Young Jewish Europeans: perceptions and experiences of antisemitism

Based on FRA’s second large-scale survey on experiences and perceptions of antisemitism, this report focuses
on the perspectives of young Jewish Europeans (aged 16-34) living in twelve EU Member States. It first
describes this particular group and takes a look at defining antisemitism and understanding the place of Israel
in it.

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28 June 2019

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Overview
Key findings
Related

Overview

The report then presents young Jewish Europeans’ experiences and perceptions of antisemitism. Finally, it specifically looks at how safe young Jewish Europeans feel, and whether they believe governments are effectively combating antisemitism.

Jewish life has been an intrinsic part of Europe for many centuries and, tragically, so has Jew-hatred. In recent years, antisemitism has been on the rise once again. When looking into how Jewish Europeans see their future in Europe in the current climate, the obvious people to ask are the young.

The continent’s Jewish population has long been in demographic decline. But that decline is at risk of accelerating. Among the over 2,700 young people who participated in the EU Fundamental Rights Agency’s second large-scale survey on Jewish people’s experiences, 4 out of 10 say they have considered emigrating because they do not feel safe as Jews.

Key findings

Who are young Jewish Europeans

77 % of the young Jewish Europeans surveyed were born in the country in which they currently live, and 89 % of them hold citizenship of that country.
Young Jewish Europeans are less likely than older Jewish respondents to have strong attachments to their country, their region, the European Union or to Israel. They show lower levels of trust than their elders in their country’s legal system or parliament, but higher levels of trust in the European Parliament.
81 % of the young Jewish Europeans surveyed score highly on a scale measuring the strength of their Jewish identity: 7+ on a scale from 1 (low) to 10 (high). In contrast, 35 % report a similar score on a strength of religiosity scale.
Levels and types of Jewish religious practice among young Jewish Europeans are very similar to those found among the older age groups; if anything, younger Jews are more likely than their elders to observe common Jewish practices.

Perceptions and experiences of antisemitism among young Jewish Europeans

81 % of the young Jewish Europeans surveyed say that antisemitism is a problem in their countries, and much the same proportion (83 %) believes it to have increased over the past five years. They are equally likely to feel the same way about racism in general. High proportions also regard intolerance towards Muslims as a growing concern.
Young Jewish Europeans are likely to point to the internet and social media as the context in which antisemitism is most problematic today, and where an increase can most be seen in recent years. Close to 90 % of those surveyed hold these positions. Moreover, 70 % maintain that antisemitism in the media and expressions of hostility towards Jews in the street or other public places are either ‘very big’ or ‘fairly big’ problems.
Young Jewish Europeans are considerably more likely to have experienced antisemitic harassment or violence than older Jewish respondents. Almost half (44 %) of those surveyed say they were a victim of at least one incident of antisemitic harassment in the twelve months before the survey, and 4 % report having experienced at least one incident involving antisemitic violence.
Among the Young Jewish Europeans surveyed, victims of antisemitic harassment or violence are most likely to describe their assailant as ‘someone with a Muslim extremist view’. Among young Jewish Europeans who have experienced antisemitic harassment, 31 % identify the perpetrator in this way; among those who have experienced violence, 59 % do so. Lower, but nonetheless significant proportions, also point to ‘someone with a leftwing political view’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘someone with a right-wing political view’.
80 % of surveyed young Jewish Europeans who experienced an incident of antisemitic harassment, and 51 % of those who experienced an incident of antisemitic violence in the year prior to the survey, did not report it to an authority.

Living with fear and the need for effective government action

Among those surveyed, 73 % of the young Jewish Europeans who wear, carry or display things that might help people recognise that they are Jewish, do not do so, at least on occasion, because they are concerned about their safety. Of those who never wear, carry or display such items, 45 % do not do so for the same reason.
13 % of young Jewish Europeans surveyed have either moved out of their neighbourhood because they did not feel safe living there as a Jew, or have considered doing so.
41 % of the young Jewish Europeans surveyed have considered emigrating from the country in which they live because they are concerned about their safety there as a Jew. Of these, 33 % report making active plans to do so, mostly to Israel.
14 % of all the young Jewish Europeans surveyed reported making active plans to migrate from their countries because they do not feel safe in them as Jews. Only about one in ten of these plan to remain within the EU.
About half (48 %) of young Jewish Europeans surveyed feel that their governments are responding adequately to the security needs of Jewish communities, but only 17 % feel that their governments are combating antisemitism effectively.

Young Jewish Europeans: perceptions and experiences of antisemitism

Overview

Key findings

Related

Antisemitism: Overview of antisemitic incidents recorded in the European Union 2010-2020

Antisemitism: Overview of antisemitic incidents recorded in the European Union 2009-2019

Antisemitism - Overview of data available in the European Union 2008–2018

Second survey on discrimination and hate crime against Jews in EU Member States - Technical report

Experiences and perceptions of antisemitism - Second survey on discrimination and hate crime against Jews in the EU - Summary

Discrimination and hate crime against Jews in EU Member States: experiences and perceptions of antisemitism

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Young Jewish Europeans: perceptions and experiences of antisemitism