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, raising urgent questions about public safety and the adequacy of security measures protecting religious communities, according to the Anti-Defamation League's annual report.
Fatal Attacks and Rising Violence
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 outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. A month later, 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.
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, and at least 300 people were victimized by assaults.
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."
Overall Incident Trends
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. There were 6,274 incidents of antisemitic assaults, harassment and vandalism in 2025, an average of 17 incidents per day, up from an average of 8 incidents per day between 2020 and 2022.
Vandalism incidents decreased by 21%, while harassment incidents decreased by 39%. Antisemitic incidents occurred in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Campus Developments
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.
Security and Legislative Response
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.
Global Context
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, 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 increase in violent antisemitic assaults, particularly the 39% rise in attacks involving deadly weapons and the return of fatal incidents, demonstrates an escalating security threat that demands immediate attention from law enforcement and policymakers. While overall incidents declined from 2024's elevated levels, the daily average of 17 antisemitic incidents remains more than double the 2020-2022 baseline, indicating a persistent elevated threat environment. The ADL's call for strengthening the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and passing the SACRED Act reflects the reality that religious communities increasingly require federal support to protect their members from violence. The 66% decline in campus incidents suggests that institutional action can effectively address antisemitic behavior when administrators take the threat seriously. However, the global context—with 46% of adults worldwide harboring antisemitic attitudes and beliefs doubling over a decade—indicates that domestic security measures alone cannot address the underlying ideological drivers of violence against Jewish communities.