A recent spate of violent attacks targeting Jewish individuals and communities across the United States has raised alarm among experts and Jewish organizations, marking a disturbing escalation in antisemitic violence that many fear could intensify further.
A Coordinated Pattern of Attacks
In April, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home was firebombed just hours after he and his family had hosted a Passover dinner for over two dozen guests. The suspect reportedly targeted Shapiro because of “what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” according to police records—a clear reference to the ongoing war in Gaza, which has fueled tensions worldwide.
Less than a month later, a young Jewish couple was shot and killed outside the Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The alleged gunman shouted “Free Palestine” before the attack and later told investigators he acted “for Gaza.”
Then, on June 1, a man hurled Molotov cocktails at a peaceful pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, seriously burning several people, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor. Witnesses reported the assailant shouted “Free Palestine” as he launched the attack.
A Growing Threat
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), antisemitic incidents in the United States reached a record high for the fourth consecutive year in 2024, and experts warn that the trend could worsen throughout 2025. Oren Segal, the ADL’s Senior Vice President of Counter-Extremism and Intelligence, told USA TODAY that the Boulder attack represents a shift in the threat: “The Jewish community is used to having bulletproof glass and metal detectors at their institutions, but this was a public gathering,” he noted. “The Jewish community is now concerned about being publicly Jewish.”
Javed Ali, a former senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, described the violence as part of a long-standing historical pattern of antisemitic attacks in the U.S., including the deadly 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh that killed 11 people. But he also noted important distinctions among recent incidents: “The suspect in the D.C. shooting had ties to leftist politics and protest movements, while the suspect in Boulder had spent over a year planning his attack and had no known protest ties,” Ali said. “We’ve seen these waves of antisemitic violence throughout modern U.S. history. Is this another one? Hopefully, it doesn’t grow beyond these two attacks.”
Rhetoric Fueling Violence
Experts point to the 600-plus days of protests, social media discourse, and public demonstrations since the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel as a contributing factor to the radicalization of individuals. Ali explained that larger protest movements can act as a radicalizing environment: “If there’s a bigger pool of people who are radicalized, then that increases the probability that a small number will commit violent acts.” Segal of the ADL added that the protests often blur the line between criticizing Israeli government policy and targeting Jewish people in general, creating an environment where violence feels justified.
“When you have 600-plus days of rhetoric that dehumanizes Israelis, Zionists, and Jews, it creates an atmosphere in which these plots and attacks are much more likely,” Segal said.
Security Measures Intensify
Jewish communities, still reeling from the 2018 Pittsburgh tragedy, have fortified their synagogues with bulletproof glass, metal detectors, and bag checks—measures reminiscent of TSA checkpoints. But Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, highlighted a new challenge: these recent attacks have targeted outdoor gatherings, leaving Jewish communities to consider expanding security perimeters. “This has created a crisis in terms of every Jewish American rethinking their security,” Soifer said. “It’s devastating to think we’re at a point where that’s needed. But we are.”
The sense of fear is palpable on college campuses as well. Adam Rovner, director of the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Denver, said the attack in Boulder has heightened anxieties among students. “Some people feel frightened. Some people feel angry. Some people feel resolute and a sense of solidarity,” he said.
Rachel Harris, director of Jewish Studies at Florida Atlantic University, warned against the tendency to downplay terrorism against Jews by labeling it as a political protest. “Any other group targeted by acts of terrorism, we call it what it is,” she said. “This continued refrain that says, ‘well, they shouted Free Palestine, so it’s a political gesture,’ is deeply disturbing.”
Community Resilience
Among those determined to stand firm is Lisa Turnquist, 66, a Boulder resident who has participated in the Sunday marches calling for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. She recounted how she used a towel to extinguish flames on an elderly woman’s legs during the June 1 attack. “We just want them home, and that’s why we do this,” she said, her voice wavering between tears and anger. “This is when we have to get up and stand up,” she added. “We have to push back.”
What’s Next?
Law enforcement agencies are investigating the attacks as potential hate crimes and acts of domestic terrorism. Jewish advocacy groups are urging the public to recognize that antisemitic violence, even when framed as political protest, remains an act of hate. As communities bolster security measures and confront the dual threats of physical violence and online radicalization, experts warn that maintaining vigilance and fostering interfaith understanding are essential.
The recent attacks starkly illustrate the dangers of unchecked rhetoric and the urgency of addressing antisemitism in all its forms—before hateful words become violent deeds.
