Report shows sharp increase of antisemitic incidents in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Anti-Defamation League's annual report shows a major increase in antisemitic incidents in Ohio in 2023. It said reported incidents went up by nearly 300%.
The ADL said a notable jump happened nationwide following hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel. The data shows 61 reported antisemitic incidents in the state in 2022 to 237 in 2023. The ADL reports antisemitic incidents went up 140% nationwide following the start of the war.
NBC4 spoke with the President and CEO of Jewish Columbus, Julie Tilson Stanley, this week. She said since the October 7 attack on Israel, they’ve taken extra precautions.
“We’ve really doubled down on safety and security,” Tilson Stanley said. “We at Jewish Columbus have provided mental health workers in partnership with Jewish family services for those who are experiencing anxiety around antisemitism.”
The ADL’s annual audit details the nature of these incidents. It also shows where the spikes are happening.
They said a common place where these types of incidents are growing is on college campuses. It names Columbia University, University of Michigan and Stanford University as the colleges with the most antisemetic incidents in 2023.
The report goes on to list specific incidents targeting Jewish students at universities nationwide. They list an incident that happened at The Ohio State University. The ADL talks about vandalism at the OSU Hillel Center in November. Two people were charged for allegedly ripping down Israeli flags and yelling antisemitic slurs.
OSU President Ted Carter addressed this along with several other antisemitic claims made toward the university in the last six months in an interview with NBC4 last week.
“We will hold people accountable that either break the law or do harassing behaviors. So again as I said I can’t tell people how to feel. One of my jobs here is not just to protect one specific group of students but all students," Carter said.
NBC4 reached out to the university for a further response to the new ADL report. Benjamin Johnson, a spokesperson for the university, sent the following statement:
“Ohio State has never – and will never – tolerate discrimination or harassment of anyone based on their religious beliefs, nationality or identity. Since the weekend of October 7, 2023, the university has mobilized to support our community and address the health, safety and well-being of our students.”
The statement goes on to say how President Carter has met personally with Jewish and Palestinian students on campus during his first two weeks on campus. It said since the start of the war, the university has told people on both sides they would do everything they could to protect them.
Jewish Columbus said they spend more than a million dollars each year on security to ensure the safety of all Jewish institutions in the area.