Antisemitism is on the rise in Orange County, according to recent reports.

The Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Mar. 23 audit of antisemitic hate crimes found that OC and Long Beach saw its second-highest record for antisemitic hate incidents in 2022. The ADL noted 55 hate crimes last year, down from the highest record of 62 in 2021.

Peter Levi, the ADL’s regional director of the Orange County/Long Beach region, said that multiple possible factors contribute to the rise in antisemitic hate crimes, as well as hate crimes in general, including villainizing specific groups during uncertain times and the increase in hate rhetoric on media platforms, especially after the rise of social media.

In 2022, the 55 hate incidents included 35 reports of harassment, 18 reports of vandalism and two reports of assault. California, as a whole, had the second-highest record of antisemitic hate crimes out of all 50 states at 327 incidents, a 51% increase from 217 in 2021. 

California came just behind New York, with the latter 580 incidents reporting antisemitic incidents. The audit also noted 3,697 hate crimes across the U.S. in 2022, a 36% increase from 2021.

“We understand that when there are times of anxiety, certain extremists and people often look to scapegoat the problems or challenges that create those anxieties on marginalized groups,” Levi told The Panther. “Secondly, we’ve seen a coarser conversation happening in so many spaces, on cable news networks, on social media, on tens of thousands of YouTube channels and video and other cesspools online.”

In response to the rise in antisemitic hate crimes, Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, started a nationwide campaign called Stand Up to Jewish Hate. The Voice season 23 recently participated in this when they put a small blue square on the screen during one of their episodes.

Sophomore business administration major Violet Feldman promotes conversations about Jewish life and antisemitism at Chabad at Chapman University, a Jewish organization on campus. She expressed great sadness and fear in response to OC and Long Beach’s high number of reports of antisemitic hate crimes.

“I’m deeply disturbed and saddened by this fact, but I’m also aware that antisemitism is on the rise, not only in Orange County, but in the U.S.,” Feldman told the Panther. “No matter how big or small the act is, we are all shaken up as a community. It is important to state that antisemitism is not a Jewish problem. It’s a societal issue that we all need to work together to prevent.”

At Chapman, Feldman wishes the university supported Jewish students more and made them more aware of resources and organizations for Chapman’s Jewish community.

“I don’t feel super represented as a Jewish person at Chapman,” Feldman said. “I feel like Jewish holidays are rarely acknowledged by the school itself and that you need to seek out the Jewish community here. I wish that there was more of an outlet that the school provided to discuss local, national and global antisemitism issues.”

Levi emphasized that politicians must use their platforms to speak out against antisemitism by passing legislation to fight hate incidents and promoting K-12 education that will educate students about diverse people, bullying prevention and the Holocaust, as well as other genocides.

“Politicians have a megaphone, and they can use it to call out hate,” Levi said. “Just because you’re elected doesn’t mean you yield your First Amendment rights, so they should exercise their First Amendment rights and call out hate in our community.”

Levi also advocated that non-Jewish people should support the Jewish community by reporting hate crimes, holding leaders accountable and educating themselves on minority groups in the U.S. in general.

“No one can fight against antisemitism without others,” Levi said. “The Jews need allies to take on this fight.”