Antisemitic Incidents Triple In VA Amid Nationwide Spike: New Report

VIRGINIA — Antisemitic incidents including harassment, vandalism and assault more than tripled in Virginia 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, Virginia reported 223 antisemitic incidents in 2023, up from 69 in 2022 and 46 in 2021.

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

• Harassment: 158
• Vandalism: 62
• Assault: 3

More than 150,000 Jewish people live in Virginia, where antisemitic incidents since the Oct.7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas have targeted Jewish organizations, colleges, public meetings, and more.

Last year, Fairfax County authorities launched an investigation after receiving numerous reports of flyers portraying antisemitic tropes being distributed in the Fair Oaks area. Meanwhile, in December, swastika graffiti was discovered in a high school bathroom in Prince William County.

In January 2023, racist writing was also found in a bathroom at a high school in Leesburg, the Leesburg Police Department said, the same day Loudoun County residents found white propaganda flyers in their driveways.

In October 2023, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an emergency directive to combat anti-religious and ethnic-based bigotry in response to the massive increase in antisemitic threats across the Commonwealth and on Virginia college campuses.

Executive Directive Six put the Virginia Fusion Center at the Department of State Police on a heightened state so staff could quickly identify and respond to threats at houses of worship and in faith-based communities.

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.