State lawmakers are considering a bill that would mandate the teaching of Jewish history in schools. (Andrii Koval/Getty Images)
Hateful acts directed at Oregonians because of their religion drove an increase in reported bias-related crimes and non-criminal incidents over the past year, according to a report released Monday by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission.
Oregonians in 2023 reported nearly 3,000 incidents of bias to a confidential state hotline, and about 20% of those incidents were related to the victim’s religion – most targeted at Jewish people. As it has since the commission began collecting data in 2020, race remains the largest motivating factor behind bias incidents.
While the state-run Bias Response Hotline has reported an increased number of bias incidents each year since it began collecting data in 2020, the state Department of Justice notes that many incidents still go unreported. The department launched a three-month ad campaign in April to raise awareness about the hotline, which helps Oregonians connect with resources including counseling, help filing police reports and community support.