Report includes incidents of vandalism, harassment and physical assaults against Jewish individuals, property and institutions.

The 2009 Anti Defamation League Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents, published Tuesday, counted a total of 1,211 incidents of vandalism, harassment and physical assaults against Jewish individuals, property, and community institutions across the U.S.

Abraham Foxman

Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League.

Photo by: Haaretz

Using a newly revised methodology for reporting and tracking incidents, the Anti Defamation League Audit identified 29 physical assaults on Jewish individuals, 760 incidents of anti-Semitic harassment and threats, and 422 cases of anti-Semitic vandalism during the 2009 calendar year.

"America is not immune to anti-Semitism, and 2009 was no different in this regard than in any other year," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "It is a sobering reality that as Jews have become more accepted in society, there remains a consistent hatred of Jews among too many. The fact that Jews continue to be singled out for acts of hate on an average of three times per day in this country is a disturbing reality that we have to confront.”

ADL National Chair Robert G. Sugarman added that "the Audit is one snapshot of anti-Semitism in America."

"While it is by no means a complete picture of the problem, it presents us with important statistical data to help us identify and to quantify the where, why and how of anti-Semitism in society," he went on to say.

Major anti-Semitic incidents in 2009 included the shooting attack on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. by an avowed Holocaust denier, a thwarted plot by four Muslim converts to bomb synagogues in Riverdale, New York, and repeated picketing of institutions and community centers by members of a Kansas-based church.

According to the ADL press release, 2009 also saw the Internet playing an increasingly dominant role in the dissemination of anti-Semitic messages and content through social networking and content-sharing Web sites. While the ADL monitors and exposes online anti-Semitism, it does not include statistics on anti-Semitism in cyberspace as part of the Audit.

The ADL audit comprises data from 46 states and the District of Columbia, including official crime statistics as well as information provided to ADL's regional offices by victims, law enforcement officers and community leaders and members. The audit encompasses criminal acts, such as vandalism, violence and threats of violence, as well as non-criminal incidents of harassment and intimidation.

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/adl-audit-1-211-anti-semitic-attacks-across-u-s-in-2009-1.304423