Jewish Americans are battling anti-Semitism and outright harassment from their neighbors, communities and housing authorities — and it's only getting worse.
The First Liberty Institute, a legal nonprofit organization, works on behalf of Jewish families, community leaders and individuals on a variety of First Amendment religious discrimination cases.
Much of the harassment and discrimination they faced occurred long before Hamas terrorists' bloody attack on Israel on October 7.
And since the massacre, which left over 1,400 dead, there has been a spike in anti-Semitic incidents and attacks across the United States
A Florida family is facing “persistent, open anti-Semitism and discrimination” from their homeowners association (HOA).
In another case in Beverly Hills, California, Rabbi Illulian was bullied by the city for hosting prayer meetings in his own home
After receiving a complaint from a private citizen in the neighborhood, Beverly Hills city officials began monitoring the people and cars entering and leaving the rabbi's home
Rabbi Hertzel and his wife say they have been unlawfully discriminated against by their local HOA since 2016 because of their Orthodox Jewish faith, but that it has reached “new levels” in recent years.
The HOA in Boca Raton, Florida, allegedly scuttled its efforts to build a synagogue by promoting a “hostile” housing environment and “explicitly referencing Nazi Germany” in conversations with neighbors.
The Hertzels' home was also destroyed and the HOA leadership has “openly admitted” that they are persecuting them because they are religious Jews.
“If we don't commit to tolerating differences of opinion regarding religion, we will become a very ugly people,” Jeremy Dys, senior attorney at First Liberty Institute, told .
“And this ugliness simply cannot be expressed in words. Far too often it slides into a certain level of violence. “That is why we must have strong protections for religious freedom to prevent a possible slide into violence,” Dys continued.
In another case in Beverly Hills, California, Rabbi Illulian was bullied by the city for holding prayers and other religious gatherings in his own home.
After receiving a complaint from a private citizen in his neighborhood, Beverly Hills city officials began monitoring the people and cars entering and leaving the rabbi's home.
This included his uncles, siblings, cousins and other family members celebrating Shabbat prayers and traditional religious holidays together.
In some cases, a neighbor knocked down nails and slashed the religious collectors' tires. They were also issued a parking permit by the city for parking in front of the rabbi's house during prayers.
Dys said Rabbi Illulian's case shows that when religious freedom protections are not enforced and “hecklers have veto power” over religious neighbors, it “never de-escalates, it just escalates into something worse.”
After First Liberty intervened on the rabbi's behalf, the city eventually relented.
Another small Jewish community in Houston, Texas, had its power cut off after it began repairs to its synagogue.
The city said it needed a permit for work on its place of worship, and the lights remained off even though Hanukkah was beginning and it was extremely dark at the start of winter.
Only when a lawsuit was filed on behalf of the community in Houston City Court did the city finally allow power to be restored.
Lawyers on behalf of the synagogue say there are still concerns that people within the law enforcement agency are “intimidating people” into helping their client. As such, the case will be closely monitored to determine whether the city attempts to shut off power or otherwise slow the project.
The incidents, in which Jewish rabbis, communities and families are being targeted by their local towns and neighbors, come as there has been a rise in anti-Semitic attacks in recent months.
Last month, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League said in an appearance on MSNBC that anti-Semitism had increased a staggering 388 percent since Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel that began on October 7.
Additionally, on December 16 alone, Jewish sites in the United States reported 199 “swatting” incidents within 24 hours, highlighting the increase in hoaxes and frightening rhetoric since the October 7 Hamas attack.
The Secure Community Network, which monitors anti-Semitic threats and works with law enforcement, said the increase in swatting – prank calls to emergency services to send large numbers of armed police to a scene – and bomb threats was deeply concerning.
Hoboken police stand guard outside a synagogue in their New Jersey town. According to one group, 199 reporters targeted Jewish institutions in a single day
A member of the New York Police Department patrols outside the Congregation Bais Yaakov Nechamia Dsatmar synagogue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on October 13. The Secure Community Network, which monitors anti-Semitic threats and works with law enforcement, reported the increase in strokes since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7
Michael Masters, the network's CEO, said it was wrong to view the bomb threat hoaxes and fake 911 calls as harmless jokes because they piled up trauma after trauma and could cause actual injuries.
“The alarming level of swatting incidents and false bomb threats across the country is a major concern for the safety of the Jewish community in North America, as well as for law enforcement,” Masters said.
The impressive daily total comes as 2023 saw a massive 541 percent increase in similar hoaxes compared to this time last year.