SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents issued today found that the Jewish community of San Diego County experienced 38 recorded incidents, including 14 incidents of vandalism of businesses, places of worship, and schools, 23 incidents of targeted online and in-person harassment, and 1 incident of assault.
“These numbers are alarming in and of themselves, but we know this is only the tip of the iceberg,” Regional Director of ADL San Diego, Tammy Gillies, says. “These are only incidents that were reported to the ADL. There are many more additional incidents that go unreported or are not reported directly to the ADL. Regardless, this report is a crucial snapshot of antisemitic incidents in the area and it should alarm us.”
Notably, the assault and many incidents of harassment and vandalism occurred on school and university campuses.
“It’s disturbing to see the frequency with which our schools and universities face antisemitic hate,” Ms. Gillies says. “The use of the Nazi symbol, the swastika, evokes chilling memories of the Holocaust and of what can happen when hate and antisemitism go unchecked. The swastika remains one of the most powerful and enduring emblems of religious and ethnic hatred. Campuses of all places should be places for free discussion, open forums, and wide acceptance.”
Examples of incidents from 2021 in San Diego County:
- In March, swastika vandalism was discovered on an exterior wall of a campus residence building at San Diego State University.
- In May, a Facebook user, who is Jewish, received an antisemitic comment in relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict and praised Hitler claiming, “He knew why he was getting rid of you.”
- In September, a Jewish student was harassed on multiple occasions by a classmate who made antisemitic and anti-Israel statements which escalated to a physical altercation.
- In October, antisemitic and homophobic messages were found spray-painted on doors at a middle school and high school.
- In December, swastikas were found painted on the wall and floor of a restroom at Torrey Pines High School.
Unfortunately, these incidents are not isolated in San Diego. The entire state of California saw a substantial increase (27%) in total incidents jumping from 289 to 367 incidents in 2021. While harassment (217) and vandalism (135) saw notable increases of 23% and 25% respectively, ADL is most alarmed by the soaring uptick in antisemitic assaults in the Golden State. We witnessed an increase from 4 to 15 assaults in the state from 2020 to 2021. Many of these attacks took place during the Israel-Hamas conflict of May 2021.
Looking at the United States as a whole, antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in 2021, with a total of 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism reported to ADL. This represents the highest number of incidents on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979 – an average of more than seven incidents per day and a 34 percent increase year over year.
The audit found that antisemitic incidents reached a high watermark across virtually every category. Attacks against Jewish institutions, including Jewish community centers (JCCs) and synagogues, were up by 61 percent, incidents at K-12 schools increased 106 percent, and incidents on college campuses rose 21 percent.
Assaults – considered the most serious incident type because it involves person-on-person physical violence triggered by antisemitic animus – increased 167 percent, jumping to a total of 88 reports in 2021 from 33 in 2020. Incidents of harassment were up 43 percent, and acts of antisemitic vandalism rose 14 percent.
A substantial surge was reported during the May 2021 conflict between Israel and Hamas. There was a staggering 148 percent increase in reports of antisemitic incidents that month when compared in May 2020, as tensions were high and hundreds of anti-Israel protests took place in dozens of U.S. cities. As Jewish individuals were violently beaten in the streets from New York to Los Angeles, a total of 387 incidents were reported that month with 297 of the incidents occurring after May 10, the date marking the official start of military action.
How ADL Is Responding
ADL has a comprehensive approach to addressing antisemitic incidents and behavior. This includes prevention efforts through youth education, as well as working to enact laws to improve federal, state, and local prevention tactics and response to antisemitic hate crimes and all forms of hate violence. ADL encourages all members of the public to report incidents of antisemitism directly to us here: Report an Antisemitic, Bias or Discriminatory Incident
ADL provides education and training every day to students, reaching young people at a time when they are most vulnerable to bullying and social pressures. ADL’s No Place for Hate, Peer Leadership Training, and Words to Action programs teach understanding and promote inclusivity in schools and on campuses, respectively. ADL also works with victims and universities to respond to antisemitic harassment and other worrying incidents on college campuses. ADL informs law enforcement of extremist threats and help law enforcement professionals recognize and disrupt potential threats.
Methodology
The ADL Audit includes both criminal and non-criminal acts of harassment and intimidation, including distribution of hate propaganda, threats and slurs, as well as vandalism and assault. Compiled using information provided by victims, law enforcement and community leaders, and evaluated by ADL’s professional staff, the Audit provides a regular snapshot of one specific aspect of a nationwide problem while identifying possible trends or changes in the types of activity reported. This information assists ADL in developing and enhancing its programs to counter and prevent the spread of antisemitism and other forms of bigotry.
The Audit offers a snapshot of one of the ways American Jews encounter antisemitism, but a full understanding of antisemitism in the U.S. requires other forms of analysis as well, including public opinion polling, assessments of online antisemitism and examinations of extremist activity, all of which ADL offers in other reports, such as ADL Global 100, Online Hate and Harassment: The American Experience, Survey on Jewish Americans’ Experiences with Antisemitism, Murder and Extremism, and the ADL Survey of American Attitudes Toward Jews.
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Preceding provided by ADL