February 17, 2026
In the aftermath of World War II, Jews enjoyed a period of acceptance and safety that has had few precedents in Jewish history. There is mounting evidence, however, that this golden age of American Jewish life may be coming to an end. There is also evidence here in New England and across the country that good people are joining with the Jewish community to fight back.
First, the hard news.
According to the recently released American Jewish Committee State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report, more than 90% of American Jews now report feeling less safe than a year ago, because of major attacks on American Jews in the past 12 months, including the burning of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home, the firebombing of Jews in Boulder, CO, and the murders of two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. In addition, some 30% of American Jews say they were the target of at least one antisemitic incident during the last year, while 73% experienced antisemitism on social media or online.
The AJC survey, released this month, tracks with other reports that have shaken the Jewish community. According to the FBI, American Jews, who make up just 2.4% of the U.S. population, were the target of 16% of all reported hate crimes in 2024, and 69% of all religiously based hate crimes.
In Massachusetts, the story is also unsettling. Jews constitute less than 5% of the Commonwealth’s population, but were the target of 25% of all reported hate crimes in 2024. And for the first time, there were more hate crimes directed against Jews than any other group. It is no wonder then, according to AJC’s data, 55% of American Jews say they changed their behavior (what they wear, where they go, or what they say) in the last year out of fear of antisemitism.
But the news is not all bad. Over the last several years, while extremists from the left and right have been pedaling conspiracy theories about Jews, Israel, and Zionism, others are taking action to fight back. Less than two months ago, the state-sponsored Massachusetts Commission on Combating Antisemitism completed a year long study of antisemitism in Massachusetts that included recommendations to address the problem across society—from K-12 schools, to our workplaces, to universities and other areas. Governor Healey has charged Lieutenant Governor Driscoll with overseeing the implementation of these recommendations, and other local leaders are taking heed. In the last few weeks, the Town of Concord and the Sudbury Public School Committee both adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s Working Definition of Antisemitism, a vital tool in the fight against antisemitism. Others in communities across Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island are meeting the challenge head-on by fighting BDS initiatives and exposing groups and organizations like the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which have made the demonization of Israel, Zionism, and/or Jews a focal point of their political advocacy.
AJC has played a role in many of these efforts and will continue to do so. Antisemitism is not going away, but the more we stand up and speak out, the more others are stepping up to support us. This is a time when we need to lean into our challenges and demonstrate the resilliance, ingenuity, and resolve that have enabled Jewish communities to survive and thrive for centuries. For more information on how you can join and support AJC’s efforts, please email [email protected].
