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FRAMINGHAM – Antisemitic incidents increased by 42 percent in the New England Region, said Peggy Shukur from the Anti Defamation League at a breakfast hosted by the Temple Beth Am Brotherhood on Sunday morning, March 12.

A total of 155 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism were reported to ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), said Shukur.

The rise in new England was higher than the rise nationally, said Shukur, which was a 34 increase.

The Anti Defamation League (ADL), who has tracked incidents since 1979, recorded 2,717 antisemitic incidents in 2021. Data for 2022 is expected to be released this spring.

All City officials were invited to the presentation. More than 85 individuals attended the breakfast on Sunday, including Mayor Charlie Sisitsky and First Lady Robin Kaye, District 3 City Councilor Adam Steiner, and District 3 School Committee member Jennifer Moshe.

Framingham Deputy Police Chief Sean Riley was also in attendance.

Founded in 1913, the Anti Defamation League is an anti-hate organization. Its mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all, said Shukur.

Massachusetts saw a 48% increase in antisemitic incidents from 2020 to 2021.

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 Incidents of vandalism increased by 66 percent  (58 incidents in 2021, compared to 35 in 2020). 

Incidents of harassment increased by 26 percent (48 incidents in 2021, compared to 38 in 2021). 

Massachusetts also recorded two assaults in 2021 no assaults were recorded  in 2020. 

Antisemitic incidents remain at a historical high in the Commonwealth.

  A total of 54 cities and towns in Massachusetts saw at least one antisemitic incident in 2021, according to ADL data.

Framingham was one of those communities.

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Across the Commonwealth, Antisemitic incidents took place in a wide variety of locations including places of business, private homes, public areas, Jewish institutions and schools, and online:  

  • Incidents at Jewish institutions and schools: 29 (up from 21 in 2020)  
  • Incidents in non-Jewish K-12 schools: 35 (up from 16 incidents in 2020) 
  • Incidents on college campuses: 15 (up from 14 in 2020) 
  • Incidents in public areas (parks/streets/transit/buildings): 55 (up from 27 in 2020)  
  • Incidents at private businesses and retail establishments: 4 (down from 10 in 2020)  
  • Incidents in homes: 10 (up from 9 in 2020) 

Massachusetts recorded the seventh highest number of incidents per state in the country (108), following New York (416), New Jersey (370), California (367), Florida (190), Michigan (112) and Texas (112).  

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 

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Editor’s note: Portions of this report came from a press release

By editor

Susan Petroni is the former editor for SOURCE. She is the founder of the former news site, which as of May 1, 2023, is now a self-publishing community bulletin board. The website no longer has a journalist but a webmaster.