A recent report released by the American Jewish Committee has exposed a concerning reality for many American Jewish people: Over half report that they have changed how they act because they are worried about antisemitic harassment.
The AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America Report, which the organization has been publishing for the past six years, reported that in 2024, 56% of American Jewish people have changed their behavior to avoid antisemitism. These include not wearing or displaying Jewish symbols (40% of respondents), avoiding posting Judaism-related content online (37%) and staying away from specific places, events and situations (31%).
While the amount of people who reported changing their behavior in past reports had been steadily rising, with 38% admitting to it in 2022 and 46% in 2023, this is still a significant jump. A likely source of this new insecurity is the Oct. 7 attacks in 2023, as 77% of American Jewish people reported that the event made them feel less safe in the U.S. as a
Jewish person.
“Antisemitism has reached a tipping point in America, threatening the freedoms of American Jews and casting an ominous shadow across our society,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for leaders across the U.S. We must act now to protect Jews — and America — from rising antisemitism.”
The 2024 report is the first time in the report’s six-year history that the majority of Jewish respondents said they felt that antisemitism had become far more common in the last five years. The report also analyzes antisemitism-related data from the wider population of U.S. adults to get a better understanding of how non-Jewish people view antisemitism.
“If you look at the numbers, it was even before Oct. 7 that this trend was beginning,” explained AJC Washington Director Alan Ronkin. “I think over the past few years, Jews have begun to feel othered, and Oct. 7 threw gasoline on the fire and accelerated the trend. But I think we’ve seen this since [the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in 2018].”
Notably, the report cited antisemitism as coming from all sides of the political spectrum and across several different religions — approximately one-third of respondents cited both the far left and far right as sources of antisemitism, as well as nationalism from Christian and Muslim communities.
“With antisemitism, you have to keep your head on a swivel,” Ronkin said. “It comes from the left, the right, religious extremists and people who are flat-out ignorant. As the political winds shift, there is a tendency for people to other Jews. For the antisemite, the Jew is always convenient for them to hate.”
A more heartening statistic from the 2024 report, though, is that more and more people have been speaking out against antisemitism — both Jewish and non-Jewish.
“The good news is more people are aware of antisemitism as a societal problem,” said Holly Huffnagle, AJC U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism. “The vast majority [90%] of U.S. adults believe that antisemitism affects society as a whole and everyone is responsible for countering it. A whole-of-society problem necessitates a whole-of-society approach.”
Ronkin said that a key way to combat antisemitism is through communication, and that American Jewish people should make their concerns clear to their friends and neighbors rather than shy away from these issues.
“The majority of people in the general population who know Jews are much more likely to understand what antisemitism is and stand up against it,” he said. “If we hide, we give in to what our enemies want. They want us to go into the shadows; they want us to go under the rock. And we don’t have the luxury of doing that. We have to stand up for one another and stand up for who we are.”
He added that it’s just as important to prioritize Jewish joy as it is to focus on safety.
“We talk a lot about safety and security, and we don’t talk a lot about Jewish pride,” Ronkin said. “Being Jewish is a privilege, and when we are embracing the joy of Judaism and Jewish life, we can find a balance with the legitimate need to protect ourselves. But if we only protect ourselves, we’re going to end up hiding behind walls.”
