RICHMOND, Va. β Hate crimes in Virginia increased by 25.5% in 2024, with anti-Jewish incidents seeing the most dramatic rise, according to new data from the Virginia State Police.
The report shows 340 hate crimes occurred across the commonwealth in 2024, up from the previous year. This marks the second consecutive year Virginia has seen an uptick in hate-motivated crimes.
Religious bias crimes doubled in 2024, with anti-Jewish incidents representing the largest portion of that increase.
"It's not surprising but it's still shocking to see," said Rabbi David Asher of Keneseth Beth Israel in Richmond.
The rising numbers have left local Jewish community leaders feeling unsafe. Asher, who has led Keneseth Beth Israel for 11 years, said the statistics confirm what many in his community already feel.
"It just kind of confirms what we already feel, which is that we are less welcome in Virginia than we have been in many years," Asher said. "It's harming our community, my community."
The security concerns have prompted Asher to station two police officers at his synagogue as a safety measure. He said the threat feels more present than ever before.
"More this year than ever before we have people filling out applications to move abroad specifically towards Israel and one of the main factors is the antisemitism," Asher said.
Asher believes political rhetoric may be contributing to the rise in antisemitism and other hate-motivated crimes. As 2025 approaches, he hopes stronger protections will be implemented for marginalized and targeted groups.
"Everybody needs to look in the mirror and say how can we make targeted religious minorities feel more safe in the commonwealth," Asher said.
Richmond police could not accommodate requests at this time for information about recent investigations of vandalism at local synagogues or religious property.
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