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Creating safe spaces for Jewish teenagers amid rising antisemitism reports
Reports of antisemitic incidents reaching an all-time high led a local Jewish organization to reshape its goal to create a safe space for Jewish teenagers. The Anti-Defamation League released a new report this week citing record-high numbers of antisemitic incidents in New England, showing a total of 623 recorded incidents of assault, harassment, and vandalism in the region in 2023…
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New England saw 205% increase in antisemitic incidents in 2023, ADL says
New England saw a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in 2023, surpassing the national increase, according to a new report from the Anti-Defamation League. “ADL has been carefully tracking antisemitic incidents for 45 years,” said Rabbi Ron Fish, ADL New England interim region director. “The numbers are simply stunning. We have observed a significant rise of incidents, followed by a…
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Lawsuit accuses MIT of allowing antisemitism on campus
Two Jewish students have filed a federal lawsuit against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The lawsuit filed Thursday accuses the university of tolerating antisemitism that has resulted in the two students being intimidated, harassed and assaulted. A statement from MIT says the university does not typically comment on pending litigation. The lawsuit mirrors similar antisemitism lawsuits filed since the Oct....
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Antisemitism and safety fears surge among US Jews, survey finds
Nearly two-thirds of American Jews feel less secure in the U.S. than they did a year ago, according to the latest annual survey from the American Jewish Committee.
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Robert Kraft combatting Antisemitism with Super Bowl ad
Patriots owner Robert Kraft teamed up with Dr. Clarence B. Jones, the man who helped draft Dr. Martin Luther King’s iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.
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Mass. man accused of threatening to bomb synagogue
A Massachusetts man is facing federal charges for accusations he threatened to kill members of the Jewish community and bomb a local synagogue. John Reardon, 59, of Millis, was arrested Monday morning, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. He is accused of making a series of threats left on a voicemail for the Congregation...
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Vandalism of menorah in Framingham under investigation
Police in Framingham, Massachusetts, are investigating the vandalism of a menorah as a potential hate crime. The menorah at Centre Common on Edgell Road was found knocked over Sunday, with a sign in support of Israel also missing from the site, police said Monday. Authorities say surveillance video recorded around 6:51 p.m. on Saturday showed an unidentified person knocking down…
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‘A real beating': NYC Jewish man hit, robbed in front yard by hate-spewing attacker
Joshua Merenfeld, 40, told NBC New York he was standing outside of his building when a man walked up behind him, punched him, pushed him over, kicked him and then took his phone. “It was a real beating,” Merenfeld said. “It wasn’t just one punch and left, it took quite a while. At least a minute of punches which is…
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Antisemitic ‘Zoombombing' of Winthrop town council meeting under investigation
Police in Winthrop, Massachusetts, are investigating after an antisemitic message interrupted a town council meeting Tuesday night. Members of the Winthrop Town Council jumped in to try to stop the hateful “Zoombombing,” which happened during a discussion of the town’s flag flying policy. “Someone had a mask on, with a swastika flag in the background, and they made antisemitic...
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With antisemitism rising as the Israel-Hamas war rages, Europe's Jews worry
Antisemitism is spiking across Europe after Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre and Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, worrying Jews from London to Geneva and Berlin.
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Roger Waters denied hotel stays in Argentina and Uruguay over antisemitism allegations, report says
Hotels in Argentina and Uruguay have reportedly rejected reservations for Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters over accusations of antisemitism leveled at the British singer known for his pro-Palestinian views. The Argentine newspaper Pagina 12 says Waters was due to stay in Buenos Aires ahead of shows next week as part of his “This is Not a Drill” tour, but the...
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‘It's hard to find hope': Locals stand against antisemitism in March for Israel
Tens of thousands of people descended on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to call for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and to condemn rising antisemitism in the wake of the war between Israel and Hamas. It’s been over five weeks since Hamas took more than 200 hostages from Israel during the Oct. 7 terrorist…
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Antisemitic graffiti painted on road in Wayland, Mass.
Police in Wayland, Massachusetts, are investigating antisemitic vandalism discovered on a roadway Tuesday morning. Wayland police said officers were called to Rice Road around 8:50 a.m. and found large swastikas painted in two separate spots on the road. “There is no place for this kind of hatred and bigotry in our community,” said Acting Police Ed Chief Burman. “Every resident…
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More than 180,000 people across France march against soaring antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war
More than 180,000 people across France, including 100,000 in Paris, marched peacefully on Sunday to protest against rising antisemitism in the wake of Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
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An increase in harassment against Jewish and Muslim Americans has been reported since Hamas attacks
Muslim and Jewish civil rights groups say they’ve seen large increases in reports of harassment against members of their communities since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
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The importance of teaching students to fight antisemitism
Acts of antisemitism have been on the rise here in Massachusetts. The Anti-Defamation League reports that antisemitic incidents against the Jewish community are up 41% in one year. 2022 was also the largest level ever reported in New England with 204 incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault. The Lappin Foundation recently went to Danvers High School to talk to students…
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Art exhibit at Brandeis University reimagines lives cut short by Holocaust
A new art exhibit on display at a Massachusetts college imagines a future that never occurred for people killed in the Holocaust. For those pictured in “Lives Eliminated, Dreams Illuminated” — now on exhibition at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis University in Waltham — it isn’t about what could have been, but what should have been. “I feel compelled to…
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Brookline synagogue on alert after bomb threat described by police as swatting incident
A synagogue in Brookline, Massachusetts, is on alert after a man called police and claimed to have placed bombs in what authorities are calling a swatting incident. Terrifying 911 audio shared by the Brookline Police Department depicts the moments on the evening of Aug. 18 when the caller told police he had put two pressure cooker bombs at Temple Beth…
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Targeting white supremacists: Military veteran working to take down neo-Nazis
Neo-Nazis are active in New England, holding public demonstrations and targeting our Jewish, Black and LGBTQ+ communities. They’ve stormed Harvard Square, threatening pedestrians and passersby, hung antisemitic messages off a Saugus highway overpass, and harassed people attending a drag queen story hour in New Hampshire. Drag performer Juicy Garland organized last month’s event at the Teatotaller cafe in Concord,...
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Antisemitism, White Supremacy on the Rise in Massachusetts: Report
As antisemitic attacks and white supremacist activity escalate in Massachusetts, the Anti-Defamation League is imploring Beacon Hill policymakers to pass legislation to crack down on hate crimes and online harassment. Massachusetts logged the country’s sixth highest rate of antisemitic harassment, vandalism and assault in 2022, according to a a new report from the ADL Center on Extremism. There were 152…