Antisemitic incidents jump to all-time recorded high, Massachusetts reports 5th most in country

Rick Sobey, Boston Herald on Apr 22, 2025

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BOSTON — The massive spike in antisemitic incidents that followed the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks in 2023 continued last year, according to data compiled by the Anti-Defamation League.

The ADL recorded a total of 638 incidents of assault, harassment, and vandalism last year in the New England region — the fourth year in a row that antisemitic incidents increased and broke the previous all-time recorded high.

The 638 reported incidents last year was a 213% surge in incidents in the New England region since 2022. The region covers Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont.

Massachusetts last year had the fifth most recorded antisemitic incidents in the country, with a total of 438.

“The persistent increase in antisemitic incidents over the past four years is a stark reminder that antisemitism continues to impact our communities,” said Samantha Joseph, ADL New England’s regional director.

“Particularly concerning is the continued proliferation of extremist incidents and the rise of attacks against Orthodox Jews,” Joseph added. “The alarming manifestations of antisemitism in 2024 instill fear and are reminders that much work remains to be done.”

ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents started back in 1979.

There were 9,354 reported incidents of antisemitic assault, harassment and vandalism across the country last year. This total represents a 5% increase from 2023 — already a record-setting year — and a 344% spike over the past five years.

“This horrifying level of antisemitism should never be accepted and yet, as our data shows, it has become a persistent and grim reality for American Jewish communities,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “Jewish Americans continue to be harassed, assaulted and targeted for who they are on a daily basis and everywhere they go.

“But let’s be clear: we will remain proud of our Jewish culture, religion and identities, and we will not be intimidated by bigots,” Greenblatt added.

In Massachusetts, there were 276 reported incidents of harassment, 157 incidents of vandalism (11% increase from the 141 incidents in 2023), and five assaults. A total of 108 cities and towns in Massachusetts saw at least one antisemitic incident. Boston had the most reported incidents with 96.

Last year’s total number of incidents (438) was a 188% spike from 152 incidents reported in 2022. In 2023, ADL recorded 439 antisemitic incidents in the Bay State.

The four states with more reported antisemitic incidents than Massachusetts (438) were: New York (1,437), California (1,345), New Jersey (719), and Pennsylvania (465).

In Massachusetts last year, there were 17 reported bomb threats, 275 incidents that were related to Israel/Zionism, 87 incidents involving a swastika, and 37 incidents with antisemitic white supremacist propaganda.

“In 2024, hatred toward Israel was a driving force behind antisemitism across the U.S., with more than half of all antisemitic incidents referencing Israel or Zionism,” said Oren Segal, ADL senior VP for Counter-Extremism and Intelligence.

There were 107 incidents on college campuses in Massachusetts — which was the third most in the country. One incident was at Smith College, where officials found a spray-painted Israeli flag with a swastika replacing the Star of David.

Also at the Berklee College of Music, a student reportedly told a Jewish classmate that “Jews belong in the oven.”

In non-Jewish K-12 schools, incidents were reported across the region involving swastikas and Heil Hitler salutes.

Other incidents include a swastika being carved into a tree on a Jewish person’s home in Belmont, and a man waving a gun in front of a Jewish Community Center in western Massachusetts and yelling antisemitic threats.

The ADL tracked a troubling rise in antisemitic incidents targeting Orthodox Jews, with a jump to 12 reported cases compared to four in the New England region in 2023. The majority of incidents took place in Massachusetts with 10.

One incident involved a man yelling at a Jewish child, who was wearing a kippah, while shopping with their mother at a Massachusetts kosher grocer — a repeated incident of harassment at this location.

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