FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jolie Brislin, Regional Director, ADL Nevada
(702) 862–8600
[email protected]
Antisemitic Incidents in Nevada Increase in 2019; Overall Increase Nationally
In 2019, Nevada experienced an increase of antisemitic activity according to new data from ADL (the Anti-Defamation League).
The 2019 ADL Audit of Antisemitic Incidents recorded 25 antisemitic incidents statewide in Nevada, a 108% percent increase over the previous year. “Nevada’s increase in reported antisemitic incidents in 2019 proves we cannot let up in our fight against hate,” said Jolie Brislin, Regional Director, ADL Nevada Region. “We remain committed to fighting the scourge of antisemitism whenever it appears in our communities, at our religious institutions, and at our schools & universities, from Las Vegas to Reno and all points in between.”
Incident Breakdown
The ADL Audit includes both criminal and non-criminal acts of harassment and intimidation, including distribution of hate propaganda, threats and slurs. The Audit classifies incidents into three categories: harassment, vandalism and assault. Of the total incidents reported in Nevada in 2019:
- Harassment: There were 5 harassment incidents, a 25 percent increase over the previous year. ADL defines harassment as cases in which one or more Jews reported feeling harassed or threatened by antisemitic language or acts.
- Vandalism: There were 20 vandalism incidents, a 150 percent increase over the previous year. Swastikas, which are generally interpreted as symbols of antisemitic hatred, were present in a majority of these incidents. ADL defines vandalism as cases in which property was damaged in a manner that harmed or intimidated Jews.
- Assault: There were 0 reported assault incidents, same as in 2018. Nationally, ADL tabulated 61 antisemitic assaults in 2019, a 56 percent increase from the previous year and the most ever recorded. ADL defines assaults as cases in which individuals were physically targeted with violence .ccompanied by evidence of antisemitic animus.
For a review of incidents in 2019 visit the ADL H.E.A.T. Map.
National Incidents
In 2019, ADL counted a total of 2,107 antisemitic incidents across the U.S., a 12 percent increase from the 1,879 incidents recorded in 2018. There were incidents reported in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. The audit found there were, on average, as many as six antisemitic incidents in the U.S. for each day in the calendar year – the highest level of antisemitic activity ever recorded by ADL.
The year included five fatalities directly linked to antisemitic violence and another 91 individuals targeted in physical assaults. More than half of the assaults nationwide took place in the five boroughs of New York City, including 25 in Brooklyn alone.
The full national audit can be found at https://www.adl.org/audit2019.
How ADL is Responding
ADL pursues a comprehensive approach to addressing antisemitic incidents and behavior. ADL is the largest anti-bias educator in the United States, annually teaching hundreds of thousands of youth and adults to challenge antisemitism and other forms of bias in themselves and others. ADL is the largest non-governmental trainer of law enforcement in the nation, helping over 15,000 law enforcement officers each year better understand hate crimes and extremism. ADL is a tireless champion of civil rights for all, advocating at the federal, state and local levels for better prevention and response to antisemitism and all forms of hate.
In the Nevada region, ADL works diligently to combat antisemitism and other forms of bias through investigation, advocacy and education. That work continued as antisemitism surged in the region in 2019, including:
- ADL Nevada worked closely with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Henderson Police Department, and University of Nevada, Reno Police Department to provide vital information and resources regarding marginalized communities across the state
- ADL Nevada impacted over 110,000 students, parents, and educators thorough ADL Anti-Bias Education programs such as A World of Difference® and No Place for Hate
- ADL Nevada supported victims of antisemitism and other forms of bias, built diverse coalitions and worked with dozens of schools, campuses, workplaces and other institutions and community organization throughout the year.
ADL’s Audit of Antisemitic Incidents
Compiled using information provided by victims, law enforcement and community leaders, and evaluated by ADL’s professional staff, the ADL Audit provides a regular snapshot of one specific aspect of a nationwide problem while identifying possible trends or changes in the types of activity reported. This information assists ADL in developing and enhancing its programs to counter and prevent the spread of antisemitism and other forms of bigotry.
The Audit offers one method to examine how American Jews encounter antisemitism, but a full understanding of antisemitism in the U.S. requires other forms of analysis as well, including but not limited to public opinion polling, assessments of online antisemitism and examinations of extremist activity, all of which ADL offers in other reports, such as ADL Global 100, Quantifying Hate: A Year of Antisemitism on Twitter, Online Hate and Harassment: The American Experience, Murder and Extremism in the United States in 2019, and the ADL Survey of American Attitudes Toward Jews. For a broader examination of antisemitism, read ADL’s new resource, Antisemitism Uncovered.
The Audit of Antisemitic Incidents is a project of ADL’s Center on Extremism, whose work is supported in part by the following generous donors as well as numerous others: Roman Abramovich, the David Berg Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation, The Marlene Nathan Meyerson Family Foundation, New England Revolution Foundation, Rowland & Sylvia Schaefer Family Foundation, Inc., Charles and Mildred Schnurmacher Foundation, The Nancy K. Silverman Foundation, Louis Sobelman, Zegar Family Foundation and The ADL Lewy Family Institute for Combating Antisemitism.
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ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. More at www.adl.org.