SAN DIEGO (SDJW) – There were 30 antisemitic incidents in San Diego County between Oct. 7, when Hamas massacred 1,200 Israelis, and December 6 – a 150 percent increase over the same two-month period of 2022, according to the San Diego Regional Anti-Defamation League office.
Over the entire year of 2023, there were 97 antisemitic incidents – a 169 percent increase over 2022, the ADL said.
The 2023 total of hate incidents in the county—targeting Jews and such other communities as African-Americans, Latin-Americans, Asian-Americans, Muslim-Americans, and LGBTQ+ persons— was 383, a 160 percent increase over 2022. Within that number were 141 hate incidents in the two month period following October 7 – an increase of 642 percent over the previous year.
These statistics are included in an end of the year report by the San Diego regional ADL.
In 2023, “ADL San Diego responded to an unprecedented surge of antisemitic and hate incidents. These included the assault of a rabbi, thousands of antisemitic and ant-LGBTQ+ distributed flyers in our communities, dozens of swatting and bomb threats against synagogues, the vandalism of the House of Israel, swastikas and other hate graffiti in schools and on college campuses, harassment of Jewish students, and the hijacking of a city council meeting by an extremist and white supremacist group.”
On the positive side, ADL San Diego reported that 140,000 students in the county were reached through its “No Place for Hate” program; 5,000 educators and staff participated in workshops on antisemitism and anti-bias, and 184 schools in the county are now participating in ADL’s anti-hate program.
ADL also worked with elected officials, successfully co-drafting and winning approval from the County Board of Supervisors for a resolution condemning antisemitism. Working in coalitions at the state and federal government levels, ADL helped secure $305 million in federal funds and $50 million in state funds to finance improved security at nonprofit institutions. Additionally, California approved $1.5 million for a Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education, and also adopted AB449, a bill that requires every state and local law enforcement agency to adopt a hate crimes policy.
At the community level, ADL sponsored a vigil in support of Israel; co-hosted a “Towards Freedom” seder and an LGBTQ+ Rally Against Antisemitism; and participated in Hispanic Heritage Month and a Stop Asian-Hate Rally.
Fabienne Perlov and Karen Weil, respectively the regional director and regional board chair, commented in the annual report that “despite the many challenges that lie ahead, ADL San Diego will remain steadfast at pursuing our mission to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all. Together, we will stand against hate and create a better future.”
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SDJW staff report