59 percent feel Jews are less safe in the U.S. than a decade ag0
March 31, 2021 … Over half of Jewish Americans have either experienced or directly witnessed some form of antisemitic incident in the last five years, according to a new poll released by ADL (Anti-Defamation League). The 2021 poll found that 63 percent of respondents have either experienced or heard antisemitic comments, slurs or threats targeting others, an increase from 54 percent a year earlier.
Alarmingly, nine percent of Jewish Americans indicated in the survey they had been physically attacked in the last five years because they are Jewish, up slightly from 2020 but still within the margin of error. And one in four Jewish Americans (25 percent) reported having been directly targeted by antisemitic comments slurs or threats.
“After violent antisemitic attacks in Pittsburgh, Poway, Jersey City and Monsey, and after being blamed along with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community for COVID-19, American Jews are reporting they feel less safe in the U.S. today than they felt 10 years ago,” said Mark B. Toubin, ADL Southwest Regional Director. “Looking back over the last five years, which included the antisemitism at the Unite the Right gathering in Charlottesville in 2017 and the anti-Jewish symbols on display during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, it’s understandable that levels of anxiety and concerns about the safety of Jews are rising.”
Some additional findings include:
- Fifty-six percent of Jewish Americans have heard antisemitic comments, slurs or threats targeting others in the past five years.
- Jewish Americans frequently encounter antisemitism online, with 36 percent saying they had experienced some form of online harassment.
- Thirty-one percent say they have been called offensive names online.
- Thirteen percent say they have been physically threatened online.
- Thirteen percent have avoided identifying themselves as Jewish on social media.
- More than half (59 percent) of Jewish Americans polled said they feel less safe in the U.S. today than they were a decade ago.
- Forty-nine percent reported being afraid of a violent attack at a synagogue.
- Antisemitic harassment comes at a cost: Thirty-three percent of respondents who have been harassed reported having trouble sleeping, and 16 percent said the harassment affected their lives financially.
“These findings reinforce the need for a whole-of-society approach to combat antisemitism,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Whether it appears on social media or on a synagogue, antisemitism has no place in our communities. We need corporate and government leaders to step up to ensure that it does not gain a foothold on social media or in broader society.”
The survey was fielded by YouGov, a leading public opinion and data analytics firm, examining Jewish Americans experiences with antisemitism both online and offline. The survey of more than 500 Jewish American adults over the age of 18 was conducted from Jan. 7-15, 2021 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent.
ADL gratefully acknowledges The ADL Lewy Family Institute for Combating Antisemitism for its sustained support and commitment to fighting antisemitism.
ADL also thanks its individual, corporate and foundation advocates and contributors, whose vote of confidence in our work provides the resources for our research, analysis and programs fighting antisemitism and hate in the United States and around the globe.
To set up an interview or for more information, contact Dena Marks at 832-567-8843.
ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. More at www.adl.org.
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