Antisemitism in the United States in the 21st century explained

In 2018 and 2019, antisemitism in the United States was reported to have increased compared to previous years according to statistics collected by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Anti-Defamation League. These statistics include both violent antisemitic attacks on Jews and cases of harassment.[1] [2] [3] Antisemitism has also been reported during the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses,[4] [5] as well as complaints about antisemitism in various public school districts.[6]

2013 knockout game

During the 2013 knockout game spate of violent assaults, all reported "knockout" assaults in New York City targeted Jews.[7] ABC Nightline reported that New York City police believed that antisemitism was likely to be a motive in the attacks, as all eight victims were identified as Jewish.[8]

Brooklyn assaults

2019 saw a spate of attacks in which pedestrians wearing identifiably Jewish clothing were assaulted, beaten and often knocked to the ground by an assailant or group of assailants, many of whom shouted antisemitic slurs.[9] [10] The assailants were black and Hispanic.[11]

One assailant, Tiffany Harris, who was released without bail after attacking a Jewish woman, attacked three other Jewish women the very next day; all of the victims were dressed in distinctively Jewish clothing.[12]

Although the Williamsburg and Crown Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn where most of the assaults have taken place are experiencing gentrification, no similar assaults have been reported on the gentrifiers, although their clothing makes them easy to identify.[11]

Writing in neoconservative magazine Commentary, Brookings Institution fellow Jamie Kirchick said in 2018 that antisemitism has been a particular problem in parts of America's black community since the split between the mainstream Civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. and the more radical Black Power movement of the late 1960s. Kirchick says that leaders on the political left continue to foment antisemitism.[13]

A 2019 study found that 28% of African Americans believed that they were seeing more Black people that they personally knew express antisemitism than in the past.[14] In the same study, 19% of African Americans believed that Jewish people were impeding Black progress in America.[14] Four percent (4%) of African Americans self-identified as being Black Hebrew Israelites in 2019.[14]

Maugham Elementary School Adolf Hitler assignment controversy

In Early April 2021,[15] a fifth-grade teacher at Maugham Elementary School, a public grammar school in Tenafly, New Jersey, instructed a 5th grade student to dress up as Adolf Hitler and write a first-person essay from the perspective of the Nazi leader touting his "accomplishments" as a part of a class assignment.[16] [17] [18] [19] [20] The student wrote a biography of Hitler that glorified the Nazi leader, stated that Hitler's "greatest accomplishment was uniting a great mass of German and Austrian people" in his support, framed the Holocaust in a positive light, and added that Hitler was "pretty great".[17] [21] [22] The student's essay was displayed publicly within the school's hallway during the month of April.[15] [17] [23] [24] [25] In May 2021, the details of the school assignment became known to the public, leading to outrage in the community, which has a substantial Jewish population.[15] [17] [23] [26] After initially defending the teacher and the school's actions and asserting that "it is unfair to judge any student or teacher in this matter",[27] [28] [29] the board of Tenafly Public Schools suspended the teacher and the principal of the school with pay in June 2021 and opened an investigation into the incident.[30] [21] Following the investigation, the teacher resigned and the principle was reinstated.[31] [32]

List of violent attacks (in chronological order)

See main article: List of antisemitic incidents in the United States.

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Acts of anti-Semitism are on the rise in New York and elsewhere, leaving Jewish community rattled . 30 December 2019 . Washington Post . 29 December 2019.
  2. News: Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents: Year in Review 2018 . 30 December 2019 . ADL.
  3. News: Anti-Semitic attacks . 30 December 2019 . The New York Times . 18 February 2019.
  4. News: Colleges struggle with allowing protests and preventing antisemitism and intimidation . 22 May 2024. PBS . 23 April 2024.
  5. News: Students at Top Universities Call Antisemitism a Problem, Poll Finds . 22 May 2024. PBS . 13 May 2024.
  6. News: Rubinkam. Michael. 23 July 2024. Antisemitism runs rampant in Philadelphia schools, Jewish group alleges in civil rights complaint. AP News . 24 July 2024.
  7. Web site: Police Added in Brooklyn Neighborhood Amid "Knockout Game" Attacks. WNBC. 2013-11-20. 2020-01-01.
  8. Web site: Sucker Punch: Possible Spike in 'Knockout Game' Attacks. ABC Nightline. 2013-11-26. 2020-01-01.
  9. News: NYPD Steps Up Patrols . 31 December 2019 . The New York Times . 29 December 2019.
  10. News: Antisemitic Attacks fuel continuing rise in Hate Crimes in New York . 31 December 2019 . The New York Times . 18 February 2019.
  11. News: Rosen . Armin . Everybody Knows: As the leading targets of hate crimes, Jews are routinely being attacked in the streets of New York City. So why is no one acting like it's a big deal? . 1 January 2020 . Tablet Magazine . 15 July 2015.
  12. News: NY woman released after attacking Jewish woman, assaults another woman . 31 December 2019 . Jerusalem Post . 3 December 2019.
  13. News: Jamie Kirchick . Jamie Kirchick. The Rise of Black Anti-Semitism . 30 December 2019 . Commentary Magazine . June 2018.
  14. Web site: Earls . Aaron . African Americans Have Mixed Opinions and Often No Opinions on Israel . LifeWay Research . 5 November 2019 . LifeWay . 10 January 2021.
  15. News: DeMarco. Jerry. 31 May 2021. Tenafly 5th Grader Dresses As Hitler For Class Project: 'Pretty Great Wasn't I?'. Daily Voice.
  16. News: Eyewitness News. 4 June 2021. Teacher, principal on leave after student's project on Hitler in New Jersey town. ABC 7.
  17. News: Beachum. Lateshia. 1 June 2021. Fifth-grader dresses as Hitler, lauds dictator's 'accomplishments.' A N.J. district is investigating.. The Washington Post.
  18. News: 3 June 2021. New Jersey, bambina di 9 anni si traveste da Hitler per un compito. Scoppia la polemica: "È antisemitismo". Il Mattino.
  19. News: 3 June 2021. Daily Kickoff. Jewish Insider.
  20. News: Freda. Gerry. 4 June 2021. Entra in classe "travestita da Hitler". Bufera in una scuola elementare. Il Giornale.
  21. News: Alexander. Dan. 1 June 2021. Tenafly, NJ 5th grade project on Hitler as 'great' being probed. NJ101.5.
  22. News: Katzban. Nicholas. 2 June 2021. Jewish groups call on community to quell anger toward Tenafly student over Hitler essay. NorthJersey.com.
  23. News: 1 June 2021. NJ Elementary Student's Assignment Appearing to Glorify Hitler Sparks Outrage. NBC New York.
  24. News: Ford. James. Cook. Lauren. 1 June 2021. 'I was pretty great, wasn't I': NJ student's Hitler presentation under investigation, school district says. PIX 11.
  25. News: 1 June 2021. 'I Was Pretty Great, Wasn't I?': Outrage Over Display of Flattering Hitler Bio at New Jersey Elementary School. The Algemeiner.
  26. News: Sheldon. Chris. 2 June 2020. School reviewing 5th grade student's first-person Hitler essay. NJ.com.
  27. News: Sheldon. Chris. 4 June 2021. Teacher who assigned first-person Hitler essay placed on leave, superintendent says. NJ.com.
  28. News: Galluccio. Bill. 3 June 2021. New Jersey School Board Defends 5th Grade Teacher Over Hitler Assignment. NewsRadio WFLA.
  29. News: Madani. Doha. 2 June 2021. New Jersey school board defends 5th grade student and teacher over Hitler assignment. NBC News.
  30. News: Katzban. Nicholas. 4 June 2021. New Jersey teacher, principal on paid leave after student's report on Hitler's 'accomplishments'. USA Today. Gannett. NorthJersey.com.
  31. News: 13 July 2024. New Jersey teacher resigns after student’s Hitler assignment. Associated Press. 24 July 2024.
  32. News: Noda . Stephanie . 13 July 2021. Principal returns, teacher resigns in Tenafly after Hitler assignment. North Jersey. 24 July 2024.
  33. Web site: Monsey Stabbing Victim Josef Neumann Dies: Council.
  34. Web site: NYPD investigates more anti-Semitic attacks after Jewish teens beaten, synagogue worshippers harassed. 2021-05-24. news.yahoo.com. en-US.
  35. Web site: Madeline Holcombe. The Jewish man who was the victim of a gang assault in New York says the level of hatred was troubling. 2021-05-24. CNN. 22 May 2021 .
  36. News: Williams . Michael . Colleyville police SWAT team involved in incident at synagogue . 15 January 2022 . . 15 January 2022 . 15 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220115210817/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2022/01/15/colleyville-police-swat-team-involved-in-incident-at-synagogue/ . live .
  37. News: Von Quednow . Cindy . Levenson. Eric. 24 June 2024. Pro-Palestinian protest outside LA synagogue criticized as ‘antisemitic’ after street fights with pro-Israel protesters. CNN . 26 June 2024.
  38. News: Kessel . Zach . 24 June 2024. Anti-Israel Mob Beats Jewish Woman in Riot outside Los Angeles Synagogue. National Review. 26 June 2024.
  39. News: Starr. Michael . 29 July 2024. Lawsuit hits protest groups, funder over Pico-Robertson synagogue riots. Jerusalem Post. 1 August 2024.

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