Hate, Anti-Semitism Incidents Tracked In Maplewood, South Orange

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Have you ever felt unwelcome somewhere because of your skin color or religion? If so, you're not alone. Documented incidents of hateful messages, extremism, and anti-Semitism climbed nationwide from 2018 to 2019, according to a new report from the non-profit Anti-Defamation League, which tracks such incidents. The report, released this month, also listed each incident in every state.

The Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism reported that circulation of white supremacist propaganda rose drastically last year, with 2,713 cases in 2019, compared to 1,214 cases in 2018.

According to the report, in New Jersey, documented hateful incidents dropped from 452 to 216. But despite the drop, the incidents were no less concerning, noted the ADL: They included the anti-Semitic murder spree in Jersey City in December that took the lives of a police officer, as well as a mother of three and four other people.

Locally, there were several incidents in Union and Essex counties.

In Maplewood, there was one instance tracked:

• Maplewood, 12/15/19: New Jersey European Heritage Association, an alt right group, distributed propaganda that read: "Reclaim your nation reclaim your heritage," "Don't believe (((FAKE))) news," and "Open borders for Israel."

There were two incidents documented in South Orange:

• South Orange, 12/15/19: New Jersey European Heritage Association, an alt right group, distributed fliers with the QR code for New Jersey European Heritage Association and propaganda that read: "America belongs to Americans," "Reclaim America," "Reclaim your nation reclaim your heritage," and "Demand a real investigation of USS Liberty attack June 8th 1967 Israeli sneak attack against Americans!"
• South Orange, 10/15/19: New Jersey European Heritage Association, an alt right group, distributed propaganda at Seton Hall University that read: "Unity is strength diversity is weakness," "America for Americans," and "Reclaim your nation reclaim your heritage."

In Westfield, there were six incidents documented by the ADL:

• Westfield, Oct-19: Swastika vandalism discovered at Westfield High School.
• Westfield, Oct-19: Swastika graffiti discovered at a school.
• Westfield, Oct-19: Swastika vandalism discovered at Westfield High School.
• Westfield, May-19: Hand drawn swastika discovered in a school book at a school.
• Westfield, Mar-19: Three swastikas were drawn in chalk on a sidewalk.
• Westfield, Mar-19: Swastika vandalism discovered near a private residence.

The ADL report and incident map with more details can be found here. To read about the other incidents cited by the ADL statewide, click here.

On Friday, a new report came out from New Jersey's Department of Homeland Security, listing specific supremacist threats in the Garden State in the past year, and stating that domestic terrorism was a greater threat to local residents than foreign terrorism. Read about it here.