Pennsylvania Sees 40-Percent Decrease in Antisemitic Incidents, Driven by Significant Campus Reductions

State ranks #5 nationally; 281 incidents recorded in 2025

PHILADELPHIA, May 6, 2026, … Pennsylvania recorded 281 antisemitic incidents in 2025, a 40-percent decrease from 465 incidents in 2024, according to ADL’s (the Anti-Defamation League) annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, released today. The significant reduction in campus incidents contributed to the overall decrease. Pennsylvania ranked #5 in the United States for total antisemitic incidents and in the top 10 nationally across multiple categories, including #3 for incidents at businesses, #4 at universities, #5 at homes and #5 at Jewish institutions.

There were seven incidents of assault. Seven-out-of-ten incidents involved harassment, with 194 incidents where Jewish Pennsylvanians were directly confronted, threatened or intimidated. Across all educational settings, from K-12 schools to college campuses, there were 57 incidents, showing that students of all ages continue to face antisemitism. There were also 80 incidents of vandalism. Antisemitic incidents occurred in 27 different counties across Pennsylvania, meaning that two-out-of-every-five counties experienced at least one documented act of antisemitism. Of all incidents in the state, 129 incidents (46 percent) were related to Israel or Zionism.

“A decrease in the number of antisemitic incidents is not cause for relief. It is a reminder that the baseline should be zero. In 2025, 281 Jewish Pennsylvanians were targeted in their synagogues, their schools, on college campuses and in their everyday lives. Behind every number is a person who was made to feel unsafe for who they are. ADL will continue to document every incident, stand with every impacted community and fight hatred without pause. Because our children are watching, and what we model now is the story they will inherit,” said Andrew Goretsky, EdD, Senior Regional Director, ADL Philadelphia.

Regional Breakdown

Eastern Pennsylvania recorded 231 incidents, while Western Pennsylvania recorded 50 incidents. Top counties:

• Philadelphia: 106 incidents (38 percent of statewide total)
• Allegheny: 46 incidents (16 percent)
• Montgomery: 34 incidents (12 percent)

Additionally, York County experienced a significant and deeply troubling escalation in antisemitism in 2025, with 13 documented incidents representing a 100-percent increase from the previous year. This sharp rise is made all the more alarming by the fact that antisemitic incidents fell by 40 percent across the all of Pennsylvania during the same period. The incidents in York County reflected coordinated targeting of the Jewish community through white supremacist propaganda campaigns, anti-Israel protests featuring antisemitic rhetoric, traditional vandalism and direct harassment of a Jewish-owned business. The stark contrast between York County's trajectory and that of the broader state underscores the urgent need for community awareness and action to combat hate.

Notable Incidents

In Harrisburg, Cody Balmer broke into the Governor's residence and attempted to burn it down while the governor and his family were inside. After his arrest, Balmer told police that he would have attacked the governor with a sledgehammer if he had encountered him. He also told police that he attacked the Jewish governor because of the "millions endangered" in the war in Gaza. Balmer was arrested and charged.

Multiple antisemitic incidents occurred in the Wissahickon School District, prompting district leadership to request support from ADL. The comprehensive training for more than 600 staff members represents a model for how schools can build capacity to address antisemitism systemically rather than reactively.

In summer 2024, masked neo-Nazis carrying swastikas marched through Harrisburg yelling racist and offensive comments while hiding their identities behind masks. ADL responded by working with Pennsylvania legislators to introduce legislation prohibiting masked harassment and intimidation. While the bill has not yet passed, ADL raised awareness and called attention to changes needed to prevent this behavior in communities across the state.

In Philadelphia, "6 mil was a lie" was etched into the Holocaust Memorial on the Ben Franklin Parkway. In another incident in the city, two visibly Jewish men were attacked by an individual who threw a hot cup of coffee on them and said, "I have a problem with you. I hate Jews, you should die."

In Western Pennsylvania, individuals associated with the Goyim Defense League distributed antisemitic fliers in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood that read, "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion: The Jew's Plan for World Domination" and "Every single aspect of the Jewish Talmud is satanic."

Campus Antisemitism

ADL's sustained engagement with universities across Pennsylvania and the implementation of the Campus Antisemitism Report Card have contributed to measurable improvements in institutional responses to antisemitism. The significant reduction in campus incidents reflects both ADL's advocacy work and increased accountability measures at colleges and universities statewide.

Methodology

The ADL Audit includes both criminal and non-criminal acts of harassment, vandalism and assault against individuals and groups as reported to ADL by victims, law enforcement, the media and partner organizations and evaluated by ADL's experts.

The complete dataset for antisemitic incidents for 2016-2025 is available on ADL's H.E.A.T. Map, an interactive online tool that allows users to geographically chart antisemitic incidents and extremist activity. The full dataset can also be downloaded by anyone who would like to take a closer look at individual incidents.

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 is not included in the Audit. As an example, slightly fewer than half of anti-Israel rallies assessed by ADL contained antisemitic content that qualified to be counted within this Audit. ADL's approach to Israel-related expressions comports with the IHRA definition of antisemitism. The complete Audit methodology is included in the report on our website.

The Audit offers a snapshot of one of the ways American Jews encounter antisemitism, but a full understanding of antisemitism in the U.S. requires other forms of analysis as well, including public opinion polling, assessments of online antisemitism and examinations of extremist activity, all of which ADL offers in other reports.

Individuals who experience an incident of antisemitism can report it to ADL: https://www.adl.org/report-incident.