Antisemitic physical assaults in the United States reached record highs in 2025, with Jewish fatalities on American soil reported for the first time since 2019, exposing a dangerous escalation in violence against Jewish communities that left at least 300 people victimized by assaults, according to the Anti-Defamation League's annual report.
The report said it was the first time there were fatalities in the United States that resulted from antisemitic attacks since 2022. Two Israeli Embassy staff members were fatally shot last May, 1 year ago, outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. A month later, less than 1 year ago, a man in Colorado firebombed an event organized by members of the Jewish community to bring attention to the Israeli hostages still in Gaza, and an 82-year-old woman later died from her injuries.
Alarming Rise in Violent Attacks
Antisemitic physical assaults increased by 4%, and assaults involving a deadly weapon rose by 39%, the ADL said. The report said 203 incidents were described as assaults, with 32 involving a deadly weapon. Oren Segal, ADL's senior vice president for counter-extremism and intelligence, said, "The surge in physical assaults is a stark reminder that a historically high level of antisemitism puts Jewish lives at risk."
There were 6,274 incidents of antisemitic assaults, harassment and vandalism in 2025, 1 year ago, an average of 17 incidents per day, up from an average of 8 incidents per day between 2020 and 2022. Overall antisemitic incidents fell 33% from 2024, but remained "considerably higher than the total in years prior to the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre in Israel," the ADL said.
Persistent Threat Despite Some Declines
Vandalism incidents decreased by 21%, while harassment incidents decreased by 39%. Incidents on college and university campuses saw the steepest drop of any location type, with 583 antisemitic incidents on college campuses in 2025, 66% lower than in 2024, when there were 1,694 incidents. The ADL said the decrease was due in part to colleges addressing antisemitism on campuses.
Antisemitic incidents occurred in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, demonstrating the nationwide scope of the threat facing Jewish communities. The geographic breadth of these incidents underscores that no community is immune from antisemitic violence and harassment.
Calls for Stronger Protections
The ADL is calling for strengthening the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which it called "lifesaving," and wants Congress to support the Safeguarding Access to Congregations and Religious Establishments from Disruption, or SACRED Act, which would establish safe access zones around houses of worship and prohibit conduct intended to intimidate or obstruct congregants. These legislative measures represent institutional responses to protect vulnerable communities from targeted violence.
Global Context of Rising Antisemitism
The report also noted that an annual report collecting incidents around the world found violent antisemitic attacks in 2025 killed the highest number of Jews in 30 years. In an early last year survey, 1 year ago, the ADL found that 46% of adults around the world harbor "deeply entrenched" antisemitic attitudes, and that the number of people who hold antisemitic beliefs more than doubled across the past decade.
Why This Matters:
The record-high level of antisemitic physical assaults and the return of fatal attacks represent a crisis of safety and security for Jewish Americans. At least 300 people were victimized by physical assaults, with 32 incidents involving deadly weapons, demonstrating that the threat has escalated beyond harassment to life-threatening violence. The deaths of three people in antisemitic attacks—including an 82-year-old woman and two embassy staff members—underscore the human cost of rising hate. While overall incidents declined from 2024, the rate of 17 antisemitic incidents per day remains more than double the pre-2023 average, indicating a persistently elevated threat environment. The ADL's calls for stronger federal security programs and protective legislation reflect the need for institutional responses to safeguard religious communities. The global context—with antisemitic beliefs doubling over a decade and violent attacks worldwide killing the highest number of Jews in 30 years—suggests that domestic violence is part of a broader international pattern requiring coordinated action to protect human rights and religious freedom.