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Ponte Vedra Harassment One Of 70 Anti-Jewish Incidents In Florida Last Year

Anti-Defamation League

Anti-Jewish harassment of a Ponte Vedra middle-school student is one of the incidents cited in a new report from the Anti-Defamation League advocacy group.

The report shows a slight uptick in anti-Semitism in Florida last year—a small change compared with an estimated 21-percent upswing in anti-Jewish incidents nationwide.

In addition to the Ponte Vedra student’s frequent harassment by another student, the Sunshine State had 69 other reported incidents in 2014. They include a Jewish Gainesville student’s prayer scroll repeatedly being ripped from the doorframe of his home.

Most of the 70 incidents were harassment or vandalism, while one was an assault.

The Association of Religious Data Archives estimates just over 6,000 Jews live in Jacksonville and its surrounding counties. 

Jessica Palombo supervises local news gathering and production, podcasts and web editorial content for WJCT News, ADAPT and Jacksonville Today. She is an award-winning writer and journalist with bylines including NPR, Experience Magazine, and The Gainesville Sun. She has a master’s degree in broadcast and digital journalism from Syracuse University and is an alumna of the University of Florida. A nearly lifelong resident of Jacksonville, she considers herself lucky to be raising her own children in her hometown. Follow Jessica Palombo on Twitter: @JaxJessicaP