What to do if You Experience Antisemitism or Other Incidents of Bias, Discrimination, or Hate

From anti-Jewish comments to vandalism to acts of violence, incidents of antisemitism and other forms of hate have spiked in recent years. Acts of hate affect all of us – in cities and towns across our state and around the world. Many in our Greater Boston Jewish community have either personally experienced an act of bias or bigotry or know someone close to them who has. Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston (JCRC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and our partner organizations in the community want you to know that you are not alone. Help is available.

If you see something, say something, do something!

Follow these three steps if you’ve experienced an antisemitic act.

1. Inform local law enforcement authorities about the incident. If you are directly threatened, call the police immediately.
2. Document the incident and preserve any evidence. Minimize handling evidence and if possible, avoid cleaning up until police arrive. If you must touch or move documents or items for any reason you should wear gloves, minimize contact with the items, and wait for the police to respond.
3. Report the incident to the ADL. ADL tracks, documents, and responds to antisemitic acts and other forms of hate across the country. Use this form to let them know what happened.

If you work for a Jewish organization, JEMS (Jewish Emergency Management System), a joint program of CJP, ADL, JCRC, and the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts, has resources to help with security and crisis response. If you would like to learn more or to schedule security training, please call 617-457-8500 or email JEMS.