Contact:
Laura Fennell
Director of Communications Strategy, ADL West
(310) 633-1435
lfennell@adl.org
—
Jolie Brislin
ADL Nevada Regional Director
(702) 862-8600
Cases of antisemitic harassment (one of three types of incidents) increased 173% in Nevada with notable increases in attacks against Jewish institutions and schools across the U.S.
Las Vegas, NV, April 26, 2022 … ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents issued today found that Nevada witnessed a sharp uptick in antisemitic incidents by 64% from 2020 to 2021. Over the course last year, there were 36 total antisemitic incidents in Nevada, up from 22 the year before. The audit counted an alarming 173% increase of incidents of harassment specifically (30 compared to 11 in 2020).
“It’s easy to feel discouraged when we see increases in antisemitic incidents across the Silver State and the rest of the country but seeing the breadth of incidents over the course of a year only galvanizes our passion to fight hate for good,” Jolie Brislin, Regional Director of ADL Nevada says. One of ADL Nevada’s priorities is to proactively fight antisemitism, not just react to and condemn incidents. Ms. Brislin explains:
“One of the best ways we can fight antisemitism, which knows no partisan boundaries, is to stand together and advocate as one community regardless of our politics. For this reason, we are so proud of and grateful for our role in uniting Nevada’s Jewish population with supportive allies. By helping create the Nevada Against Antisemitism Coalition last year, we were able to bring together leaders and organizations from across the state to learn about the issues facing the Jewish people, condemn acts of antisemitism, advocate for policy to prevent and combat hate, and urge the government to fund critical initiatives in this fight.”
ADL Nevada takes a multiprong approach to fighting antisemitism which is why in October 2021, ADL and partners collectively took one million steps against antisemitism and bigotry to expand its public programs as the state emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Examples of recorded antisemitic incidents in Nevada that demonstrate the breadth of incidents:
- A student in Northern Nevada was harassed by several classmates for being Jewish – being referred to as “the Jew” in a disparaging way. Students drew swastikas on their hands or arms and held them up when she passed, they held their arms outstretched in a “Heil Hitler” pose, and sent her a text message with a picture of a Nazi and swastikas.
- Folkish Resistance Movement (also known as Folksfront,) a neo-Nazi group responsible for spreading white supremacist propaganda throughout the state, dropped a banner over a Las Vegas area freeway that read “Death to Israel.”
- The memorial service of a Jewish individual was being broadcasted on Zoom when several unknown persons entered the call and began cursing and waving Palestinian flags.
- The home of a Las Vegas area Jewish woman was burglarized and vandalized with swastika graffiti.
- A Snapchat posted from a Las Vegas area school went viral featuring a swastika and a student displaying a Nazi salute.
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.
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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