Menachem Wecker | JNS
Jews were the targets of 289 hate crimes in California in 2025, which was about 73.7% of the 392 religion-based hate crimes recorded in the state that year, according to a new state report released on Wednesday.
“There is absolutely no place for hate in California,” stated Rob Bonta, the California attorney general. “Transparent and accessible data is a critical part of understanding where we are and how we can end hate crimes in our communities.”
Announcing the 2025 Hate Crime in California report, Bonta said that “reported hate crime events in California decreased by 3.4% from 2,023 in 2024 to 1,955 in 2025″ but that “reported hate crime events involving racial or ethnic bias increased by 6.2% from 1,011 in 2024 to 1,074 in 2025.”
The state attorney general singled out 30.3% and 23.8% increases in anti-Hispanic or Latino and gender based bias, respectively and said that hate crimes that were ” anti-citizenship status” were up from 16 in 2024 to 40 in 2025.
He added that “anti-Jewish bias events fell from 310 in 2024 to 289 in 2025, a decrease of 6.8%” and that “anti-Islamic bias events rose from 24 in 2024 to 38 in 2025.”
The 289 anti-Jewish hate crimes in California in 2025 represented almost 14.8% of all hate crimes of any kind in the state in 2025. Jews make up about 3.25% of Californians, by some estimates.
Daniel S. Mariaschin, honorary CEO and senior adviser at B’nai B’rith International, told JNS that “this is yet further evidence of an epidemic of hate that shows no sign of abating.”
“Whether in California or elsewhere, elected officials, law enforcement, the media, educators and community leaders all have an obligation to address this spiral—now,” Mariaschin told JNS. “To neglect or look the other way is to enable its spread.”
Seth Brysk, Northern California regional director at the American Jewish Committee, told JNS that “the numbers are clear. We need to do more to protect Jewish Californians and combat anti-Jewish hate.”
The state’s hate crime report supports the findings of the AJC’s report on the state of Jew-hared in 202 and “what we are hearing from the Jewish community here in California and around the country,” Brysk said.
“AJC’s report found that more than half (57.8%) of American Jews in California say they changed their behavior in the past year out of fear of antisemitism,” he told JNS. “Jews across the state are self-censoring, afraid to show up fully in their identity as Jews because they fear being the target of one of these attacks.”
Noah Farkas, a rabbi and president and CEO of Jewish Federation Los Angeles, told JNS that the “latest report is another sobering reminder that antisemitism and all forms of hate continue to threaten communities across California.”
“Sadly, the year-over-year trend continues to show that the Jewish community experiences the highest rate of all religion-based hate crimes, accounting for 73.7%, in 2025,” Farkas said. “While this represents a slight decrease from the previous year, these figures underscore our grave concern about the unacceptable level of antisemitic incidents.”
The report also “reveals a disconcerting statistic of hate across the board—few communities shielded nor immune. This is an urgent moment to call for stronger legislative and public safety tools to protect our community and all communities targeted by hate, he told JNS.
“We are working diligently to advance a number of efforts, including the establishment of Safe Worship Zones, to ensure that all Californians can enter and attend houses of worship safely, free from intimidation, harassment or obstruction,” Farkas said. “No one should have to fear for their safety because of their faith or identity. This is an opportunity for all communities to come together to unite in action to counter the rising tide of hate.”
