Annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents

Anti-Semitic incidents in the United States declined for the fourth consecutive year in 2008, according to statistics from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which tracks incidents against Jewish individuals, synagogues, and community institutions.

The League’s annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents, counted a total of 1,352 anti-Semitic incidents across the United States in 2008, representing a 7 percent decline from 1,460 reported in 2007.

ADL’s Annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents comprises data from forty four 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. The Audit identifies both criminal acts, such as vandalism, violence and threats of violence; and non-criminal incidents of harassment and intimidation, including hate propaganda leafleting and verbal slurs.