MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin’s reported antisemitic incidents still reflect a cumulative increase of 459% since tracking began in 2015, according to the 2024 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents released today by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Although overall reporting decreased by 20% last year, the report indicates that anti-Israel/anti-Zionist incidents spiked 192% between 2023 and 2024.
The report will be discussed at the JCRC’s annual meeting on May 21. Darryl Morin will accept the Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award during the meeting and deliver the keynote address. Morin, national president of Forward Latino, is a strong advocate for social justice and a longtime partner of the Jewish community.
According to the American Jewish Committee’s recently released State of Antisemitism in America Report, one in three (33%) American Jews report being the personal target of antisemitism — either in person or virtually — at least once over the past year. Among those who experienced antisemitism, a significant majority (78%) indicated that they did not report it, with over half (54%) expressing doubt that anything would be done about it.
“It is critical to note that we can only maintain information submitted to us,” said Roberta S. Clark, executive director of the JCRC. “We know that many members of the Jewish community choose not to report allegations of antisemitism. Sometimes the lack of reporting stems from fear of becoming a target; at other times, it is because individuals do not understand that this information is essential in helping us respond to antisemitic incidents. Recently, there has been a significant rise in antisemitic incidents, causing some people to feel numb and overlook the value of reporting. Additionally, some individuals refrain from reporting incidents of concern because they are unsure how to do so.”
While disagreeing with Israeli policies or politics is not considered antisemitic, incidents that are anti-Israel or anti-Zionist—such as those that deny Israel’s right to exist as the Jewish homeland, deny Jews the right to self-determination, and/or blame any or all Jews for decisions made by the Israeli government—are deemed antisemitic in both intention and impact.
Most of the anti-Israel/anti-Zionist incidents referenced words such as “genocide” and/or “from the river to the sea;” a phrase used by those who do not believe Israel has the right to be the Jewish homeland and call for its elimination from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Local incidents include a building mural featuring a swastika overlaying a Star of David, with the statement, “The irony of becoming what you once hated.” Another involved a Jewish teenager who was told to remove a sticker of an Israeli flag from her phone. She was then sent harassing messages and graphic images of children and teens in Israel being brutalized, starved, and held at gunpoint.
Other examples of antisemitism include distorting the Holocaust—specifically minimizing, downplaying, or denying that the Holocaust occurred; comparing the Holocaust to other events; or erasing the Jewish identity of the victims. This increased by 7 percent in 2024.
Each reported incident is corroborated and reviewed. The audit is evaluated by the JCRC’s Antisemitism Audit Task Force and the JCRC Board. The final audit this year is based on 95 reported and corroborated incidents.
The JCRC works year-round to respond to and prevent incidents through ongoing interfaith and intercultural relations, efforts to combat bigotry against all individuals, and corporate diversity talks. The organization strongly encourages individuals and institutions to report all incidents while ensuring full confidentiality:
- Report online: MilwaukeeJewish.org/Antisemitism
- Email: JCRC@MilwaukeeJewish.org
- Call: 414-967-SAFE
