Anti-Semitic Incidents Set Record, Study Finds : Hate crimes: Anti-Defamation League survey says the increase to 1,685 was the fourth rise in as many years.

The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States climbed to a record 1,685 in 1990--the fourth increase in as many years, the Anti-Defamation League said Wednesday.

In California, anti-Jewish incidents soared 72%, with Greater Los Angeles home to more than half of the acts committed statewide, according to the annual report by the Jewish organization.

The nationwide survey, released in Los Angeles and other cities, showed that anti-Jewish vandalism such as arson, bombings, cemetery desecrations and swastika daubings also rose 72%, while personal assaults and taunts climbed 11% over the previous year.

The survey also showed a 36% rise in hate acts at college campuses. Anti-Semitic incidents of all types totaled 95 at 57 institutions, compared with 69 at 54 campuses the year before.

“Anti-Semitic and racist attacks are particularly troubling when they occur in a university environment devoted to respect for diverse ideas, people and cultures,” said ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman.

The ADL’s annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents, first conducted in 1979, listed 927 incidents of anti-Jewish vandalism and 758 acts of harassment, assaults or threats against Jews or Jewish institutions. The most dramatic incident was the assassination Nov. 5 of Rabbi Meir Kahane in New York City.

The increases can be attributed partly to “the decline in civility as evidenced in pop culture,” said David A. Lehrer, ADL’s regional director in Los Angeles.

He cited the Madonna song “Justify My Love,” with lyrics that quote the phrase “synagogue of Satan” from Revelation 2:9. “The same week that her record came out, three synagogues and a high school in Ventura County were vandalized with graffiti referring to Revelation 2:9,” Lehrer said. “We can’t say definitely there was a connection to the song, but since we hadn’t seen a reference to that biblical verse in any previous incident in the last 12 years, it may be more than mere coincidence.”

Though it showed a drop in anti-Jewish incidents, New York state still had the highest number in the nation with 186. California was second with 129, up 54 from 1989.

“Over half of the incidents (in California) were in the Greater Los Angeles area,” Lehrer said.

The most disturbing California incidents occurred in the San Francisco area, he said. Two synagogues were firebombed in August and four similar attacks took place in November. None appeared to be related to the Persian Gulf crisis, Lehrer said.

Lehrer said campus incidents in California--either threats or vandalism--were reported at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and UC Santa Barbara and at Stanford University.

Several incidents of vandalism at the South Bay home of Shlomo Elspas, a leader of an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Lomita, were included in the survey. But the firebombing of an Orthodox synagogue in North Hollywood last month was not included because the report covers only the calendar year 1990.

The Persian Gulf crisis may have contributed to the rise in incidents. In the first seven months of 1990, the ADL report said, there were 20 threats and acts of vandalism reflecting anti-Jewish, pro-Palestinian attitudes. After the Aug. 2 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, 25 such incidents could be linked to Middle East tensions.

Foxman said one hopeful sign in the survey was that anti-Jewish incidents attributed to neo-Nazi skinheads dropped 27% to 87 incidents in 21 states.

“Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, immigrant minorities and gays continue to be targeted by skinhead gangs for brutal assault, threats and vandalism,” he said.

However, “effective law enforcement” at the federal, state and local level has “sent a clear message to such gangs that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated,” Foxman said.