The number of anti-Semitic incidents in Massachusetts is on the rise, according to a study by the Anti-Defamation League.
The Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents released this week showed that Massachusetts was one of a few states with double digit increases in incidents between 2009 and 2010.
In 2010, the audit recorded 64 incidents of assaults, vandalism and harassment against Jewish individuals. That’s up from 55 incidents in 2009.
A news release about the audit cited a Massachusetts example in which a high school student found a swastika written on a bathroom wall with the words “[expletive] the Jews” and “Hitler was right.”
California had the highest number of incidents with 297, followed by 205 incidents in New York.
The information assists ADL in developing and enhancing its programs to counter and prevent the spread of anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry, the organization said.
However, one constant difficulty is the Internet.
“The Audit has never included the thousands of anti-Semitic events and expressions occurring in cyberspace, as it is virtually impossible to quantify,” the group said.
