On October 16th, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released data on hate crimes, showing that reported incidences of hate crimes increased to 11,634 in 2022—the greatest amount since the FBI began keeping track of such data in 1991. The number of reported anti-Jewish hate crimes in the nation increased by almo

st 37%. This is the largest amount in nearly three decades and the second-highest number ever recorded. 

ADL (Anti-Defamation League), which maintains an independent tally of hate crimes against Jews, both criminal and non-criminal, reported 3,697 antisemitic events in 2022—the highest number since the organization began counting in 1979. There was also a 26% increase in assaults that same year. 

There has been a substantial increase in antisemitic occurrences nationwide following the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7th. According to preliminary data from the ADL Center on Extremism, there was a 388 percent rise in recorded cases of assault, vandalism, and harassment this month as opposed to the same month last year. Between October 7 and October 23, 2023, ADL recorded 312 instances of antisemitism, of which 190 had a direct connection to the conflict in Israel and Gaza.

Jews throughout the world are feeling threatened as a result of the Hamas attacks that claimed 1,400 lives,

most of whom were civilians. Furthermore, the ongoing acts of destruction in Palestinian communities threaten to further erode international support for Israel and, in certain cases, create an environment that increases the risk of Jewish people being persecuted. This is because the Israeli government has recently pursued requital through devastating airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza.

Associate professor of history Russell Rickford gained notoriety for his inflammatory comments made to students during a pro-Palestinian demonstration shortly after the surprise attack on Israel, stating that he was “exhilarated” by the fact that Hamas had attacked the people of Israel. The embattled professor first stood by his remarks before later apologizing “for the horrible choice of words” and acknowledging they were “reprehensible.” He then took a leave of absence for the remainder of the semester.

The Cornell University student who is suspected of making threats to kill members of the Jewish community on the campus appeared in federal court on Wednesday, November 1st, and was given a temporary jail sentence. The US Attorney’s Office for New York’s Northern District reported that Patrick Dai, a 21-year-old junior at the Ivy League school, was charged federally with “posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications” after his arrest on Tuesday. There is a maximum five-year prison sentence for this offense.

Given the terrifying threats made online against Jews at Cornell, which are only a small portion of the antisemitic incidents fueled by the aftermath of the Gaza War, many Jews are questioning whether their safety in the US can be assured. The New York

Police Department reports that there were 66 anti-Jewish hate crimes in October, 164% more than there were in the same month the previous year in New York City, the city with the biggest Jewish population in the United States.

Republicans and some Democrats have claimed that warnings are necessary regarding being “taken over by far-left radicalism” as a result of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at several institutions that have crossed the line into antisemitism. Following an increase in police presence, the Democratic governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, visited the school and declared, “We will not tolerate threats, hatred, or antisemitism.” 

This is just one of the many examples of extreme anti-semitism being demonstrated across our country. On the other side of the nation, the same person is thought to be responsible for two separate antisemitic graffiti incidents that Beverly Hills police are looking into as hate crimes. According to Beverly Hills authorities, they received two reports of violence against Jews on Wednesday afternoon, October 22nd, spaced about thirty minutes apart. One of the incidences was antisemitic graffiti that scrawled “F— Jews” all over a Holocaust survivor’s Beverly Hills home. Authorities also stated that over the last weekend in October, antisemitic fliers accusing Jews of being responsible for racial, social, environmental, and health problems were distributed in teh Los Angeles neighborhood of Beverly Hills.

While these horrible crimes are flooding the nation, this issue is not going unrecognized. Following his return from a trip to Israel, President Joe Biden mentioned in his remarks in the Oval Office on October 20, “We oppose all hate speech, be it directed towards Jews, Muslims, or anybody else. We are a great nation, and that is what great nations do,” he remarked. After that, Biden launched fresh initiatives to combat antisemitism on college campuses, and other high-ranking authorities also emphasized how important it is to fight anti-Jewish hatred during this time

Almost a century after the advent of Nazism and the start of the holocaust, which claimed the lives of at least 6 million European Jews, The heirs of the dead are once again under attack due to their identity, cultural heritage, and religious practices.