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.