Anti-Semitic incidents in U.S. rise for first time since ‘04

The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States increased for the first time since 2004, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s annual audit.

The ADL Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents released Tuesday showed that there were 1,239 incidents in 2010, up slightly from the 1,211 reported the previous year. The audit tracks assaults, vandalism and harassment reported during the calendar year in 45 states and the District of Columbia.

The numbers reached a record high in 2004, with 1,821 incidents reported.

Last year, 22 physical assaults, 900 cases of harassment and 317 cases of vandalism were reported.

The majority of incidents were concentrated in the states with the largest Jewish populations. The top three states were California with 297 incidents, New York with 205 and New Jersey with 130.

“The good news is that we have continued to enjoy a period of relative calm, where the overall numbers are mostly unchanged and the incidents isolated,” Abraham Foxman, ADL’s national director, said in a statement. “But the bad news is that for all our efforts to educate, to raise awareness and to legislate, anti-Jewish incidents remain a disturbing part of the American Jewish experience.”