Antisemitic Incidents Triple In PA Amid Nationwide Spike: New Report

PENNSYLVANIA — Antisemitic incidents including harassment, vandalism and assault more than tripled in Pennsylvania last year amid tensions over the war between Israel and Hamas, according to a new report by the Anti-Defamation League.

According to the new data released Tuesday, the ADL — a national nonprofit organization that tracks antisemitism and white supremacy across the country — said 8,873 antisemitic incidents were reported across the United States in 2023.

The number marks a 140 percent increase from the 3,698 incidents recorded in 2022 and is the highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.

In all, Pennsylvania reported 394 antisemitic incidents in 2023, up from 114 in 2022 and 69 in 2021.

According to the ADL, the incidents in Pennsylvania fell into the following categories:

• Harassment: 303
• Vandalism: 86
• Assault: 5

More than 400,000 Jewish people live in Pennsylvania, where antisemitic incidents since the Oct.7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas have targeted Jewish temples, colleges, public meetings, and more.

In November, University of Pennsylvania officials promised swift action after antisemitic messages were projected onto several campus buildings this week, just days after several university staff members received emails threatening violence against the college's Jewish community.

A month later, UPenn's president voluntarily resigned, and its board chair stepped down, after widespread criticism of the president's remarks on Capitol Hill about antisemitism.

Calls for Liz Magill's resignation exploded after her testimony in a U.S. House committee on antisemitism on college campuses, where she floundered in answering questions about whether calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate Penn’s conduct policy.

In Philadelphia, a group of people waving Palestinian flags protested outside Goldie on Sansom Street — a Jewish, Israeli-owned restaurant —and accused its owners of supporting the genocide of Palestinian people by Israel's government.

While there were no reported acts of violence committed by the group, Gov. Josh Shapiro said the incident was not a peaceful protest but an act of blatant antisemitism.

"A restaurant was targeted and mobbed because its owner is Jewish and Israeli," he said on social media. "This hate and bigotry is reminiscent of a dark time in history."

Bomb threats toward Jewish institutions increased dramatically, with a total of 1,009 bomb threats — the highest number ever recorded and an increase of over 1,000 percent from 91 in 2022, according to ADL's data.

These threats were called in or emailed to a range of Jewish institutions, including cemeteries, synagogues, businesses and schools. Bomb threats were recorded in 45 states and the District of Columbia with the highest level of activity (from most to least active) in New York, Florida, California, Arizona and Pennsylvania.

At colleges across the country, antisemitic activity reported on college and university campuses more than tripled in 2023. Incidents increased by 321 percent from 2022, according to the ADL. In non-Jewish K-12 schools, 1,162 incidents were reported, an increase of 135 percent.

Nationally, the ADL recorded 1,987 incidents targeting Jewish institutions such as synagogues, Jewish community centers, and Jewish schools, an increase of 237 percent from 589 in 2022. The increase was in part due to the dramatic spike in antisemitic bomb threats, the vast majority of which targeted synagogues in the fall.

In all, synagogues experienced 73 percent of all incidents affecting Jewish institutions in 2023.

The states with the highest number of incidents were California (1,266), New York (1,218), New Jersey (830), Florida (463) and Massachusetts (440). Combined, these five states accounted for 48 percent of the total incidents.

The ADL data is compiled using law enforcement data and information provided by faith leaders and community members before analysts verify it.