Maybe it was a swastika painted on a wall, a hateful flyer left in your neighborhood, a threatening comment directed at a Jewish student, or a social media post with antisemitic slogans. Whatever you experienced or witnessed, it’s not okay, and it’s essential that you do your part to help prevent it from happening again.
At the Antisemitism Task Force at StandWithUs San Diego, we are dedicated to fighting hate and preventing antisemitism in our community. So, to help more people take part in this mission, we have crafted a simple guide for reporting antisemitism in San Diego and making our beautiful city a safer, kinder, and more welcoming place.
How to Recognize Antisemitism
Antisemitism does not always look the same. It can appear as vandalism, harassment, intimidation, discrimination, conspiracy theories, threats, or violence. It can happen in schools, workplaces, public meetings, neighborhoods, houses of worship, and online.
When you witness something that feels wrong, it is understandable to feel uncertain about what to do next. Should you take a photo? Call the police? Tell the school? Report it even if you are not sure whether it qualifies as a hate crime?
The most important thing to remember is this: you do not have to figure out exactly what kind of incident it is before reporting it.
How to Respond to an Incident
Staying calm, documenting the incident, and reporting it allows trained professionals to assess what happened, identify patterns, support those affected, and determine what response may be appropriate. Here are the steps anyone who experiences or witnesses antisemitism can take to stand against hate.
Step 1: Make Sure Everyone Is Safe
Your immediate safety and/or the safety of the victim comes first. If someone is in danger, a threat is ongoing, a weapon is present, or urgent assistance is needed, call 911.
Whenever possible, avoid a confrontation if it could place you or another person at risk. Instead, try to move to a safe location and, when applicable, follow the instructions of police or other emergency personnel. Then, check on the victim and support them however you can.
The StandWithUs Antisemitism Task Force and local law-enforcement agencies are important resources, but an online report should never replace calling 911 during an emergency.
Step 2: Document What Happened
Once you are safe, try to write down what you remember as soon as possible. A few helpful details to document may include:
- The date, time, and location
- Exactly what was said, done, or written
- A description of the people involved
- The names and contact information of witnesses
- Photos or videos
- Screenshots, usernames, links, and/or timestamps for online hate incidents
- Any earlier hate incidents that might be connected
- How the incident affected the person or community that was targeted
Try to record the exact language used, particularly words, symbols, or statements that may show antisemitic intent. For graffiti, vandalism, flyers, or damaged property, avoid touching, removing, or cleaning the evidence before law enforcement has had an opportunity to examine it.
When documenting online hate, capture the full context when possible. A screenshot of one comment may not show the account name, date, platform, surrounding conversation, or link needed to locate it later.
Step 3: Contact Local Law Enforcement When a Crime May Have Occurred
An antisemitic incident and a hate crime are not always the same thing.
Some harmful conduct may be offensive, discriminatory, or intimidating without meeting the legal definition of a crime. Other hate incidents, including assault, threats, vandalism, stalking, or property damage, may require law-enforcement involvement.
Within the City of San Diego, you can call the San Diego Police Department’s non-emergency line to report an incident. In areas outside of the city, you can call the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office’s non-emergency number to make a report. Residents of other cities in San Diego County can also contact their local police department. The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office also lists hate-crime reporting information and victim services information on their website.
When speaking with law enforcement, explain why you believe antisemitism may have motivated the hate incident. Mention any slurs, symbols, statements, threats, or circumstances that may be relevant. Be sure to ask for the report number and keep it with your other documentation. Nothing is too minor to report. If it feels antisemitic, report it.
Step 4: Report the Incident to the Antisemitism Task Force
If you have experienced or witnessed antisemitism anywhere in San Diego City/County, report it through the StandWithUs Antisemitism Task Force incident form.
The form asks for detailed information so the StandWithUs team can assess the situation and determine how it may be able to help. You do not need to be the direct target of the incident to make a report. Witnesses, parents, students, educators, employees, community members, and allies can, and should, all speak up.
While it can be helpful, you do not need to have perfect documentation to report an incident. Simply share the information you have and be clear about anything you did not personally witness or cannot confirm.
Report an incident to the Antisemitism Task Force here.
Reporting to StandWithUs does not replace contacting emergency services or local law enforcement when someone is in danger or a possible crime has occurred.
Step 5: Report the Incident Where It Happened
In addition to reporting the incident to the Antisemitism Task Force and law enforcement, notify the institution responsible for the location or environment.
That may include:
- A school principal or district administrator
- A university’s student affairs or civil-rights office
- A workplace manager or human-resources department
- A property owner or building manager
- A business or event organizer
- A social media platform
- A local government agency
Whenever possible, make the report in writing. Include the date, a factual description, supporting documentation, and the action you are requesting. Keep copies of emails, forms, responses, case numbers, and follow-up communications. Written records can be important when an incident is not addressed promptly or if a similar situation happens again.
For antisemitism in schools, or a hate incident involving a minor, a parent, guardian, or trusted adult should be involved to help document the situation, support the minor, and communicate with administrators.
Not Sure If What You Saw Was Antisemitism?
You may encounter a symbol you do not recognize, a statement that feels coded, or conduct that seems connected to anti-Jewish stereotypes but is difficult to classify. You are not expected to be an expert. Please report what you observed to the Antisemitism Task Force anyway.
Describe what happened without exaggerating or making assumptions. Include the exact words, images, or context that concerned you. The Antisemitism Task Force can review the information and help assess the situation.
In March of this year, the City of San Diego adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism, an effort spearheaded by the Antisemitism Task Force of StandWithUs. Meaning, a framework is already in place. For your reference, these are the eleven examples, not limited to, in the definition:
- Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
- Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as a collective, such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government, or other societal institutions.
- Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
- Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
- Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
- Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
- Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
- Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
- Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
- Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
- Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.
What If the Hate Incident Happened Online?
Online antisemitism can have serious real-world effects, especially when it includes targeted harassment, the release of private information, coordinated abuse, or threats of violence. If the post contains a credible threat, personal address, school location, workplace information, or other details that could place someone in danger, contact law enforcement immediately.
Before blocking an account or reporting content to a platform, be sure to:
- Take screenshots.
- Save the account name and profile information.
- Copy the direct link.
- Record the date and time.
- Capture the surrounding conversation for context.
Why Your Voice Matters
A single report may feel small, but it can make a big difference. One piece of graffiti may be connected to vandalism in another neighborhood. A student’s experience may show that a school needs stronger policies or education. Multiple reports about the same account, organization, or location may demonstrate that the behavior is persistent rather than isolated.
One small step to report an incident could potentially prevent future violence and inspire legislation that supports the Jewish community.
Reports help community organizations and public agencies:
- Identify trends
- Support affected individuals
- Improve education and prevention
- Inform community leaders
- Strengthen institutional responses
- Hold bad actors accountable
- Advocate for better protections
The Antisemitism Task Force was created to combat Jewish bigotry, harassment, and discrimination through coordinated action, strategic alliances, education, advocacy, and the protection of San Diego County’s Jewish community. Our work helps to ensure that hate incidents are not ignored and threats are not minimized.
Report an incident to the Antisemitism Task Force here.
Together, we can help ensure that antisemitism is recognized, addressed, and never normalized in the community we call home.
