Report: Anti-Semitic incidents increase in New England

BOSTON – The Anti-Defamation League says anti-Semitic incidents have increased in New England.

The New York civil rights group that’s focused on anti-Jewish attacks said in a report Thursday there have been 132 incidents recorded in the region from Jan. 1 through Sept. 30.

The organization says that’s a 32 per cent increase over the same period last year and it exceeds last year’s total.

The incidents include harassment, vandalism and threats made against Jewish institutions. The Anti-Defamation League says a “disturbingly high number” happened in schools.

Most of the reported incidents, 117 of the 132, happened in Massachusetts.

The organization says Massachusetts registered the third highest number of anti-Semitic incidents in a nationwide tally, after New York and California. It says states with large Jewish populations tend to have the most incidents.