Methodology
The ADL Audit of Antisemitic Incidents is comprised of both criminal and non-criminal incidents of harassment, vandalism, and assault against individuals and groups as reported to ADL by victims, law enforcement, the media, and partner organizations. It is not a public opinion poll or an effort to catalog every expression of antisemitism.
Incidents are defined as vandalism of property, or as harassment or assault of individuals or groups, where either 1) circumstances indicate anti-Jewish animus on the part of the perpetrator, or 2) a reasonable person or group of people could plausibly conclude that they have been victimized due to their Jewish identity. Vandalism of Jewish cultural, educational, or religious institutions, as well as cemeteries, is generally included. Cases of robbery or theft are generally not included unless evidence of specific antisemitic animus is present.
Credibility and tabulation: ADL carefully examines the credibility of all reported incidents, including obtaining independent verification when possible. Each antisemitic action is counted only once, regardless of how many times it has been reported to ADL. ADL counts certain “sprees” of incidents only once. For example, if antisemitic fliers from an extremist group are distributed to several homes in one city over the course of a weekend, this is considered one incident for the purpose of the Audit. Similarly, if multiple expressions of antisemitism take place at a single public event, those expressions are only counted as one incident.
Online Content: The Audit includes cases where individuals or groups are harassed online via antisemitic content in direct messages, on listservs, or in social media settings where they would have the reasonable expectation of not being subjected to antisemitism. The Audit does not attempt to assess the total amount of antisemitism online.
Incident Locations: Online incidents are logged under the location type of any associated institution, school or business (e.g., an antisemitic email sent to a synagogue is logged under Jewish Institution). If no institution is involved, online incidents are logged under the Online location type (e.g., a Jewish individual receiving antisemitic direct messages on social media). Incidents occurring in the vicinity of a location type may also be logged under that location type (e.g., a student harassed by a classmate across the street from their school is logged under K-12 School).
Israel and Zionism: ADL is careful to not conflate general criticism of Israel or anti-Israel activism with antisemitism. Legitimate political protest, support for Palestinian rights or expressions of opposition to Israeli policies are not included in the Audit. ADL’s approach to Israel-related expressions comports with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
Since October 7, 2023, ADL began to include in the Audit certain expressions of opposition to Zionism, as well as support for violent resistance against Israel or Zionists that could be perceived as supporting terrorism or attacks on Jews, Israelis or Zionists.
When they occur during public activism (such as at protests), in confrontations between individuals or in the form of vandalism (such as graffiti), these expressions constitute an implicit attack on the great majority of American Jews who view a relationship with Israel to be an integral part of their religious, cultural and/or social identities. Such rhetoric can be traumatizing to many American Jews and has led to their exclusion from some spaces simply because of that element of how they define and express their Jewishness.
Physical scuffles or verbal insults between pro- and anti-Israel protestors are generally not included in the Audit unless the context suggests an antisemitic or anti-Zionist motivation for the assaults.
The Audit includes all cases of picketing of Jewish religious or cultural institutions for their perceived or real support for Israel. It does not include protests outside pro-Israel political activist groups or Israeli embassies/consulates unless those protests incorporate anti-Zionism, support for terrorism or classic antisemitic tropes.
Burning or desecrating Israeli flags is generally not included in the Audit.
Swastikas: The appearance of swastikas, which are generally interpreted by Jews to be symbols of antisemitic hatred, is included in the Audit. However, swastikas are generally not included in circumstances when they appear to be targeting a different minority group. Swastikas used as a means of political protest in non-Israel-related issues are also not included.
The Audit excludes the following types of incidents:
Antisemitic activities or statements that take place in private venues (e.g., at a private meeting) or in a manner that requires potential victims to “opt-in” to access them (e.g., by going to websites where unmoderated discussion occurs, looking at specific individuals’ social media pages, etc.)
Instances of discrimination (e.g., a Jewish employee not receiving an accommodation for Rosh Hashanah), unless the discrimination is accompanied by verbal harassment as described above.
General expressions of white supremacy or other hateful ideologies, unless those expressions include overt antisemitic elements.
Data Sources:
The largest source of incidents included in the Audit are those reported to ADL directly by victims. ADL Center on Extremism researchers also monitor media reports and other online spaces for credible reports of antisemitic incidents and extremist activity.
In 2021, the Audit began incorporating reports of antisemitic incidents from other Jewish organizations with whom ADL has established partnerships. In 2025 those organizations included the AEPi, Chabad on Campus, Community Security Initiative (CSI), Community Security Service (CSS), Hillel International, Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC), Israeli American Council (IAC), Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Jewish Grad Organization (JGO), Jewish on Campus, Secure Communities Network (SCN), Stop Hate in Schools, Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ). We thank these organizations for their ongoing efforts to help encourage reporting of antisemitic incidents. All incidents are assessed by ADL for credibility and are deduplicated before being included in the Audit. Incident totals reported in the ADL Audit may differ from totals announced by partner agencies due to methodological differences pertaining to how incidents are defined and tabulated.
ADL appreciates the assistance of the over 380 law enforcement agencies that have shared information about antisemitic incidents and criminal activity with us since 2020.
