Majority of American Jews Changing Behavior Due to Antisemitism Fears, Says AJC Survey

Jillian Diamond

A recent report released by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) has exposed a concerning reality for many American Jewish people: Over half report that they have changed how they act because they are worried about antisemitic harassment.

The AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America Report, which the organization has been publishing for the past six years, reported that in 2024, 56% of American Jewish people have changed their behavior to avoid antisemitism. These include not wearing or displaying Jewish symbols (40% of respondents), avoiding posting Judaism-related content online (37%) and staying away from specific places, events and situations (31%).

While the amount of people who reported changing their behavior in past reports had been steadily rising, with 38% admitting to it in 2022 and 46% in 2023, this is still a significant jump. A likely source of this new insecurity is the Oct. 7 attacks in 2023, as 77% of American Jewish people reported that the event made them feel less safe in the U.S. as a Jewish person.

“Antisemitism has reached a tipping point in America, threatening the freedoms of American Jews and casting an ominous shadow across our society,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for leaders across the U.S. We must act now to protect Jews — and America — from rising antisemitism.”

The 2024 report is the first time in the report’s six-year history that the majority of Jewish respondents said they felt that antisemitism had become far more common in the last five years. The report also analyzes antisemitism-related data from the wider population of U.S. adults to get a better understanding of how non-Jewish people view antisemitism.

“In the northeast, U.S. adults are more likely to know the term ‘antisemitism’ than in other census regions,” explained Marcia Bronstein, AJC’s Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey regional director. “Because I was able to look at some of the statistics, I was able to see that 77% of respondents know the definition of antisemitism compared to 68% of the general population in the whole country. … Those statistics play into the way antisemitism impacts people in the northeast, and the way they interpret and respond to antisemitism.”

Notably, the report cited antisemitism as coming from all sides of the political spectrum and across several different religions — approximately one-third of respondents cited both the far-left and far-right as sources of antisemitism, as well as nationalism from Christian and Muslim communities.

Bronstein added that in Philadelphia specifically, there were several reported incidents of antisemitic harassment and places where antisemitic sentiment was shared publicly.

“We saw people walk around the city, chanting things like ‘death to the Jews,’” she recalled. “It was horrific to the people watching, who were just going about their business. That had a significant impact on people and their feeling of being safe in the city.”

One more heartening statistic from the report, though, is that more and more people have been speaking out against antisemitism — both Jewish and non-Jewish.

“The good news is more people are aware of antisemitism as a societal problem,” said Holly Huffnagle, AJC U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism. “The vast majority [90%] of U.S. adults believe that antisemitism affects society as a whole and everyone is responsible for countering it. A whole-of-society problem necessitates a whole-of-society approach.”

Bronstein said that a key way to combat antisemitism is through communication, and that American Jewish people should make their concerns clear to their friends and neighbors rather than shying away from these issues.

“Have conversations with friends, and share your concerns,” she said. “Invite non-Jewish friends and neighbors to Shabbat dinners. If your children are in school, they should celebrate holidays in their schools. People should continue on with their lives, but not let these things stop them from being proudly Jewish.”