year, including assaults, harassment and vandalism. This is the highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.
Major Findings
Harassment: Of the total, 1,776 incidents were categorized as harassment, defined as cases where one or more Jewish people (or people who were perceived to be Jewish) were harassed verbally (or in writing) with antisemitic conspiracy theories, slurs or stereotypes. Acts of harassment increased 43%, up from 1,242 in 2020.
As I told @JohnBerman on @CNN @NewDay, #antisemitic incidents, which are at a high watermark in the U.S., all start with words. #Antisemitic rhetoric, wherever it comes from, manifests in violence. The numbers speak for themselves: https://t.co/IN0naac8fE pic.twitter.com/JTdIinkbVm
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) April 26, 2022
Vandalism: Another 853 incidents were categorized as vandalism, defined as cases where property was damaged in a manner that incorporated evidence of antisemitic intent or which had an antisemitic impact on Jews. Swastikas, which are generally interpreted by Jews to be symbols of antisemitic hatred, were present in 578 of these incidents. Acts of antisemitic vandalism increased 14% from 751 in 2020.
Assault: A total of 88 incidents were categorized as assault, defined as cases where Jewish people (or people perceived to be Jewish) were targeted with physical violence accompanied by evidence of antisemitic animus. Antisemitic assaults increased 167% from 33 in 2020. Eleven of the assaults in 2021 were perpetrated with deadly weapons. The 88 assaults resulted in 131 victims and no fatalities.
2021 Incidents by State: Incidents occurred in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. The states with the highest number of incidents were New York (416), New Jersey (370), California (367), Florida (190), Michigan (112) and Texas (112). Combined, these states account for 58% of the total incidents.
Monthly Comparisons: Incidents in 2021 were highest in May (387), December (275) and November (242) and were lowest in August (165) and January (173). The surge of incidents in May coincides with the military conflict between Israel and Hamas. The previous highest month on record was November 2018 (300 incidents), which was the month after the Tree of Life synagogue mass shooting in Pittsburgh, PA. In every month in 2021 except for January and February, ADL counted an increase in incident reporting compared to the previous year.
Combating Antisemitism is not the sole responsibility of the Jewish community.
It is a moral burden that all of us should bear.
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) April 26, 2022
Carly Pildis, Director of Community Engagement at ADL, shared the following:
Today, ADL has released our annual audit of antisemitic incidences. I am sad, but not at all shocked, that this is the highest number of incidents ADL has ever recorded, with a 34% increase from last year. Beyond the numbers, here are some frightening stories from the report:
Five Hasidic Jewish men, ranging in age from 11 to 82, were attacked by a driver in a minivan who backed his car into the group. (April 2021, Brooklyn, NY)
A group of Jewish patrons at a restaurant in Los Angeles were attacked by a group of individuals in cars carrying Palestinian flags and yelling antisemitic slurs. (May 2021, Los Angeles, CA)
An individual yelled “f***** Jew” and threw a glass bottle at a Jewish girl as she was disembarking her school bus. (October 2021, University Heights, OH)
Three Jewish youth were assaulted, including a visibly Jewish three-year-old who was slapped in the face. (November 2021, Brooklyn, NY)
School-based harassment incidents in 2021 included one-off incidents such as when one student told another, “I wish Hitler was alive to kill you and the rest of the Jews,” or when a teacher said, “Maybe the Jews deserved to die” while teaching a class on the Holocaust.
Approximately 50 headstones were knocked down in the Sheffield Cemetery, which is operated by a synagogue. (August 2021, Kansas City, MO)
Swastikas were etched into multiple areas of an archway to the Jewish section of the Palms Memorial Park Gardens Cemetery. (January 2021, Sarasota, FL)
In Colorado a synagogue received a threatening phone call from an individual who said, “Watch your back. We are coming for you. All of you. You and everyone in the building. The Zionists and the Jews.”
In June, a speaker at a protest against police brutality in New York said, “We’re going to get rid of the CIA, and the Jews with the kippahs too.
This is just a small snapshot of antisemitism in America. We have the data and the trend is clear. Antisemitism is rising. Please read the full report and share it.
All lives matter. When a crime is committed against a Jew, the one committing the crime is capable of hurting anyone, even in their own circle. Our government leaders talk about these crimes but little is done to protect the Jewish Community. A greater police presence is required on the Sabbath, on holidays and in the Jewish Community. Bail reform is a major problem. If people know there will be severe consequences, it may help. We need action, not talk from our political leaders.