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U.S. Anti-Semitic
Incidents Spike 86 Percent

Incidents increase in Michigan as well.

A

nti-Semitic incidents in
the U.S. surged more than
one-third in 2016 and have
jumped 86 percent in the first quar-
ter of 2017, according to new data
from the Anti-Defamation League.
In its annual Audit of Anti-Semitic
Incidents, ADL reports that there
has been a massive increase in the
amount of harassment of American
Jews, particularly since November,
and a doubling in the amount of
anti-Semitic bullying and vandalism
at non-denominational K-12 grade
schools.
In 2016, there was a 34 percent
year-over-year increase in incidents
— assaults, vandalism and harass-
ment — with a total of 1,266 acts
targeting Jews and Jewish institu-
tions. Nearly 30 percent of these
incidents occurred in November and
December.
The surge has continued dur-
ing the first three months of 2017.
Americans of all faiths have felt the
increase, and in a poll ADL released
earlier this month, a majority said
they are concerned about violence
in the U.S. directed at Jews.
“There’s been a significant, sus-
tained increase in anti-Semitic activ-
ity since the start of 2016, and what’s
most concerning is the fact that the
numbers have accelerated over the
past five months,” said ADL CEO
Jonathan A. Greenblatt. “Clearly, we
have work to do and need to bring
more urgency to the fight.”

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Heidi Budaj, Michigan Regional
Director of the ADL, said, “We have

Parking Info: Self-pay parking available in city lots
and structure in front of the theater.

18

May 4 • 2017

jn

experienced an
increase in anti-
Semitic incidents
in Michigan, from
a total of six in
2015, to 15 reported
incidents in 2016
and 11 incidents in
Heidi Budaj
the first quarter of
2017.
“The tenor of ver-
bal harassment against Jewish stu-
dents in elementary schools through
college-age students is disturbing.
Jewish students have been told to ‘go
back to Auschwitz’ or ‘we are warm-
ing up the ovens for you.’ There
have been three reported cases of
vandalism of Jewish institutions
through March 2017, a trend which
is concerning,” she said.
“ADL Michigan is committed to
increasing the impact of educational
programs, and we will continue to
confront the scourge of anti-Semi-
tism wherever it arises.”

NATIONWIDE

In the first quarter of 2017, prelimi-
nary reports of the 541 anti-Semitic
incidents nationwide included:
• 380 harassment incidents,
including 161 bomb threats, an
increase of 127 percent over the
same quarter in 2016;
• 155 vandalism incidents, includ-
ing three cemetery desecrations, an
increase of 36 percent;
• Six physical assault incidents, a
decrease of 40 percent.
In 2016, the 1,266 anti-Semitic
incidents included:
• 720 harassment and threat inci-

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