Massachusetts among states with most incidents of antisemitism, ADL audit finds
For the fifth straight year New England has set an unfortunate record. The number of antisemitic incidents in the region has never been higher. And a vast majority were reported in Massachusetts, more than 400 in an audit compiled by the Anti-Defamation League. That places us fifth in the nation, behind only New York, California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, all much larger states.
What's going on?
"There continues to be very large levels of white supremacist activity in the state of Massachusetts and across New England," said Samatha Joseph of the ADL. "We also have a lot of college campuses and that is one of the main drivers of antisemitism here."
Antisemitism in Massachusetts
But while the Hamas slaughter of October 7, 2023 and the bloody Israeli response have made matters worse, the numbers were rising for years before Gaza erupted.
It has prompted the creation of a Beacon Hill commission exploring antisemitism, including the posting of antisemitic imagery on the website of the state's largest teacher union as a "resource" for its teachers.
In a memorable exchange, Commission co-chair Rep. Simon Cataldo (D-Concord) showed an image from the Massachusetts Teachers Association website of a dollar bill folded into the shape of a Star of David and asked MTA President Max Page if he would "agree that this is antisemitic imagery, correct?"
"I'm not gonna evaluate that," Page said.
"There's a cultural issue. There's a moral issue," Cataldo said. "And that's always been the case when it comes to antisemitism. What we saw in the hearing shows us how far we have to go."
But public support for targeted Jews is a major sign of hope.
"The good news here is that there is more support for the Jewish community than there is hate against it," Joseph said.
What is it going to take to turn this disturbing trend around?
Both Joseph and Cataldo stressed the importance of teacher and parent awareness and education, and the need for both groups to report these episodes when they happen instead of turning away.
But there's a new complication that both said worries them - the weaponization of on-campus antisemitism as an excuse to attack institutions that some politicians don't like. The thing about antisemitism is it's not just a right- or left-wing thing, they say -- it's part of a cultural legacy of hate that dates back centuries.
