Jewish groups are sounding the alarm after the New York City Police Department released statistics on Wednesday indicating that hate crimes have doubled in a single year.

Of the nearly 500 hate crimes reported in the city as of November, some 180 were anti-Semitic in nature. The total is up from 121 incidents the year before and accounts for the largest number of hate crimes against any group.

Scott Richman, NY/NJ regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, said “it’s alarming that in the past seven weeks alone, we have had to issue five reward offers asking for information about violent anti-Semitic incidents. Hate crimes affect entire communities, not just the victims. This trend is unacceptable, and we cannot let this hate become normalized.”

Hate crimes against Asians accounted for 128 of the incidents, up from fewer than 30 cases in previous years. The increase coincided with the outbreak of COVID-19.

Evan Bernstein, national director and CEO of the Community Security Services, which trains volunteers to help secure synagogues and Jewish communal institutions, said that “we continue to monitor these concerning trends that continue to afflict the Jewish community across the board. We are tremendously fortunate to have the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force in our city that deeply understands the sensitivity around anti-Jewish bias.

“The numbers keep telling us the same thing: We must continue to ensure the highest level of security and safety for institutions. From a communal perspective, we remain laser-focused on empowering the Jewish community to take a more proactive role in this realm.”