American Jews experienced “near-historic levels of anti-Semitism” in 2018, according to an annual report released Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League.
The year saw a more than doubling of the number of anti-Semitic physical assaults compared to 2017, as well as the single deadliest attack against the American Jewish community with the October killing of 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue.
Last year saw the third-highest number of overall anti-Semitic incidents since 1979, despite a decrease from the previous year, according to the audit. The highest number was recorded in 1994 and the second highest in 2017. Last year’s figures match the total for 1991, the third highest tally in a single year.
The report counts cases of assault, harassment and vandalism, as reported to ADL by victims, law enforcement and the media.
Though the 1,879 total incidents in 2018 were a decrease from the 1,986 incidents in 2017, the number of anti-Semitic physical assaults more than doubled, to 39 from 17.
In 2016 and 2014, respectively, 36 anti-Semitic physical assaults were listed in the ADL annual audit. In 2015, the figure was as high as 56, though none of the attacks highlighted by the watchdog caused serious injury or fatality.
The 2018 assaults involved 59 victims in 2018, up from 21 in 2017 — an increase of 105 percent. That number includes the 11 people killed and the two injured in the shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue last October.
“The remaining 46 victims of anti-Semitic assaults were attacked in or near retail establishments (four), a sports arena (one), college campuses (five), homes (two), Jewish institutions (two), non-Jewish K-12 schools (two) and public areas (30). The assaults included attempted knifings, chokings, punches, thrown items and vehicular rammings. The 11 fatalities in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting were the only deadly anti-Semitic assaults in 2018,” it said.
The report also said 1,066 incidents of anti-Semitic harassment were reported to the watchdog last year, a 5% increase from 1,015 in 2017 and a 48% increase from 721 in 2016.
In addition, there were 774 incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism in 2018, which was down 19% from 952 in 2017, but up 52% from 510 in 2016.
According to the report, the last three months of 2018 were “unusually active” in terms of incidents. The shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue “likely drew more attention to anti-Semitic activities,” the ADL said.
Anti-Semitic incidents took place across the country, but the states with the largest Jewish populations tended to see a larger number of attacks, including California (341); New York (340); New Jersey (200) and Massachusetts (144). Those four states combined saw more than half the total number of incidents in the US, the ADL said.
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