NEW YORK (VosIzNeias) — A survey conducted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) to mark the anniversary of the shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue that killed 11 people last year has revealed that nearly a third of Jewish Americans avoid wearing things that may reveal their religious identity.
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The AJC released the results of its survey Wednesday. It was conducted with 1,283 respondents over almost a month. The study found that nearly a third of those polled have “avoided publicly wearing, carrying or displaying things that might help people identify them as Jews.” Another 25% said that they avoid specific places, events or situations
And a quarter of respondents said they avoid places, events or situations out of concern for their safety or comfort as Jews.
The Anti-Defamation League(ADL) recently stated that the rate of anti-Semitic incidents has doubled in the U.S. since 2015, a statistic which led ADL National Director Jonathan Greenblatt to decry the “alarmingly high number of anti-Semitic acts” in the US.
Last year had the third-highest totals for assault, harassment and vandalism against Jews since the Anti-Defamation League started tracking such incidents in 1979, according to the organization. There were a total of 1,879 attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions across the country, according to a report from the ADL.
Besides the attack in the Tree of Life synagogue last year, there was another attack in a synagogue on the final day of Pesach in Poway, California in which a gunman killed one woman and wounded three others at Congregation Chabad, including an 8-year-old girl and her uncle, who was visiting from Israel. The rabbi of the congregation lost a finger in the attack.
The AJC survey suggests that Jewish Americans are feeling the impact of these attacks. Nearly nine out of 10 say that anti-Semitism is a current problem in the US, and 72% say they do not approve of the Trump administration’s handling of the threat, according to the survey.
This survey is totally wrong come to BP or Williamsburg Jews here are very proud. They went to wrong zip code they referenced Jews that show up in synagogue once a month/ year so don’t put here false reports
To: Ari Thaler- Look, there is Jewish life beyond the Hudson River. According to Halacha, Jews are prohibited from doing anything to place their lives in danger. This includes publicly wearing a Kippah in areas, where there are either few, or no Jews. What sense does it make to be a target, with all of the hatred and violence in our society?
I wear a hat always. And not a black borsalino. Why invite comments problems stares etc if not necessary. It is not a pride issue but just a comfort issue. If you are a chassid and can walk around with kapote peyos and spudik more power to you but in the Midwest that will get you tremendous attention and stares. Who needs that? I have nothing to prove. The more inconspicuous I can be the better. It is not pride just comfort. Not in anyway caused by antisrmitism
Reality is most Jews are non identifiable at all in this survey. Both by dress and action as Jewish. The reluctance to identify publicly is due to their indifference to their religion and their feeling that they are like everyone else. They ain’t. At least the halschic jews. Also the leftists don’t want to invite the vicious anti Israel anti Semitic from their lefty colleagues should they Identify as Jewish