Name: Anti-Semitic incidents in New Jersey hit all-time high in 2019, ADL says
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Anti-Semitic incidents in New Jersey hit all-time high in 2019, ADL says

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NorthJersey.comView CommentsReports of anti-Semitic incidents in New Jersey&nbsp;jumped to an all-time&nbsp;high last year, part of a disturbing surge across the country that was punctuated by December's deadly attack on a kosher market in Jersey City.&nbsp;Nationwide, 2,107 incidents&nbsp;were recorded&nbsp;in 2019, according to data released Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League. That was the highest since the civil rights organization began tracking reports of assault, vandalism and harassment against Jews in 1979.&nbsp;New Jersey saw a rise of 73% to&nbsp;345 bias&nbsp;incidents, the most ever recorded in the state and the second-highest&nbsp;nationwide behind New York State.&nbsp;"This was a year of unprecedented anti-Semitic activity, a time when many Jewish communities across the country had direct encounters with hate," Jonathan Greenblatt, the group's CEO, said in a statement. He urged public leaders to speak out&nbsp;and warned of those who might exploit the coronavirus&nbsp;pandemic to spread vitriol against Jews.The year ended with New Jersey's most shocking attack,&nbsp;when &nbsp;Days later,&nbsp;, New York,&nbsp;leaving a 72-year-old man with fatal wounds.There were other, smaller incidents throughout the year and across the region: swastikas left&nbsp;inside&nbsp;a residence hall at Rutgers University, cars and properties&nbsp;defaced with anti-Semitic stickers in Ocean County and a group of&nbsp;Jewish men in Bergen county who were refused service at a bar and told to take their "costumes" off – a reference to the traditional Orthodox&nbsp;clothing worn by one of the men.&nbsp;"No population should have to endure such hate, and we call on leaders everywhere to put a stop to it," said Alexander Rosemberg, deputy regional director of ADL's New York/New Jersey chapter.The ADL found that nationwide, vandalism increased by 19%&nbsp;to 919&nbsp;incidents, harassment increased by 6%&nbsp;to 1,127,&nbsp;and assaults increased 56%&nbsp;to 61.A number of other high-profile hate incidents nationwide marked the turbulent&nbsp;year, including the shooting at&nbsp;a Chabad center in Poway, California,&nbsp;that left one woman dead and others injured.&nbsp;The audit also found incidents of online anti-Semitic harassment in New Jersey, which rose by 42%. who live in&nbsp;that region, with comments such as "We need to get rid of them like Hitler did."&nbsp;After numerous complaints by the ADL and&nbsp;New Jersey's governor, Facebook eventually removed the group from its platform in early 2020.&nbsp;Hate crime:Jersey City attack:'This is not OK':Ocean County – home to a large and growing community of Orthodox Jews – reported the highest number of anti-Semitic incidents in the state&nbsp;with 54, a 157% increase.&nbsp;The surge coincided with the establishment of the Rise Up Ocean County group in late 2018, which "only underscores the continued need to combat&nbsp;hate online," the ADL said.&nbsp;After Ocean County, Bergen County had the second most reports, with 52, followed by Monmouth&nbsp;with 38&nbsp;and Morris, with 29, the group said.&nbsp;Every state but Alaska&nbsp;and Hawaii reported incidents. New York lead&nbsp;the nation with 430, with New Jersey ranked second. California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania followed with&nbsp;330, 114, and 109 reports, respectively.&nbsp;Shira Goodman, regional director of the ADL's Philadelphia Regional Office which serves South Jersey, said that the upward trends are disturbing and there's concern about the&nbsp;levels of hate already seen in 2020."We have found that during times of political uncertainty, social unrest or downturns in the economy, incidents tend to increase," Goodman&nbsp;said.&nbsp;"Education, activism and allyship can help turn the tide, and that's a responsibility&nbsp;we all share."Hate crimes against other groups have been rising as well. New Jersey recorded 561 incidents&nbsp;last year, notching the&nbsp;third consecutive annual&nbsp;increase, according to the FBI's annual crime report.State officials and civil rights leaders have said the increase could be due&nbsp;in part to better reporting by local law enforcement, but they also believe hateful rhetoric on social media and in politics has contributed to the trend.Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to her work covering how the spiritual intersects with our daily lives,&nbsp;.Email:&nbsp;&nbsp;Twitter:&nbsp;&nbsp;View Comments

NorthJersey.comView CommentsReports of anti-Semitic incidents in New Jersey&nbsp;jumped to an all-time&nbsp;high last year, part of a disturbing surge across the country that was punctuated by December's deadly attack on a kosher market in Jersey City.&nbsp;Nationwide, 2,107 incidents&nbsp;were recorded&nbsp;in 2019, according to data released Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League. That was the highest since the civil rights organization began tracking reports of assault, vandalism and harassment against Jews in 1979.&nbsp;New Jersey saw a rise of 73% to&nbsp;345 bias&nbsp;incidents, the...

Anti-Semitic incidents in New Jersey hit all-time high in 2019, ADL says

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