The State of Antisemitism in America 2024: Insights and Analysis

The majority of American Jews say they have been impacted by the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023. A large majority of American Jews – 77% – say they feel less safe as a Jewish person in the U.S. since the attacks. American Jews who identify as Orthodox are more likely to say the attacks have made them feel a great deal less safe compared to those who identify with other denominations or identify as secular or culturally Jewish (30% vs. 17% and 8%). American Jewish women are more likely than Jewish men to feel “a great deal” less safe in the U.S. because of the terrorist attacks (18% vs. 11%).  

The vast majority of American Jews (90%) say antisemitism has increased in the U.S. at least somewhat since the attacks. While there is a gap compared to the general public, a majority—more than six in ten (62%)—of U.S. adults also say antisemitism has increased in the United States in the past year. One 31-year-old Jewish woman from the Northeast, painfully summed up the year as follows: “Over the past year I have witnessed coworkers celebrating the death of Jews on their social media, my subway station graffitied with the words ‘Zionist devils’, have listened to people screaming ‘intifada’ outside of my apartment window. The synagogue I grew up in was horrifically graffitied with antisemitic rhetoric in November 2023… I was in Israel a couple weeks ago and felt safer there—a country at war where citizens are regularly running to bomb shelters and safe rooms—than I have in NY in the last year.” 

Seven in ten American Jews (70%) say the Jewish institutions they are affiliated with have increased security measures since October 7, 2023. For 15% of American Jews, security measures stayed about the same since October 7, indicating heightened security already in use given rise in antisemitic threats and violence from the past several years. Orthodox Jews are more likely than those of other denominations to report increased security at the Jewish institutions with which they are affiliated. Almost nine in 10 Orthodox Jews (89%) say security measures have increased in the last year, compared with 74% of those who identify with other denominations, and 55% of those who identify as secular or culturally Jewish. As one Jewish woman from the South reflected, “Only Jews have to hire armed guards for our religious services in America.” 

 In addition, nearly three-quarters of Jewish adults (73%) say Jews in the United States are less secure than one year ago. By comparison, 63% said the status of Jews was less secure in 2023, up from 41% who said the same in 2022, and 31% who said the same in 2021.1 There is little variation here across the United States: 74% of American Jews say Jews are less secure than one year ago in the Northeast, 74% in the Midwest, 70% in the South, and 75% in the West. Among those who say Jews in the United States are less secure than a year ago, 26% cite the war between Israel and Hamas. Roughly one in five (19%) say a rise in antisemitic attacks, crimes, or other violence contributes to the perception of being less secure, and a similar share say it is because antisemitism and racism are more overt and accepted now (18%). As one 38-year-old Jewish respondent from the West shared, “Visible antisemitism is rampant throughout the U.S. Perhaps people felt this way deep down before but now, they feel emboldened to be openly antisemitic… I feel much less secure as [a] Jew in the U.S.” 

For eight in 10 American Jews (81%), caring about Israel is very (51%) or somewhat (30%) important to what being Jewish means to them. While Jews age 30 and over are more likely to say caring about is “very important” to what being Jewish means to them compared to younger Jews between the ages of 18-29 (53% vs. 40%), this gap has narrowed significantly in the past year. In 2023, only 29% of young American Jews said caring about Israel was “very important”; this number jumped to 40% in 2024.  

Consistent with findings from 2023, Jewish adults who say that caring about Israel is important to what being Jewish means to them are more likely than those who say it’s not too or not at all important to see antisemitism in the U.S. as a very serious problem (60% vs. 29%). In addition, Jewish adults who have a denominational identity are far more likely than secular Jews to say caring about Israel is very important to their Jewish identity (60% vs. 37%). 

Importantly, U.S. adults recognize and understand the connection between Jewish identity and Israel. Eighty five percent of U.S. adults say the statement “Israel has no right to exist” is antisemitic. Almost eight in 10 U.S. adults (77%) say it is unacceptable (either completely (52%) or somewhat (25%)) to protest against Israel by boycotting American Jewish individuals or Jewish events. Relatedly, of the U.S. adults who are at least slightly familiar with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (BDS) Movement against Israel, 67% say the BDS movement is either “mostly antisemitic” (31%) or it is “not mostly antisemitic, but there are some antisemitic supporters” (36%).   

One Jewish woman from the West observed, “It is more socially acceptable to use Israel’s actions to justify offensive statements and conspiracy theories. It is something I never felt before when growing up. I used to be very open about my Jewish heritage and now I keep it to myself.” Thankfully, the majority of Americans also do not think it is acceptable to protest against the Israeli government in front of Jewish institutions and businesses (only 5% said it was acceptable to protest in front of a synagogue, 4% in front of a Jewish day school, 5% in front of a Jewish business or restaurant, and 6% in front of an Israeli business or restaurant).2

Over nine in 10 Jewish adults (93%) say antisemitism is a problem in the U.S. More than half (54%) say antisemitism is a “very serious” problem (compared to 37% who said so in 2020). The share of American Jews reporting that antisemitism in the U.S. has increased over the past five years has traditionally been high, but in 2024 it is even higher. Over nine in 10 American Jews also say that antisemitism has increased in the past five years. This number was 86% in 2023 and 82% in 2022. The spike is driven by Jewish adults being more likely in 2024 to say antisemitism has increased “a lot.” In 2024, 60% say antisemitism has increased a lot in the past five years, compared with 50% in 2023, 43% in 2022, and 37% in 2021. American Jews in the Northeast are more likely than American Jews in all other census regions to think that antisemitism in the United States has increased “a lot” over the past five years (66% vs. 56%).  

The 2024 survey asked American Jews about the sources of antisemitism. A third of American Jews (33%) say each of the four sources asked about (the extreme political left, the extreme political right, extremism in the name of Islam, and Christian nationalism) represent a very serious antisemitic threat. Roughly three quarters or more say that each group or issue represents at least a slight antisemitic threat. One 55-year-old Jewish man from the Midwest said, “There is less tolerance of the Jewish people because of political indifference and the rise of Christian nationalism. Ignorance is supported and tolerance is no longer supported.” Overall, more American Jews say the extreme political left is a very serious antisemitic threat compared to 2021.5  One respondent, a Jewish woman from the South, captured this shift: “The vitriol coming from the progressive left, which I once identified as my community, has been truly shocking. The most painful and frightening thing about this is that it almost seems like the antisemitism was there all along, people just needed an excuse to vocalize it openly. At this point, there isn’t really a space in which it feels safe to say the words ‘I’m Jewish.’”  

The rise in antisemitism over the last few years is making some Jews think about leaving the United States. Notably, 13% of American Jews say they have considered, in the past five years, leaving the U.S. for another country due to antisemitism. Almost a quarter (24%) of Orthodox Jews say they have. In a different AJC survey, AJC’s 2024 Survey of American Jewish Opinion, released in June 2024, Jewish adults were asked “Have you considered leaving the United States due to antisemitism to move to another country in the past five years prior to October 7?” At that time, only 6% of respondents said yes. One respondent, a 46-year-old Jewish female from the South, points to a reason why some Jews have considered leaving. “People are not hiding their antisemitism anymore,” she lamented. “Jewish tropes are being spoken aloud in public spaces, public schools, in classrooms with zero recourse… I am the granddaughter of a sole survivor of the Holocaust and have never felt so unsafe for myself and my family.” 

One third of Jewish Americans (33%) say they have been the personal target of antisemitism in at least one of these contexts in the past 12 months: an antisemitic remark in person (23%), an antisemitic remark or post online or through social media (17%), antisemitic vandalism to, or messaging (such as flyers or pamphlets) left on their personal property (6%), an antisemitic attack in person, during which the attacker physically touched them (2%),6 or any other kind of antisemitism, not already asked about (10%). One 67-year-old Jewish woman from the Northeast recalled, “Some man verbally attacked me because I wore a shirt with Hebrew on it; he accused me of genocide.”  

American Jews who have personally been a target of antisemitism, are far more likely to say they have changed their behavior than those who have not been targeted (77% vs. 45%). Specifically, those who have been a target are more likely to avoid publicly wearing something that might identify them as Jewish (57% vs. 31%), going certain places (52% vs. 21%), or posting content online (52% vs. 29%). Finally, 24% of those who have personally been targeted by antisemitism have considered leaving the U.S. in the past five years due to antisemitism, compared to 7% who have not been personally experienced antisemitism.  

Fears of experiencing antisemitism extend beyond the self to one’s family. While 44% of U.S. Jews say they are very (7%) or somewhat (37%) worried that they will be a victim of antisemitism in the next year, the pattern notably changes when it comes to loved ones. More than half of U.S. Jews (53%) say they are very (14%) or somewhat (39%) worried that a family member, such as parents, a spouse or partner, or children will be a victim of antisemitism because they are Jewish in the next 12 months. One Jewish woman shared, “You don't know who's [going to] harm your life or your loved one[s] only because you're a Jew. When everything goes wrong-Jews are to blame.”  

Some American Jews continue to experience antisemitism in their place of work. In the past 12 months, one in 10 (9%) of American Jews who are fully or partially employed (but not self-employed) say they have experienced antisemitism at their place of work, and more than one in five (22%) have avoided or experienced at least one of the following at work: avoided wearing or displaying something that would identify them as Jewish because of fears of antisemitism (16%), felt uncomfortable or unsafe because of their Jewish identity (9%), felt or been excluded because they are Jewish (8%), or felt or been excluded because of their assumed or actual connection to Israel (8%).  

Despite the number of American Jews who have been targeted by antisemitism, the majority do not report it. More than three-quarters (78%) of American Jews say they did not report any of the antisemitism they experienced. More than half of Jewish adults in the 2024 survey (54%) say they didn’t think anything would be done if they reported; another 44% say they didn’t think the experience was serious enough to report; and 22% say they did not know how to report it. American Jews in the South are more likely than American Jews in all other census regions to say they did not think the experience was serious enough to report (54% vs. 40%).  

Online or on social media continue to be the place where American Jews experience antisemitism the most. Almost seven in ten American Jews (67%) report seeing or hearing antisemitism online or on social media in the past 12 months.9 This number jumps to 83% for young American Jews (ages 18-29). Online or on social media is also the place where the general public sees or hears antisemitism. Four in 10 U.S. adults (39%) say they personally witnessed antisemitism last year, and for 70% of them, they saw it online or on social media.  

In 2024, the majority of U.S. adults (72%) say they think antisemitism is a problem in the U.S.—with 31% saying it is a “very serious” problem. In 2021, 60% of U.S. adults said antisemitism is a problem (with only 21% saying it is a “very serious” problem). More than three quarters of both Republicans (70%) and Democrats (74%) say antisemitism is a problem in the U.S. There has been a noticeable change in the Republican response. In 2022, only 58% of Republicans (compared to 77% of Democrats) said antisemitism was a problem in the United States.11 

U.S. adults who say they typically follow news about Israel very or somewhat closely are far more likely than those who follow news about Israel less closely to deem antisemitism a very serious or somewhat of a problem in the United States (86% vs. 60%). In a similar pattern, this gap has increased since 2023, when 82% and 69% of the respective groups said the same. 

U.S. adults are also more aware that antisemitism has increased in the United States in recent years. Almost six in 10 U.S. adults (59%) say antisemitism has increased in the U.S. over the past five years, compared to 44% who said the same in 2021. In 2024, 28% say antisemitism has increased “a lot”; in 2021, only 13% said it increased “a lot.” Critically, nearly nine in 10 (88%) U.S. adults who say antisemitism has increased, are concerned by the increase—either very (43%) or somewhat (44%) concerned. And nearly eight in 10 (78%) of those who typically follow news about Israel say antisemitism has increased in the past five years, compared with 43% of those who do not typically follow news about Israel. 

The partisan gap has disappeared on the perception of antisemitism increasing in the past five years. Nearly equal shares of Democrats (60%) and Republicans (61%) say antisemitism has increased in the past five years.12 Whereas the percentage of Democrats who say this has more or less been the same over the years, there has been a noticeable jump in Republicans who say antisemitism has increased in the past five years. In 2022, 41% of Republicans said antisemitism had increased; in 2023, 50% said the same; and in 2024, 61% said so.   

U.S. adults also continue to possess increased knowledge of antisemitism. The majority of U.S. adults (69%) say they have heard and know the term “antisemitism.”13 This is relatively unchanged for the past few years. Three in 10 U.S. adults (30%) do not know what antisemitism means– they have either heard the term but are unsure what it means (20%), or they have never heard the term before (10%). In 2021, 16% of U.S. adults report never hearing the term antisemitism, so there has been a modest increase in awareness. It is worth noting that young Americans (ages 18-29) are much more likely to not be familiar with antisemitism—41% of young Americans either have heard the term but do not know what it means or have never heard the term before (compared to 28% ages 30 and older).  

Education continues to play an important role. Among those with a college degree or more education, 86% say they know the term antisemitism, compared with 69% of those with some college education, and 53% of those who have a high school diploma or less education. Similar to the patterns in previous years, white, non-Hispanic respondents (75%) are more likely than Black, non-Hispanic (65%), or Hispanic (54%) respondents to say they have heard of the term antisemitism and know what it means. 

Most U.S. adults also demonstrate an understanding of antisemitism as more than a hatred of Jews, but also a conspiracy about Jewish power or control. Seven in 10 (70%) say the statement “Jews control the media” is antisemitic, compared to 92% of American Jews.  

Similar to 2023, about four in 10 U.S. adults (39%) say they have personally seen or heard  antisemitic incidents in the past 12 months, including 27% who say they have seen or heard such an incident more than once.14 The majority who have personally witnessed it say they saw it online or on social media (70%), followed by on the street (19%), from a community or political leader (19%), from family or friends (16%), on a school or college campus (15%), in a store or other business (13%), and/or in public transit (10%), amongst other places.  

Almost one-quarter of U.S. adults (23%) say they reported or spoke up about at least some of the incidents they witnessed. And for those who saw or heard antisemitism online or on social media, almost three in 10 (29%) reported at least some of the incidents they witnessed to the social media platforms. On a positive note, when asked if they have ever spoken out against antisemitism in general, about a third (34%) of all U.S. adults said they have, and those who personally know someone Jewish were much more likely to speak out (43%) than those who do not personally know someone Jewish (21%). 

While AJC is strictly a nonpartisan organization that does not endorse or support candidates for elective office, the survey of American Jews asked how they view the responsiveness of U.S. government officials to address antisemitism. More than four in 10 (44%) American Jews say they approve of how their state and local government is responding to antisemitism, and a similar share (45%) say the same about the Republican Party. Slightly less (39%) approve of the way the Democratic Party is responding. Lastly, roughly four in 10 (42%) say they approve of the way Congress is responding to antisemitism and 40% approve of the way the federal government is handling it.15 A 40-year-old Jewish man from the West shared, “The government is still taking actions to show that antisemitism has no place in the U.S.”  

The majority of Jews (65%) find law enforcement to be effective in addressing their security needs. There continues to be a noticeable increase in support for law enforcement from the Orthodox community, with 77% reporting law enforcement is effective in responding to their security needs, a jump from 65% who said so in 2022. This support remains vital as the Jewish community must depend on law enforcement as antisemitism increases. One 29-year-old Jewish man took a more optimistic approach: “Because America is liberal democracy that…doesn't tolerate hate crimes and when they occur, [they] are responded to by law enforcement official[s].”  

The 2024 surveys also asked about democracy, given the historical pattern that antisemitism often rises when there is democratic backsliding or less trust in government’s ability to govern. Overall, many American Jews (72%) have less trust in the way democracy is functioning in the United States compared with five years ago. The pattern is similar among the general public: 66% of U.S. adults have less trust in the way democracy is functioning.16 

Despite the bleak findings, the data also points to a more hopeful path forward. 

First, we all must recognize the problem and take antisemitism seriously. The 2024 survey asked if antisemitism is taken more seriously, less seriously, or is considered to be the same as other forms of hate and bigotry, and nearly one-half of U.S. adults (47%) say the latter. However, one-half of American Jews (50%) say the problem of antisemitism was taken less seriously. This is a slight increase compared to the 46% of American Jews who said the same in 2021. One respondent, a Jewish man from the Midwest, simply explained, “Antisemitism is not taken as seriously as other forms of hate.”  

Second, we must close the knowledge gaps. Three in 10 (30%) U.S. adults are unfamiliar with the term antisemitism, including 41% of young Americans (ages 18-29). We cannot combat something we cannot recognize. As one 52-year-old Jewish woman from the South, expressed, “I do wish many would understand that antisemitism is a form of racism. Racism is a word people seem to grasp. It seems many people are incapable of recognizing what antisemitism is.” Because antisemitism is a form of racism, a hatred, a bigotry, a prejudice, and a conspiracy, AJC published its Translate Hate glossary to help everyone recognize antisemitism.  

We also must continue to educate about the U.S. designated terrorist organization Hamas and its mission to eradicate Israel. Thankfully, the vast majority (80%) of U.S. adults express the opinion that Hamas is a terrorist organization that works primarily in its own best interest, yet one in five (20%) say Hamas is a militant resistance group that works primarily in the best interest of the Palestinian people. Frighteningly, one-third (33%) of young Americans (ages 18-29) say Hamas is a militant resistance group that works primarily in the best interest of the Palestinian people.  

As Jews recently faced the gravest attack since the Holocaust, Holocaust education continues to be critical. This is especially true for younger generations who do not know where unchecked antisemitism can lead. Our data reveals how knowledge about the Holocaust matters for understanding antisemitism. Most U.S. adults (80%) know that Auschwitz was a concentration and death camp for Jews; 72% know that the Holocaust occurred between 1930 and 1950; 48% know that six million Jews were killed; and 39% know that Hitler came to power through democratic political process. More than half of U.S. adults (53%)  answered three or more questions correctly, and those who did are more likely to know what antisemitism is than those who answered two or fewer questions correctly (87% vs. 50%); say that antisemitism has increased in the past 5 years (73% vs. 44%); be concerned about the increase (90% vs. 83%); and say antisemitism is a problem in the United States (81% vs. 61%). 

We know Holocaust education on its own, while helpful, is not an antidote to antisemitism. Both the vast majority of American Jews and the general public agree that students need to learn about more than just the Holocaust to better understand antisemitism and Jewish people. More than nine in 10 American Jews (94%) and 84% of U.S. adults say this. Only 16% of U.S. adults say teaching students about the Holocaust is enough. 

Third, we must increase reporting of antisemitism. Almost eight in 10 (78%) American Jews did not report the antisemitism they personally experienced. The number one reason given for not reporting was that nothing would be done or that the incident was not serious enough. Over one in five (22%) American Jews did not know how to report. Many U.S. adults do not know how to report when they see antisemitism. AJC created a Reporting Antisemitism guide to advise potential victims or witnesses of bias-motivated discrimination or hate on how to file complaints and/or report hate crimes through official channels.   

Unless we know where antisemitism comes from, we will not be able to adequately address it. Thankfully, when it comes to hate crime reporting, the vast majority of Americans—both Jews and the general public—agree that collecting this data nationally is important. Almost nine in 10 (89%) U.S. adults and 93% of American Jews agree that it is very or somewhat important for law enforcement to have to report hate crimes to a federal government database.17 

Fourth, we must ensure a “whole-of-society” approach. Consistent with 2023, the vast majority of U.S. adults (90%) say antisemitism affects society as a whole and everyone is responsible for combating it. This is largely aligned with the views of American Jewish adults, among whom 95% say it is everyone’s responsibility to combat antisemitism. Knowing that effectively recognizing, responding to, and preventing antisemitism requires all sectors of society, AJC published – and continues to regularly update – the Call to Action Against Antisemitism in America so all Americans can be involved in efforts to counter antisemitism. The Call to Action calls on the federal government, including the White House, to ensure regular interagency coordination on antisemitism and maintain a bipartisan, whole-of-government approach to countering the problem. We must not politicize antisemitism or the fight against it. 

Fifth, we must rebuild relationships and trust to ensure greater cooperation. One pervasive obstacle is that antisemitism is a symptom of a much deeper societal issue. Antisemitism feeds on loneliness and distrust—both with government and in the way democracy is functioning, as well as with each other. In recent decades, the U.S. has become a more lonely, low-trust society. One 48-year-old Jewish respondent commented on this, noting, “Today, you do not know who to trust anymore. You have everyday people sympathetic to terrorists…and they do not even know the actual history of these groups, just believing what they read or see in 5 minutes on the internet-fake news. They see something and then all of a sudden hate Jews in 5 minutes and are willing to turn on friends, co-workers and neighbors…” 

To lower levels of antisemitism and hate, and restrengthen our democratic social fabric, Americans must relearn trust. Thankfully, U.S. adults overall and U.S. Jewish adults specifically continue to say it is important for increased cooperation between Jewish and other religious and ethnic communities. Most U.S. adults (92%) say it is important– either very (63%) or somewhat (29%) important– for Jewish communities and other religious and ethnic communities to increase cooperation with each other. One 59-year-old Jewish man from the South noted, “We need to be back to a civil society where we care for one another.” 

This community building is paramount, and the data explains why. U.S. adults who personally know someone Jewish18 are more likely than those who do not to: know the term antisemitism (81% vs. 52%), say antisemitism is a problem in the U.S. today (81% vs. 58%), say it has increased in the past five years (67% vs. 47%), and report the antisemitism they saw or heard (45% vs. 31%). In fact, U.S. adults who personally know someone who is Jewish are more likely than those without a personal connection to say increased cooperation is very important (68% versus 53%). More than anything, non-Jewish voices are needed to condemn antisemitism and to work within their own communities to address this challenge. In like manner, the Jewish community must speak out against other forms of hate targeting different communities in America.  

Promisingly, the communication and encouragement within the Jewish community in the U.S. and around the world has also grown in the past year. The message of one respondent, a 21-year-old Jewish woman, is a message of hope: “While the Hamas terrorist attacks have deeply hurt Jews around the world and instilled fear, it has also driven many Jews to fight for their identity and what they believe in. In dark times Jews embrace who they are and make their own light.”