American Jews are installing security systems and buying guns in large numbers, according to survey data released nearly two years into the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, JTA reported.
The surveys by the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Federations of North America took the pulse of U.S. Jews as the second anniversary approached of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war and a wave of anti-Israel and antisemitic incidents around the world.
The analysis found that nearly one in five American Jews were the victim of an assault, threat or verbal harassment due to their Jewish identity over the last year.
Although the surveys are not directly comparable, that is lower than a similar survey taken one year after Oct. 7 by the American Jewish Committee, which found that a third of U.S. Jews had directly experienced antisemitism in the previous year.
But the new analysis shows a high level of sustained experiences of antisemitism — 55% of respondents said they had experienced or witnessed antisemitism, including online, or felt excluded or minimized based on their Jewish identity. It also points to dramatic changes by U.S. Jews in response to the ongoing threat.
According to the new findings, a third of American Jews said they had discussed with others how to plan for a “worst-case scenario,” with 14% developing a plan to flee the country, 13% installing new security systems and 9% purchasing a gun.
Among those who had been assaulted, threatened or harassed directly, those proportions were higher.
The analysis marks the first public data point supporting anecdotal evidence that some Jews have taken up arms in the wake of Oct. 7.
Gun ownership among congregants has surged so much that Jewish security experts have urged synagogues to impose stronger regulations.
Additionally, 20% of American Jews who wore something distinctively Jewish prior to Oct. 7 have since decided to take it off — though about half as many have begun wearing such symbols at the same time, potentially as an act of resistance
