Jewish men and boys walk to synagogue for Shabbat service, in Miami Beach, Fla., Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.
Jewish men and boys walk to synagogue for Shabbat service, in Miami Beach, Fla., Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. Daily life for many Jews has been upended by the surprise attack on Oct. 7 in Israel and by the rise in antisemitism worldwide during the ensuing war. | Rebecca Blackwell, Associated Press

By Kelsey Dallas

Kelsey is an assistant managing editor for the Deseret News. She covers religion, sports and the Supreme Court.

Nearly half of U.S. Jews say they have altered their behavior in recent months in hopes of avoiding antisemitism.

An even larger share of the Jewish community — 63% — say the events of the past year have made them feel less secure.

These are two notable findings from the American Jewish Committee’s new survey on antisemitism in the United States, which was fielded in October and November in the early days of the Israel-Hamas war.

The survey confirms that more work is needed from all Americans to protect the Jewish community, said Ted Deutch, the committee’s CEO, in a statement.

“If, before October 7, antisemitism was a slow-burning fire, it has now become a five-alarm emergency that requires all of us to douse its flames,” he said.

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Antisemitism in the U.S.

The survey found that more than 9 in 10 Jewish Americans now believe that antisemitism is a problem. But nearly half say it’s not taken as seriously in the U.S. as other forms of hate.

That latter belief helps explain why few Jews report the antisemitic incidents that they’ve gone through. Most choose to, instead, modify their own behaviors in hopes of staying safe.

“I live in a rural area and my home is most likely the only Jewish home in a 30-mile radius,” said a 62-year-old woman to the researchers. “We don’t tell people and outside the home do not show that we are Jewish.”

Statements like these should shock anyone who believes in America’s promise of religious freedom for all, said Deutch in an interview with NPR.

“In a country where freedom of religion is of paramount importance ... to find ourselves in a situation when nearly half of all people are afraid, that should be unacceptable to everybody,” he said.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch is seen during an interview, Friday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Boca Raton, Fla. | Cody Jackson, Associated Press

How to support the Jewish community

In addition to surveying American Jews about their experiences, the American Jewish Committee asked non-Jewish Americans to assess antisemitism’s role in American life.

“Seventy-four percent of U.S. adults say antisemitism is a problem in the United States today, compared to 68% who said so in 2022, and 60% in 2021,” the survey reported.

Researchers also found that nearly all Americans (92%) believe it’s everyone’s job to combat this form of hate.

In his interview with NPR, Deutch noted that it’s possible to offer support to the Jewish community through relatively simple acts. He encouraged people to reach out to Jews in their community and let them know that they’re thinking of them.

“It means a lot to just reach out and to ask how they can be supportive,” he said.