Looking Straight Ahead, Anti-Semitic Acts Happening From 2020-2030in Portland, Oregon

 Nadene Goldfoot                                            

 Temple at Congregation Beth Israel in Portland, Ore.Courtesy of Congregation Beth Israel posted December 21, 2020;  and another later on about fires.  

A small fire was started outside of Congregation Beth Israel and an antisemitic message was spray-painted on the historic sanctuary’s exterior wall. 

Leaders at Congregation Beth Israel in Northwest Portland reported acts of vandalism on the synagogue’s property on Monday, including remnants of a fire set in front of the building and an antisemitic message painted on an exterior wall. Rabbi Michael Cahana said the Portland Police Bureau was notified and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is also involved in investigating the attack on the historic congregation, which was established in 1858.

 Northeast Portland/Park Rally (August 22, 2021): A gathering commemorating clashes from the previous year took place in a parking lot, resulting in physical altercations and paintball/bear spray usage between the groups. Anti- Semitism from 2020- 2026, driven by a mix of far-right extremist propaganda, localized vandalism, and heightened campus and community tensions were surrounding the Middle East conflict. Data from the Anti-Defamation League and the Oregon Department of Justice show multi-fold increases in reported anti-Jewish bias events, harassment, and structural civil rights and scrutiny.   

Antisemitism in the Portland area during 2026 remains a prominent concern, marked by recent institutional legal settlements, federal civil rights scrutiny, and local cultural flashpoints.                       

Higher Education and Civil Rights Settlements

Reed College Settlement: In July 2026, Reed College settled federal civil rights complaints brought by the Anti-Defamation League and the Brandeis Center under Title VI. The liberal arts college agreed to sweeping institutional reforms, updating its discrimination policies to explicitly state that targeting Jewish people based on a Zionist identity is a form of unlawful discrimination. "Historical and recent demonstrations at Reed College have centered on social justice, free speech, and global conflicts, with key movements including the 1968 Black Studies protest, the 2017 Humanities 110 curriculum sit-ins, and recent Gaza war divestment rallies."



Federal Investigations: Institutional environments across Oregon continue to face oversight. Previous federal inquiries under Title VI involved local universities like Portland State University regarding campus climate and safety during Middle East conflict protests. 

Cleanup at the Branford Price Millar Library at Portland State University is underway, May 6, 2024, after protesters occupied the library for several days last week.
Tiffany Camhi / OPB
The Millar Library Takeover: In spring 2024, pro-Palestinian demonstrations escalated into a multi-day occupation and localized damage inside the Branford Price Millar Library, driven in part by demands for the university to cut ties with military and corporate connections tied to Israel. Jewish students reported feeling isolated, excluded, and unsafe during these actions.  
Protesters occupied the library starting April 29, 2024, temporarily renaming it after a Palestinian poet. Police cleared the building and ended the occupation on May 2, 2024. The university reported $1.23 million in repair costs for the facility. Vandalism heavily affected the physical building, including smashed glass displays, spray-painted walls, and damaged electronic monitors. Safety systems like fire alarms were disabled or pulled down, and furniture was piled up to form barricades. Following four months of repairs, the library officially reopened in September 2024 for the fall term.
Viral Video and Legal Actions: In June 2025, a tenured PSU professor was placed on administrative leave after an off-chain/off-campus video showed her making controversial statements including "I am Hamas". The university called the remarks unacceptable, though a subsequent 10-month internal review cleared her of policy violations, leading the professor to file a multi-million dollar discrimination lawsuit against the university in 2026.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The Anti-Defamation League and Stop Antisemitism are giving Portland State University (PSU) and the University of Oregon (UO) poor grades for addressing antisemitism. Both reports say that students are facing high levels of prejudice at school.The organizations are known for pro-Israel advocacy.  Of course, what happens to Israel, a Jewish country, affects we Jews in the US, as the first people attacked by Americans.  Concerns about antisemitism at PSU heightened during last year’s pro-Palestine protests.  Our attackers go by lack of knowledge and belief of the worst of Jews that goes back to bible days, Jews being the world's scapegoat of all things.  They have no knowledge of the Palestinian history or our Jewish biblical and up to date history of Hamas terrorism  except for some religious groups.  But Bob Horenstein with the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland says he has seen PSU president Ann Cudd address the issue.  I take issue with the goals of TV stations who feed people their own outlook on issues-without the proper research.  Their goal is numbers of people watching them and what draws them in.  It turns out  its hatred of Jews.  TV is brain-washing people's minds.  

Looking Back: Anti-Semitism From The 2010-2020s in Portland, Oregon

 Nadene Goldfoot                                     

                                    My favorite theater fairly near my old home
          "Mike and Brian McMenamin bought the theater in 1991 and reopened it as the Bagdad Theatre and Pub. The balcony wall was dismantled to return the theater to a single screen, with seating for 590. Alternating rows of seats and long tables face the movie screen to accommodate the serving of food and beverage. This I didn't know as I had moved from this area. I'm glad to see they found ways to stay in business with all the competition they had.

Thousands of marchers took place in Portland on June 3, 2020 during 100 days of Portland Protests of racial injustice;  which is a switch from anti-Semitic acts brought out by the death of George Floyd, a Black man police killed in Minneapolis.    

Between 2010 and 2020, Portland, Oregon, experienced a noticeable rise in antisemitic incidents, driven by an increase in far-right extremist activity, white nationalist propaganda, and a broader national surge in bias crimes.

Context and Extremist Activity

Far-Right Groups: The Pacific Northwest and the Portland metro area saw active organizing by various white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups during this decade. 
Volksfront: Founded originally in 1994 in Oregon, this violent neo-Nazi skinhead group maintained a local presence in the Portland metro area into the early 2010s. The organization officially announced its complete dissolution in August 2012, citing mounting pressure from law enforcement scrutiny and community anti-racist campaigns. 
The Proud Boys: Established nationally in 2016, the Proud Boys emerged as a dominant force in Portland street demonstrations starting around 2017. While describing themselves as "Western chauvinists" rather than explicit white nationalists, watchdogs and civil rights organizations documented overlapping memberships, white supremacist ties, and regular involvement in violent clashes in downtown Portland.Delta Park (September 26, 2020): Hundreds of far-right demonstrators and Proud Boys gathered for a permitted afternoon rally, which drew separate counter-protests at Peninsula Park and historic Vanport. Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency for the weekend. 
Patriot Prayer: Based out of nearby Washington county/Vancouver and led by Joey Gibson, this group organized numerous provocative rallies in downtown Portland beginning in 2017. They frequently collaborated with extremist elements, white nationalists, and the Proud Boys, drawing massive counter-protests and frequent physical street brawls. In 2017 and 2018, Gibson considered himself to be a moderate libertarian. His organization has been described in the media as "alt-right". Gibson has denied that his group is alt-right, and has disavowed white supremacists who frequently appear at his events. In 2017, the Anti-Defamation League described his views as appearing to be alt-lite.
Rejects white supremacy and biological racism openly embraced by the alt-right.Focuses heavily on civic nationalism, anti-immigration stances, and anti-feminism.Amplifies right-wing populism and deep distrust of mainstream media. 

Patriot Front & Network Elements: Toward the tail end of the decade (post-2017/2018), decentralized white nationalist entities like Patriot Front began targeting the Pacific Northwest with localized propaganda distribution, flyering campaigns, and flash demonstrations. 

Public Demonstrations: Extremist groups frequently used public spaces, highway overpasses, and local events to drop banners, distribute hateful fliers, and engage in rallies that heightened tensions for the local Jewish community. 

Incidents of Harassment and Vandalism

Vandalism: Synagogues, Jewish community institutions, and public cultural sites experienced periodic acts of anti-Jewish vandalism, graffiti, and intimidation.
Harassment: The Anti-Defamation League  documented a steady upward trend in harassment and localized targeting of Jewish students in schools and public spaces, particularly mirroring national record highs toward the end of the decade. 
AI Overview
Watchdogs like the Southern Poverty Law Center have listed specific Black separatist or nationalist groups with antisemitic or anti-white ideologies as having a presence in Portland, including the Black Riders Liberation Party, the Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ, and the Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge. 
• Black Riders Liberation Party: Designated as a Black nationalist/separatist extremist group that promotes militant and hostile ideologies.founded in the United States in 1996. The group claims ideological continuity with the original Black Panther Party and focuses on fighting white supremacy and capitalist oppression. 
Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ: A sect within the Black Hebrew Israelite movement tracked for promoting discriminatory views regarding faith and identity.
Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge
 (ISUPK): Another radical Black Hebrew Israelite branch known for public street teachings that often include antisemitic and discriminatory claims. 
Local civil rights experts and watchdogs note that while these groups are formally cataloged on hate group maps, their active public footprint and localized threat level.

Reporting Systems: In response to the growing climate of hate, the Oregon Department of Justice launched the Bias Response Hotline in January 2020 to document hate crimes and bias incidents. 
Local Defense: Regional security networks and community organizations, such as the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, increased security infrastructure, training, and interfaith coalitions to support affected institutions.