American Jewish Committee (AJC) is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2022: Survey of the General Public, conducted by the research company SSRS, is based on interviews with U.S. adults were conducted from October 10 – October 18, 2022, among a nationally representative sample of 1,004 respondents aged 18 and older via the SSRS Opinion Panel[1]. The margin of error is +/-3.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Find the methodology report here. AJC is a non-partisan organization that neither supports nor endorses candidates for elective office.
*Please note: certain sums may not total 100% due to rounding. An asterisk (*) indicates a number less than 1%.
1. |
How familiar are you with the term “antisemitism?” |
| How familiar, if at all, are you with the term “antisemitism?” | 69% | |
| Heard the term, but unsure what it means | ||
| Have never heard of the term | ||
Familiar - 69%
|
2. |
How much of a problem, if at all, do you think antisemitism is in the United States today? |
| A very serious problem | ||
| Somewhat of a problem | 46% | |
| Not much of a problem | ||
| Not a problem at all | ||
| Not sure | ||
A Problem - 68%
|
3. |
Over the past five years, do you think that antisemitism in the United States has…? |
| Increased a lot | ||
| Increased somewhat | 31% | |
| Stayed the same | ||
| Decreased a little | ||
| Decreased a lot | ||
| Not sure | ||
Increased - 47%
|
4. |
Over the past 12 months, have you personally seen any antisemitic incidents, such as negative remarks or online content about Jewish people, or physical attacks on Jewish people or their religious facilities? |
| Yes, one time | ||
| Yes, more than one time | ||
| No | 64% | |
Yes - 36%
|
5. |
Where did you see these incidents? |
| Online or on social media | 82% | |
| On the street | ||
| In a store | ||
| In public transit | ||
| In your workplace | ||
| At a sporting event | ||
|
*Asked of general public participants who have personally seen any antisemitic incidents over the past 12 months. Note: Responses may not sum to 100%, due to multiple answers. |
6a. |
Did you report any of these incidents to the police? |
| Yes | 7% | |
| No | 93% | |
|
*Asked of general public participants who have personally seen antisemitic incidents over the past 12 months. |
6b. |
Did you report any of these incidents to a Jewish organization? |
| Yes | 4% | |
| No | 96% | |
|
*Asked of general public participants who have personally seen antisemitic incidents over the past 12 months. |
6c. |
Did you report any of these incidents to Facebook/Twitter/ any social media platform? |
| Yes | 3% | |
| No | 97% | |
|
*Asked of general public participants who have personally seen antisemitic incidents over the past 12 months. |
6d. |
Did you report any of these incidents to another authority or organization? |
| Yes | 5% | |
| No | 95% | |
|
*Asked of general public participants who have personally seen antisemitic incidents over the past 12 months. |
7. |
In your opinion, is antisemitism taken more seriously, less seriously, or is it considered to be the same as other forms of hate and bigotry? |
| More seriously | ||
| Less seriously | ||
| Considered to be the same | 50% | |
8. |
Which statement comes closer to your view, even if neither is exactly right? |
| Antisemitism is a problem for everyone; it affects society as a whole | 91% | |
| Antisemitism is only a problem for Jews; it does not affect society as a whole | ||
9. |
How much, if anything, did you hear about Jews being taken hostage in a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas in January 2022? |
| A lot | ||
| Some | ||
| Not too much | ||
| Nothing at all | 40% | |
A lot/ some – 31%
|
10. |
How familiar are you with the BDS movement – that is the movement that advocates for Boycotting, Divesting, and Sanctioning Israel? |
| Very familiar | ||
| Somewhat familiar | ||
| Slightly familiar | ||
| Not at all familiar | 65% | |
Very/somewhat/slightly familiar – 35%
|
11. |
Do you view the BDS movement as antisemitic? |
| Mostly antisemitic | 38% | |
| Some Antisemitic supporters | 50% | |
| Not antisemitic | ||
Mostly antisemitic/ some antisemitic supporters – 88%
|
|
*Asked of general public participants who are slightly, somewhat, or very familiar with the BDS movement. |
12a. |
Do you view the statement, “Israel has no right to exist,” as antisemitic or not? |
| Yes, antisemitic | 90% | |
| No, not antisemitic | ||
12b. |
Do you view the statement, “Jews control the media,” as antisemitic or not? |
| Yes, antisemitic | 66% | |
| No, not antisemitic | ||
12c. |
Do you view the statement, “Covid-19 protocols such as vaccine and mask mandates are similar to what Jews experienced during the Holocaust,” as antisemitic or not? |
| Yes, antisemitic | 44% | |
| No, not antisemitic | 56% | |
13. |
Do you, personally, know someone who is Jewish? |
| Yes, I know someone who is Jewish | 66% | |
| No, I don’t know anyone who is Jewish | ||
14. |
How much, if anything, would you say you know about Judaism or the Jewish religion overall? |
| A lot | ||
| Some | 46% | |
| Not much | ||
| Nothing at all | ||
A lot/ some – 57%
|
15. |
When did the Holocaust happen? Between: |
| 1890 and 1910 | ||
| 1910 and 1930 | ||
| 1930 and 1950 | 76% | |
| 1950 and 1970 | ||
| Not sure | ||
16. |
In total, about how many Jews were killed in the Holocaust? |
| Less than 1 million | ||
| Approximately 3 million | ||
| Approximately 6 million | 53% | |
| More than 12 million | ||
| Not sure | ||
17. |
As far as you know, was Auschwitz… |
| A concentration and death camp for Jews | 85% | |
| A school to train Germans in Nazi ideology | ||
| A political campaign designed by the Nazis | ||
| A Jewish ghetto | ||
| Not sure | ||
18. |
Which of the following statements best describes how Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany? |
| By a democratic political process | 39% | |
| By violently overthrowing the German government | ||
| By hereditary succession | ||
| By agreements with neighboring countries | ||
| Not sure | ||
19. |
Have you ever visited a Holocaust memorial or museum? |
| Yes, have visited | ||
| No, have not visited | 74% | |
View More:
To see results from the State of Antisemitism in America 2022: AJC's Survey of American Jews, click here.
To see how results from this survey compare to results from the State of Antisemitism in America 2022: AJC's Survey of American Jews, click here.
[1] Provided by SSRS: SSRS Opinion Panel members are recruited randomly based on nationally representative ABS (Address Based Sample) design (including Hawaii and Alaska). Additionally, we recruit hard-to-reach demographic groups via our Omnibus survey platform. For more information: https://ssrs.com/opinion-panel/.
