In a summer when war in Gaza has filled American streets and screens, a new AP-NORC survey gives voice to a quieter question: how safe does it feel to be visibly Jewish in the United States? Most Jewish adults now say they feel less secure than before the October 2023 attack on Israel, and roughly three in ten describe harassment, threats, or property damage tied to their faith over the past year. Yet the community is not of one mind about where the line falls between criticizing Israel and attacking Jews, and that disagreement will shape how its members, and the country around them, respond.
Survey Finds About 3 in 10 Jewish Adults Report Assault, Harassment or Property Damage in Past Year
About 3 in 10 Jewish adults say they or a household member experienced physical assault, verbal abuse, online harassment, or property damage because of their Jewish background in the past year.
They saw me being visibly Jewish, and they made an opinion about me.
Mark
What's the headline number here?
Mimi
About 3 in 10 Jewish adults say they or someone in their household faced assault, harassment, online abuse or property damage in the past year because of being Jewish.
Luke
Worth noting that's a household measure, and it bundles very different things. Only about 1 in 10 report physical assault.
Mark
And the feeling of safety?
Mimi
About 6 in 10 feel less safe than before Oct. 7, 2023. Yet Erin Baskin says nothing changed for her, because she grew up with antisemitism.
Luke
The poll can't say the attacks caused the shift, only that people report feeling it. The Jewish sample is 1,022 people, with a 5-point margin of error.
Mark
What about people hiding their identity?
Mimi
About 4 in 10 are less likely to display Jewish symbols. Caitlin Rosendorn stopped wearing a Star of David, worried it would be read as support for Israel's military actions.
Luke
So that's a different fear from Guberman's, who worries about strangers' hostility. Same behavior, different reasons.
Mark
Do Jewish adults agree on what antisemitism is?
Mimi
Not on protest. About half say anti-Israel protests aren't antisemitic, roughly 4 in 10 say they are. But they largely agree on vandalism and Holocaust denial.
Luke
And the Gaza death toll cited comes from the Hamas-run health ministry, which doesn't separate civilians from combatants. It's attributed, not independently confirmed here.
El Pulso
- About three in ten Jewish adults say they or someone in their household was assaulted, harassed, or had property damaged over the past year because of their Jewish background.
- Roughly six in ten feel less safe than before October 7, 2023, and about four in ten now hide or soften visible signs of Jewish identity.
- Jewish Americans are split on whether anti-Israel protest counts as antisemitism, a rift that complicates any shared response.
- Synagogues and Jewish daycares rely on armed guards, and the tension of daily life is settling into routine, with no clear resolution in sight.
In a summer when war in Gaza has filled American streets and screens, a new AP-NORC survey gives voice to a quieter question: how safe does it feel to be visibly Jewish in the United States? Most Jewish adults now say they feel less secure than before the October 2023 attack on Israel, and roughly three in ten describe harassment, threats, or property damage tied to their faith over the past year. Yet the community is not of one mind about where the line falls between criticizing Israel and attacking Jews, and that disagreement will shape how its members, and the country around them, respond.
Hal Guberman, thirty, of New Jersey, now puts on his kippah with some trepidation. Last year a stranger in a passing car shouted a slur at him on the street. "They don't know my politics," he said, "but they saw someone visibly Jewish and formed an opinion." His unease is part of a new AP-NORC poll on how Jewish Americans feel about their safety.
The survey finds that about six in ten Jewish adults feel less safe than before Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, including most of those who are religiously observant. About three in ten say they or a household member faced assault, harassment, online abuse, or property damage in the past year because of their Jewish background. The numbers climb among people who attend services monthly. Jon Kessler, thirty-eight, of California, notes that every synagogue he knows has an armed guard, as does his son's Jewish daycare.
The habits of daily life are changing too. About four in ten say they are less likely to wear or display anything marking them as Jewish. Caitlin Rosendorn, twenty-four, of Illinois, stopped wearing her Star of David necklace out of fear it could be read as support for Israel's actions, and she does not want to alienate colleagues.
The community is divided over where criticism of Israel ends and antisemitism begins. About half say anti-Israel protests are not antisemitic, while about four in ten disagree. There is broader agreement that vandalizing synagogues, denying the Holocaust, or blaming American Jews for Israel's conduct is antisemitic. Erin Baskin, thirty-six, of Pennsylvania, says October 7 changed little for her, since she grew up with antisemitism and lives where Judaism is routinely confused with Zionism. Amanda Goldsmith, fifty-three, of Chicago, finds the freedom with which people now say cruel things about Jews online appalling.
Hal Guberman, a 30-year-old in New Jersey, now puts on his kippah with some trepidation. Last year a stranger in a passing car shouted a slur at him as he walked down the street. "They don't know my politics," he said, but they saw someone visibly Jewish and formed an opinion. His wariness shows up in a new AP-NORC poll of how Jewish Americans feel about their safety.
The survey, from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that a majority of Jewish adults feel less safe in the United States than they did before Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. About 6 in 10 say so, including about 7 in 10 of those who are religiously Jewish. About one-third say they feel about as safe as before, and very few say they feel safer. The results arrive as the war in Gaza has prompted U.S. protests over Israel's military actions, as more Americans have become critical of the close alliance with Israel, and as violent attacks on Jewish communities have increased.
About 3 in 10 Jewish adults say that in the past year they or someone in their household experienced physical assault, verbal abuse, online harassment or property damage because of their Jewish background. About 1 in 10 report a physical assault, and a similar share report property damaged or destroyed. About 2 in 10 report being called a slur, threatened or verbally harassed, and about 2 in 10 report online harassment or cyberbullying.
The numbers are higher among people who attend religious services at least once a month. Slightly less than half of those frequent attenders report verbal harassment, a similar share report online harassment, and about one-quarter report physical attacks or property damage. Jon Kessler, 38, of California, said non-Jews might be surprised by how much security figures into Jewish communal life. Most churchgoers don't encounter armed security, he said, but every synagogue has an armed guard, as does his son's Jewish daycare.
About 6 in 10 Jewish adults call prejudice against Jews an extremely or very serious problem, a view stronger among those deeply attached to Israel. Feelings of personal safety are split: about one-third feel very or somewhat safe, about one-third feel unsafe, and roughly 3 in 10 feel neither. Those with a close connection to Israel, or who identify as Jewish by religion, are more likely to feel threatened. Erin Baskin, 36, of Pennsylvania, said Oct. 7 changed nothing for her, because she grew up with antisemitism and lives where people routinely conflate Judaism with Zionism.
The poll also points to changed habits. About 4 in 10 Jewish adults are less likely than before Oct. 7 to wear, carry or display anything identifying them as Jewish; about half are about as likely, and about 1 in 10 are more likely. Caitlin Rosendorn, 24, of Illinois, used to wear a Star of David necklace but worries it could be read as support for Israel's attacks on Palestinians, and doesn't want to alienate someone at work.
Jewish adults are divided over what counts as antisemitism. About half say anti-Israel protests are not antisemitic, while roughly 4 in 10 say they are. About two-thirds say criticizing Israel's military actions is not antisemitic, though those with a close emotional tie to Israel are more likely to say it is. Relatively few call criticism of Israel for any reason antisemitic. More than 73,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since Israel retaliated, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn't separate civilian and militant deaths.
On other points there is broad agreement. An overwhelming majority of Jewish adults call it antisemitic to vandalize synagogues or Jewish-owned businesses over Israel's actions, deny the Holocaust, hold American Jews responsible for Israel's actions, say Israel shouldn't exist as a Jewish state, or claim American Jews are more loyal to Israel than to the U.S. Non-Jewish adults are less settled on many of these, with many saying they're not sure. Amanda Goldsmith, 53, of Chicago, said people now say "horrible things about Jewish people" online with a freedom she finds appalling.
The poll surveyed 3,040 adults June 11-17, including 1,022 Jewish adults, with margins of error of 2.8 points overall and 5.0 points for Jewish adults. The internal disagreement over protest and criticism is likely to shape how communities and policymakers respond.
Citas Notables
Every synagogue has an armed security guard. My son's Jewish daycare has an armed security guard.— Jon Kessler, 38, California
I've always grown up with antisemitism. It's nothing new.— Erin Baskin, 36, Pennsylvania
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