Jewish communities boost security amid rising antisemitism
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Nearly 60% of religiously motivated hate crimes in the U.S. are directed towards the Jewish population, according to FBI data. Local organizations are working to make the Jewish community safer amidst a surge in antisemitic incidents.
This week, the Jewish Federation Of Southern New Jersey (JFSNJ) announced the creation of its new security entity, JFED Security, LLC. The program will serve Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties, as well as eight additional counties in New Jersey and the entire state of Delaware. Its resources will include guards from a security force, threat and vulnerability risk assessments and emergency operations planning.
"The Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey feels an enormous responsibility to our system of agencies, Jewish institutions and the region as a whole to expand this community security initiative," said Jennifer Dubrow Weiss, JFSNJ Chief Executive Officer in a statement.
The JFSNJ isn't alone in the effort to better safeguard members of the local Jewish community.
In September, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia also expanded its security initiative at centers of Jewish life, including synagogues and day schools in the area.
"As America faces dramatic increases in antisemitic threats and incidents, Jewish communal security has never been more important," said Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia President and CEO Michael Balaban in a statement.
Jewish institutions in the U.S. experienced 589 antisemitic incidents in 2022 with the majority of them targeting synagogues and Jewish community centers, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
Last weekend, the Jewish Federation of Lehigh Valley held its first antisemitism conference which was co-hosted by the ADL. The event featured four panels of experts, including elected officials.
Rep. Susan Wild, who represents Pennsylvania's 7th district, attended the conference emphasizing the importance of addressing antisemitism in the Greater Lehigh Valley and across the country.
"This work must continue, every single day, to root out insidious antisemitism and hate in our communities that threaten our values as Americans," said Wild.
Heightened security protections come as the ADL says antisemitic incidents are at a 44-year high nationwide.
A recent report by the ADL found that antisemitic incidents rose 36% nationwide in 2022, with 3,697 recorded instances of assault, harassment or vandalism, marking the highest number on record since the group began its annual audit in 1979.
According to the ADL, hundreds of antisemitic incidents have been recorded in the tri-state area with New Jersey ranking as the state with the third most incidents nationwide.
- Pennsylvania: 114
- New Jersey: 408
- Delaware: 11
In November, an 18-year-old Sayreville man was charged in connection with alleged threats made against New Jersey synagogues and Jewish residents. The ADL notes that antisemitic incidents were at their highest that month.
Federal prosecutors say the suspect in the case, Omar Alkattou, shared a manifesto online "containing threats to attack a synagogue and Jewish people." But investigators do not believe that Alkattou had the means to carry out any specific threat.
Last summer, two South Jersey neighborhoods were targeted with antisemitic flyers that littered sidewalks and people's lawns. Brigantine was impacted first, followed by Lindenwold. The flyers in both communities shared similar rhetoric and were found inside plastic baggies filled with corn.
In a statement, Brigantine police called the bags and their contents antisemitic. They said the literature did not contain any threats but was consistent with antisemitic flyers seen throughout the country during that time.
The ADL report also found that known white supremacist networks coordinated to produce more than double the antisemitic propaganda this year, with 852 incidents reported in 2022.
Despite the growing issue of antisemitism in the U.S., less than two-thirds of law enforcement agencies reported data on hate crimes to the FBI, marking a significant drop-off last year. There are more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the U.S., but reporting hate crimes data by state, local and tribal agencies remains voluntary.
Aryeh Tuchman, director of the ADL's Center on Extremism, hopes that the organization's audit will bolster action in addressing antisemitic incidents.
"I hope that the Jewish people in this country take these incidents seriously, firm up the security at their institutions, but also to remain proud and confident," he told CBS News. "Our communities are strong and our people are secure. And these findings should be a call to action, but not the source of fear and alarm."