EU wants to know your experience of antisemitism in Europe


September 4, 2012
Sarah Benton

EU survey of antisemitism now live

JPR News Release
September 03, 2012

The second phase of fieldwork for a major study of antisemitism in Europe begins this week, as the EU seeks to gain a better understanding of a problem many in the Jewish community believe to be of increasing concern.

The study, commissioned by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), is designed to produce new insights into how Jews in nine EU Member States perceive and experience antisemitism today. It is being conducted by the UK-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) in partnership with Ipsos MORI, whose joint bid won the contract in an open tender process.

Antisemitism remains an issue of concern today, not only to Jews, but to everyone in the EU. The ways in which it manifests itself vary according to time and place, and it affects Jews living in the EU in different ways. The FRA is conducting this survey to collect reliable and comparable data on antisemitism. This type of robust evidence will assist EU institutions and national governments in taking the necessary measures that will ensure that the rights of Jewish people are fully respected, protected and fulfilled across the EU, and the survey has been specifically designed with this goal in mind.

Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos, Head of Department Equality and Citizen’s Rights at the FRA

The online survey investigates first-hand examples of antisemitic harassment and violence, as well as the extent to which Jews feel safe and secure in Europe today, how they characterize antisemitism, and whether or not they perceive it to be a growing threat. It further explores how and whether incidents are being reported, and levels of awareness among European Jews about their legal rights.

The research is being managed collaboratively between the FRA, JPR and Ipsos MORI, with specialists from the three partner organisations all involved in the project design. The JPR team, managed by Executive Director Jonathan Boyd, includes several of the world’s leading social scientists in contemporary European Jewry, including Professor Eliezer Ben-Rafael of Tel Aviv University, Professor Erik Cohen of Bar-Ilan University, Professor Sergio DellaPergola of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Professor Lars Dencik of Roskilde University in Denmark, Dr Olaf Glöckner of the Moses Mendelssohn Zentrum in Potsdam, Germany, Professor András Kovács of the Central European University in Budapest and Dr Laura Staetsky of JPR. Further expertise is being provided by Professor David Feldman of the Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism at Birkbeck College in London and Mike Whine and Mark Gardner at the UK-based Community Security Trust.

The data will provide important evidence both for European Union and national policy makers, as well as for national and European Jewish organisations concerned with security and antisemitism. All these stakeholders will use the data to tackle discrimination and hate crime against Jews, as well as rights awareness and under-reporting of incidents. Survey results will be published by the FRA in 2013.

It is clear to all observers of contemporary Jewish life that antisemitism continues to be a major preoccupation and worry in Jewish communal circles. If it is ever to be effectively tackled, it is essential to have shared, reliable data. This survey is designed to provide that data: this is an important and unique opportunity for thousands of European Jews to share their experiences and voice their concerns with policy makers working at the highest European and national levels.

Jonathan Boyd, Executive Director of JPR / Institute for Jewish Policy Research

• The FRA survey on perceptions and experiences of antisemitism is collecting data in nine European Union Member States – Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom during the second and the third quarter of 2012. The results will be published in 2013.

• This is the first survey of its kind to ask Jewish people across nine European Union Member States about their perceptions and experiences of antisemitism, hate speech, hate-motivated violence and discrimination, among other issues.

To take part in the survey in English click here.

To find out more about the survey in English click here.


Introducing the survey

Thank you for taking part in this survey on antisemitism. The purpose of the survey is to better understand how antisemitism impacts on the life experiences of Jews in the nine European countries selected for this survey. It is being conducted by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (www.jpr.org.uk) and Ipsos MORI (www.ipsos-mori.com) on behalf of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (www.fra.europa.eu).

We are interested in the views of all people who consider themselves Jewish, on any grounds (this could be based on religion, culture, upbringing, ethnicity, parentage or any other basis).

The main focus of this survey is antisemitism. We are interested in hearing your views, whatever your own experiences and perceptions are, and however big or small an impact antisemitism has on your life and the lives of other Jews in your country.

Critical to the success of this survey is making sure that as wide a range of people as possible take part; this will make sure that all voices are heard and the perceptions and experiences of Jews in your country and across Europe are better understood.

The outcome of the survey will provide important evidence to EU and national policy makers, as well as organisations working within Jewish and wider civil society, to ensure that the rights of Jewish people are respected, protected and fulfilled across the EU.

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