WORCESTER, Mass. – The newest data on hate crimes in Massachusetts shows antisemitism reached an eight-year high in 2023.

The director of the Jewish Federation of Central Mass said the state’s latest hate crime numbers should be concerning to everyone.

“We are doing all we can to be equipped to handle it," Steven Schimmel said. "But this is something that all of us should be concerned about because it really is, an indication of a society in turmoil.”

The report from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security shows more antisemitic hate crimes were reported in 2023 than the previous eight years, and the numbers have risen for three straight years.

Schimmel said the data unfortunately resonates with what his community sees on a daily basis.

“If you look back at history, Jewish people are often the first targets when you have societal tension, when a civilization, a country, a nation is facing some sort of internal tension," Schimmel said. "We also are doing everything we can to keep everyone safe, because there's a very real threat that exists out there to the well-being of members of the Jewish community. And far too many of those who we've counted on in the past have really been absent over the last 15 months.”

“You have quite literally the world's most ancient hatred from thousands of years ago that continues to rear its head," state Sen. John Velis said. "Anti-Semitism is on the right. It's on the left. It's everywhere. And it constantly is changing shape and mutating.”

The Healey administration launched the Commission on Combatting Antisemitism in 2024 as a result of a budget amendment Velis filed. Velis serves as co-chair and said although he’s not Jewish, he’s disgusted by the vile acts of hate which continue in the Commonwealth.

“I see this fascinating trend where Massachusetts, you know, prides itself in many respects and being kind of this progressive, liberal place," Velis said, "and I'm saying to myself, 'wait a second here, here we have this group, Jewish folks, specifically in this instance that are just being condemned, belittled, assaulted, destruction of property, graffiti, the list goes on and on.' We're not doing that much about it.”

While anti-Jewish crimes rose to nearly 19% of all hate crimes in Massachusetts in 2023, Velis sees education as the path forward and Schimmel said it’s a tall task, but hopes the hate crime numbers go down rapidly looking ahead.

“I don't want to get ahead of where this commission is going, but I'm convinced a big part of this – and this is for all forms of hatred – is education," Velis said. "Teach people to love thy neighbor, to humanize the other. And I think that goes a long way.”

“I'm glad to see that the Commonwealth has taken a formal step of creating a commission to address this concern directly," Schimmel said, "and I think that's needed, but it's an awfully big lift.”