Antisemitic crimes doubled in Houston from 2022 to 2023, Anti-Defamation League data shows

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Antisemitic incidents in the United States more than doubled last year, rising sharply since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, according to the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights advocacy group.

“From Oct. 7 to Dec. 31, 2023, there were more incidents during that period than the last two years combined,” Mark Toubin, ADL Southwest’s regional director, said. “We’re no longer saying this could be an issue. This is an issue. This is a national crisis.”

In Houston alone last year, the agency reported 67 antisemitic incidents, which include assault, vandalism, and harassment. That’s more than twice as many as in 2022.

Across the region, which includes the southern part of Texas, from El Paso to Beaumont, attacks have gone up 150% since the attack on Israel last October, according to the ADL.

“We need to sound the alarm that the normalization of antisemitism has to be repelled, and it has to be repelled right away,” Toubin said.

For the first time ever, the ADL has started tracking antisemitism on campuses.

Rice University received a “D” for hostile student groups in what the ADL calls a “deficient approach.”

Parents and prospective students have called Jewish leaders at Rice, asking for advice.

“Students that used to be fine wearing their Star of David now sometimes feel like they should stick it in,” Rabbi Shmuli Slonim of Chabad at Rice University said. “But at the same, Jewish students have been asking themselves, ‘What does my Jewish identity mean to me?'”

Out of 85 universities, the ADL gave out 34 “Ds” and “Fs.”

“The letter grade is reductionist and doesn’t recognize the vibrancy of Jewish life on campus,” Rabbi Kenny Weiss, executive director of Houston Hillel, said.

Roughly 5% of Rice’s undergraduate students are Jewish.

Administrators are scheduled to meet with Toubin to see how the university can improve.

“I think we can do a better job, and we will do a better job together,” Slonin said, adding that he’s proud of his group’s involvement with students.

“When the climate for antisemitism is improved, the climate for all students is also improved, and Rice has been very forthcoming with a desire to help build,” Toubin said. “It’s not to disrupt free speech. It’s not to suggest that people of different opinions can’t voice those opinions, even loudly. It is about making sure disagreements can be discussed (and) can be debated without attacking any student because of who they are.”