The number of anti-Semitic incidents reported in Colorado nearly doubled in 2015 from the previous year, according to new data released by the Anti-Defamation League. ADL’s annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents recorded 18 incidents in Colorado in 2015 compared to 10 incidents in 2014. The increase reverses a declining trend in the number of incidents reported during the last decade.

 

Across the country, the number of violent anti-Semitic assaults rose dramatically last year, contributing to a three percent rise in the total number of anti-Jewish incidents reported in 2015, according to the report.

 

ADL Mountain States Regional Director Scott L. Levin issued the following statement:

 

After several years of decline, it is particularly troubling to see an increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Colorado and across the country. While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause for the increase, the abysmal state of public discourse in the country has allowed many forms of hate and bigotry to rear their ugly heads, creating an atmosphere of fear and distrust. In light of this, our mandate is clear:  We must remain vigilant in preventing and effectively responding to all forms of hate.

 

The 2015 ADL Audit identified:

▪ 15 cases of harassment and threats in Colorado

▪ 2 cases of vandalism in Colorado

▪ 1 physical assault on a Jewish individual in Colorado

▪ 1 case of harassment in Wyoming

 

Specific incidents in the audit include:

 

Boulder:  Two Jewish institutions in Boulder received threatening letters with white powder in the envelopes. (April 2015)

 

Fort Collins:  A young woman, who created a GoFundMe account to raise money for a birthright trip to Israel, received an anonymous donation from an individual who created an account under the name of Adolf Hitler. (March 2015)

 

Denver: A high school student wearing a kippah (a Jewish skullcap) was approached by two other high school students who made statements including “Hey Jewboy, come over here,” and “Hey Jewboy, do my bills for me.” One of the assailants then shouted, “Hey you kike, when I talk to you, you talk back,” before throwing a large rock hitting the victim on his back. (July 2015)

 

Arapahoe County: A Jewish man had a swastika painted on the back of his truck. (November 2015)

 

Similar to Colorado, the nation as a whole experienced an increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents reported last year. ADL’s annual audit recorded a total of 941 incidents in the U.S. in 2015, an increase of about 3 percent from the 912 incidents recorded in 2014.

Fifty-six incidents were assaults, the most violent anti-Semitic category – representing a more than 50 percent rise from the 36 assaults reported in 2014.

 

Another troubling finding:  anti-Semitic incidents at colleges and universities nearly doubled last year. A total of 90 incidents were reported on 60 college campuses in 2015, compared with 47 incidents on 43 campuses in 2014. Campus anti-Semitic incidents accounted for 10 percent of the total incidents reported in the U.S. in 2015.

 

“We are disturbed that violent anti-Semitic incidents are rising,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “And we know that for every incident reported, there’s likely another that goes unreported. So even as the total incidents have remained statistically steady from year to year, the trend toward anti-Semitic violence is very concerning.”

 

Overall, anti-Semitic incident totals in the U.S. are historically low, according to ADL, which has been keeping track of anti-Semitic incidents since 1979.  During the last decade, the number of reported anti-Semitic incidents peaked at 1,554 in 2006 and has been mostly on the decline ever since.

 

“The good news is the number of anti-Semitic incidents overall are much lower than we witnessed in the mid-2000s,” said Marvin D. Nathan, ADL National Chair.  “While that decrease is encouraging, it is troubling that on average there is one anti-Semitic assault reported in this country every week, and at least two anti-Jewish incidents on average every single day. These numbers do not even account for all of the online harassment we see every hour on social media, which is so widespread it is difficult to quantify.”

 

ADL witnessed an explosion of hate online, especially on social media platforms in 2015. While the Audit includes incidents of online anti-Semitism reported to ADL in which an individual or institution is explicitly targeted, it does not count general anti-Semitic expressions online.

 

“Online hate is particularly disturbing because of the ubiquity of social media and its deep penetration into our daily lives, plus the anonymity offered by certain platforms which facilitates this phenomenon,” Mr. Greenblatt said. “The issue has grown exponentially in recent years because the Internet provides racists and bigots with an outlet to reach a potential audience of millions. We plan to adapt future versions of the Audit to account for such online harassment.”

 

You may read more online about the 2015 audit, including details about other incidents across the country and ADL’s plans to counter anti-Semitism.