More than Four in Ten U.S. Jews Say They Felt Less Safe than Last Year

Forty-one percent of American Jews feel their status in America is less secure than it was a year earlier, according to a new survey by the American Jewish Committee.

According to the AJC survey, released Monday, that number grew from 31 percent the year before. A full 55 percent said their status was the same. Only four percent thought it was more secure.

Last year saw several high profile cases of anti-Semitism, including a hostage-taking at a Texas synagogue and anti-Jewish hatred shared by celebrities, chief among them rapper Kanye West. Former President Donald Trump dined with two openly anti-Semitic guests, drawing criticism from his own Jewish supporters.

Eighty-five percent of American Jews, ages 18-29, have experienced anti-Semitism online. More than a quarter of those – 26 percent – said they feel physically threatened by these incidents.

Four in five Jews said in the 2022 survey that anti-Semitism has grown in the past five years; nearly half said it’s taken less seriously than other forms of bigotry or hate.

A quarter of the respondents said they were directly targeted by anti-Semitic expressions, either in person or on social media, with three percent reporting a physical attack. Nearly four in 10 changed their behavior to lower risks to their safety. Similarly, nearly four in ten reported avoiding visible expressions of Jewishness in public, such as wearing a skullcap. Smaller percentages reported taking similar steps on campus or at work. (BB / VFI News)

“For their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.” - Proverbs 24:2