The Kentucky Jewish council released its first-ever antisemitism report on Tuesday amid record-high antisemitic incidents.
The report lists over 30 antisemitic incidents that occurred throughout 2022, which is an unprecedented amount for the area of Kentucky.
In 2021, Kentucky became the first state to adopt the International Holocaust Alliance’s Definition of Antisemitism (IHRA.)
In response to the rise of antisemitism in his community, Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, Chairman of the Kentucky Jewish Council stated that “we have seen a horrifying rise in Jew Hatred, both across the country and right here in Kentucky…From the shocking attempted murder of a Jewish candidate for office to repeated issues in the political spectrum, Kentucky has made far too many headlines for the wrong reasons this year”
The report makes note of a particularly extreme incident that happened in February 2022 when an assassination attempt was carried out on Jewish Mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg. Greenberg’s attempted assassinator, Quintez Brown, had previously made antisemitic social media posts and met with a Black Hebrew Israelite hate leader.
There are significantly more incidents listed in the eight-page report from further threats to synagogues, antisemitism in the media, and physical assaults. Community centers and private homes have been targeted for threats of attacks and vandalized.
