If it feels as though hate and division are only growing worse in this country, you’re not wrong. A report published Monday by the Anti-Defamation League says final statistics for 2023 show a total of 8,873 incidents of antisemitic assault, harassment and vandalism across the country.

According to a report by WCPO, that’s a 140% increase from 2022 (itself a record-setting year). Kelly Fishman, regional director of the ADL in Cleveland, told WCPO there was a 367% increase in reported incidents in the Buckeye State last year.

“One of the things we see tied to this is white supremacist propaganda and that should really be alarming to all people because what we’re seeing blamed on Jewish people, things that are antisemitic, are also pulling in tropes about people based on their race, gender identity and sexual orientation as well,” Fishman told the news outlet.

To be clear, disagreeing with a particular country’s politics or military action is not, in and of itself, antisemitism. In fact, it’s that kind of all-or-nothing thinking that gets us into trouble in the first place.

Most Ohioans want to believe we’re better than this, that such ignorant hatred is a thing of the past. Those of us who want better for ourselves, our families and our friends and neighbors have an obligation, then, to stand against it. Antisemitism won’t be tolerated. It won’t be given shelter to grow in Ohio.

It’s up to all of us to make sure of that.