Anti-Semitic incidents rise in Connecticut, decline across U.S.  

Special to the Ledger

HAMDEN – The number of documented anti-Semitic incidents in Connecticut increased in 2013, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents. A total of 31 incidents were reported across Connecticut in 2013, which included 18 incidents of harassment, six incidents of vandalism and two incidents of physical assault. ADL recorded 17 anti-Semitic incidents in Connecticut in 2012, 43 in Connecticut in 2011 and 39 in 2010.

While the number of anti-Semitic incidents rose in Connecticut, the audit revealed a 19 percent decline in the total number of reported anti-Semitic incidents in the United States in 2013.

“We’re never happy to see an increase in anti-Semitic incidents here in Connecticut, but we’re careful not to read too much into the findings of any particular year,” said Gary Jones, regional director of ADL’s Connecticut office.

“The audit is not an exact science. We rely on law enforcement personnel and individuals from across the state to alert us to anti-Semitic incidents. We believe that the reduced numbers reported for 2012 were an aberration, and that our 2013 figures fall more in line with what we saw in 2010 and 2011.”

Some of the incidents reported in 2013 in Connecticut included:

Fairfield County:

•  A Jewish student was accosted by several classmates, shoved into a bathtub, sprayed with body spray to simulate the gas chambers, and forced to pretend to “go to sleep.”

•  A young Jewish student on a social media site, unaware of the meaning of a cross, asked a friend about the significance of her “t-necklace.” Another person replied, “You’re a bitch the cross isn’t a T so take your Jewish ass somewhere else (sic).”

Hartford County:

•  A Holocaust survivor who had recently shared her story with school children received leaflets in the mail that denied the Holocaust.

•  A restaurant manager stuck a post-it note with a drawing of a swastika on the water bottle of one of his waitresses. During the same shift, he made himself a fake Hitler moustache and did a heil Hitler salute. He also made swastikas out of French fries on the plates that she was serving to customers.

New Haven County:

•  Graffiti was discovered in a university building that threatened the college’s Center for Jewish Life with arson.

•  Approximately 30 gravestones were knocked over at a Jewish cemetery resulting in about $5,000 worth of damage.

“We must remember that there are people behind every one of these numbers, and every incident represents one person or an entire community affected by the trauma of anti-Semitism,” said Barry Curtiss-Lusher, ADL national chair. “Every swastika scrawled on a school or rally held by a racist group demands a response – by law enforcement, by the community, and by public officials – to ensure that we reinforce the message that anti-Semitism is unacceptable in society.”

Nationwide, a total of 751 anti-Semitic incidents were reported last year, marking a significant decline from the 927 reported in 2012. Of the 751 incidents, 31 were physical assaults on Jewish individuals, 315 incidents of vandalism and 405 cases of harassment, threats and events. The Audit includes both criminal and non-criminal incidents reported to ADL in 41 states and Washington, D.C.

“We want to increase awareness that ADL tracks anti-Semitic incidents and to remind people that if they experience anti-Semitism themselves – or even if they are aware of incidents targeting others – to call us and report it,” said Jones.

Additionally, Jones said that one possible reason for the large statistical downward trend in anti-Semitic incidents across the country is the emergence of hate on the Internet. General anti-Jewish expressions on the Internet, while possibly playing a role in fomenting real-world anti-Semitism, are not counted for the purposes of the Audit unless they target a specific individual.

“The explosion of viral hate is impossible to quantify, but should not be ignored,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL national director. “The Internet provides racists and bigots with an outlet to reach a potential audience of millions, and we suspect that it has also led many to take their opinions online rather than leafleting entire neighborhoods. So, that may have an impact on the Audit’s findings, which measure real world incidents as opposed to viral hate, which is impossible to quantify given its proliferation on the Internet and on social media.”

The ADL Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents has been conducted annually in the United States since 1979. The Audit identifies both criminal and non-criminal acts of harassment and intimidation, including distribution of hate propaganda, threats and slurs.  Compiled using information provided by victims, law enforcement and community leaders and evaluated by ADL’s professional staff, the Audit provides an annual snapshot of one specific aspect of a nationwide problem while identifying possible trends or changes in the types of activity reported. This information assists ADL in developing and enhancing its programs to counter and prevent the spread of anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry.

More information on the 2013 Audit, including state-by-state numbers, an analysis of anti-Semitic numbers nationally and examples of incidents from around the country, is available on ADL’s website at www.adl.org.