Oregon sees record-breaking increase in antisemitic incidents, Anti-Defamation League says

Amid a nationwide rise in reported antisemitism fueled by the Israel-Hamas war, Oregon saw a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents in 2023, according to a new report from the Anti-Defamation League.

There were a record-breaking 8,873 reports of antisemitism across the U.S. in 2023, an increase of 140% compared to 2022, according to the report, which was released Wednesday.

"In 2023, Jewish communities across the Pacific Northwest experienced the highest levels of antisemitic incidents since ADL began our Audit four decades ago," said Miri Cypers, regional director of ADL Pacific Northwest in a statement. "At a time of historic levels of antisemitism, this requires attention and action from every sector of society."

The report comes a day after the global A15 protests, including one in Eugene, calling for U.S. Officials to stop supplying arms to Israel and end the siege on Gaza.

Of the nearly 8,873 incidents the ADL tracked last year, 5,204 of them took place following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which left 1,200 people dead and hundreds taken hostage.

The ADL said for the first time, antisemitic incidents referencing Israel or Zionism constituted the majority of painful moments recorded by the group. These kinds of incidents accounted for 59% of the record in October and 60% in November, according to the report.

Oregon statistics for antisemitic incidents

Oregon saw approximately 124 antisemitic incidents occur in 2023, more than triple the reported amount of 40 incidents in 2022.

Data from the report includes statistics on both criminal and noncriminal acts of harassment and intimidation, including distribution of hate propaganda, threats and slurs, in addition to vandalism and assault.

Harassment is defined in the report as cases in which one or more Jewish people were harassed verbally or in writing with antisemitic slurs, stereotypes or conspiracy theories.

In 2023, Oregon had 95 reported cases of harassment toward Jewish people.

According to the ADL, an elementary school student in Portland told a Jewish classmate on Sept. 9 that they "shouldn't be here, all Jews were supposed to have been exterminated during WWII. You guys aren't supposed to be here."

Another case mentioned includes a reported bomb threat at a Portland high school on May 2 from a former student who was expelled from the school due to antisemitic behavior. Threats had been sent to several classes where Jewish teachers were possibly selected as targets.

Antisemitic vandalism

Vandalism is defined as cases where property was damaged in a way that shows signs of antisemitic intent or which had an antisemitic impact on Jewish people.

Of the 124 cases reported, 27 of the incidents were labeled as vandalism.

For example, a 34-year-old Eugene man was charged with a federal hate crime in connection to multiple incidents of antisemitic graffiti reported and documented in 2023 at Temple Beth Israel Synagogue in Eugene.

In the report, assault was defined as cases where Jewish people or people perceived to be Jewish, were targeted with physical violence with evidence of antisemitic intent. Only two cases in 2023 were reported in Oregon as assaults.

According to its website, the Anti-Defamation League is an "anti-hate" organization founded in 1913 that aims to "stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all."

Number of antisemitic incidents trending upward

The number of antisemitic incidents recorded by the organization far exceeded any other annual tally from the ADL in the past 45 years. The ADL tracked 8,873 incidents of antisemitic assault, harassment and vandalism across the country last year – representing a 140% increase from 2022.

This marks a significant increase from the early 2010s, when antisemitic incidents recorded by the group in the U.S. were at their lowest levels. Since 2014, the annual number of incidents has risen consistently, setting new records in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and now 2023.

Antisemitic incidents on campuses tripled in 2023

The ADL's audit revealed that antisemitic incidents increased in multiple settings in 2023, but schools experienced a drastic spike. The number of incidents at K-12 schools increased by 135%, according to the report. The ADL said antisemitic incidents on college campuses increased by 321%, most of which occurred following Oct. 7.

The ADL audit comes a week after it released a Campus Antisemitism Report Card, in which it gave failing grades to colleges across the country it says have not taken appropriate action to protect Jewish students.

The report card’s release came after three college presidents testified before Congress last year about antisemitism on college campuses and prompted a massive wave of backlash, preceding two of the presidents' resignations. Columbia University president Minouche Shafik will continue the conversation Wednesday, as she has agreed to testify before House lawmakers.

USA TODAY contributed to this article.

Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon sees record-breaking increase in antisemitic incidents