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How Can “Looking at Lights” Promote Respect Among Children for Various Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions?

Tools and Strategies
Candles in the Dark
Early Childhood Question Corner   Common themes appear in holidays and celebrations across many cultures. By connecting themes, as suggested in the Question Corner installment "How can I plan inclusive holiday celebrations?" you can show children that holidays and celebrations are an expression of cultural and religious pride, and help them understand the commonality of certain human feelings, celebrations and their meaning. For example, by trying the following activity, Looking…
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How Do Children Learn Prejudice?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers In Teacher they called me a ____!, Dr. Debra A. Byrnes defines prejudice as preconceived ideas about people “perceived as being different, due to race, religion, culture, gender, disabilities, appearance, language, sexual orientation, or social status” (1995, 3). She explains that a large body of research (Brown,1972; Byrnes & Kiger, 1992; Milner, 1975; Williams & Orland, 1976)…
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How Can Outdoor Play Increase Children’s Anti-Bias Skills?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Children’s outdoor play offers many opportunities to teach and reinforce anti-bias behavior. To get you started, incorporate some of the below tips excerpted from Bias-Free Foundations: Early Childhood Activities for Educators (2005, 28): Take advantage of these opportunities by helping children to learn skills such as taking turns, sharing toys and inviting new children to play. For example,…
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Letter to His Excellency Foreign Minister Luis Leonardo Almagro

Letter
December 02, 2014 His Excellency Luis Leonardo Almagro Minister of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Palacio Santos: 18 de Julio 1205 Edificio: Colonia 1206 Montevideo, Uruguay Dear Mr. Foreign Minister: We write to express our sincere appreciation regarding the statement issued on November 18, 2014, in which Uruguay strongly condemned the brutal terrorist attack inside a synagogue in the Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem, killing four Jews at…
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How Do I Create a Bias-Free Learning Environment?

Tools and Strategies
Early Childhood Question Corner For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers The early childhood program environment should look and feel welcoming for all children and should reflect the diverse world in which we live. In addition to being bright, colorful, safe and clean, it should include children’s artwork and show the diversity of the world through the program’s abundant supply of age-appropriate toys, dolls, books, magazines , pictures and musical instruments…
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Winter Holidays: December Dilemma or Teaching Opportunity?

Tools and Strategies
Candles in the Dark
For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Winter is a festive time of year because so many holidays are celebrated by people from different religions, cultures and races. We spend time with family and friends, connect with our faith or culture, give and receive gifts and enjoy special foods and treats. However, this time of year—especially in schools and whether it's in-person, online or hybrid—can be a time where some children can feel uncomfortable, excluded, insulted…
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Letter to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Regarding the Terror Attack in Ottawa

Letter
October 23, 2014 Dear Mr. Prime Minister: We are writing to extend our strong support to the government and people of Canada following yesterday's terrorist attack on Parliament Hill. We express our condolences to the family of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo. As you noted in your national address, unfortunately, this attack, along with the earlier incident in Montreal, demonstrate that Canada is not immune from the extremism and terrorism afflicting the globe. We stand with you in solidarity in your…
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National Bullying Prevention Month

Tools and Strategies
Pupils Friends Teasing a Pupil Standing Alone
October is National Bullying Prevention Month National Bullying Prevention Month is an opportunity to reflect on the classroom and school culture and assess the extent to which bullying is part of that culture. It is a time to examine best practices when it comes to creating respectful school environments that foster inclusion and respect. The large body of research on effective responses to name-calling and bullying concurs that schools and other educational institutions can best…
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Letter to UN Secretary General Ban on Israel Comments

Letter
July 22, 2014 The Honorable Ban Ki-Moon Secretary General United Nations Dear Mr. Secretary General, We were surprised by the uncharacteristically harsh and one-sided tenor and content of the remarks you made to the press during your visit to Doha on Sunday.  One cannot fail to feel pain and anguish one feels for the suffering befalling the people of Gaza.  Yet, at a time when morally responsible leaders are asking "What kind of human being indiscriminately fires thousands of…
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Letter to Her Excellency, President of Argentina Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

Letter
July 18, 2014 Her Excellency Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner President of the Argentine Republic Balcarce 50, CP 1064 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires Argentina   Dear Madam President: On the twentieth anniversary of the July 18, 1994 terrorist bombing of the AMIA-DAIA building in Buenos Aires, we once again recall the 85 innocent Argentinian victims who died tragically and the hundreds who were wounded on that day. Madam President, we appreciate your…
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President of the AMIA Mr. Leonardo Jmelnitzky

Letter
July 18, 2014 Mr. Leonardo Jmelnitzky President Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) Pasteur 633 (C1028 AMM) Buenos Aires Argentina Dear Mr. Jmelnitzky: As the twentieth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Jewish community's AMIA-DAIA building in Buenos Aires, Argentina approaches, we once again express our solidarity with the Argentinean Jewish community and remember the eighty-five innocent victims who lost their lives and the hundreds of others…
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Women's History Month Resources

Tools and Strategies
Women's History Month Resources
Use these resources to honor women around the world, explore women’s achievements and struggles throughout history, and acknowledge women’s contributions to our society.
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Incident at University of Mississippi Concerns Racism

Letter
February 21, 2014 Daniel W. Jones, M.D. Chancellor The University of Mississippi Dear Chancellor Jones: We are writing to express our deep concern about the recent incident at the University of Mississippi in which two unidentified men placed a noose around the neck of the statue of James Meredith, the school’s first black student.  There have reportedly been other recent incidences of troubling acts of homophobia and racism. College is a unique and special time in a young person…
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Establishing a Safe Learning Environment

Tools and Strategies
2 girls talking
For Educators In many of ADL’s lesson plans and activities, students are challenged to explore and articulate their personal feelings about sensitive topics including segregation, discrimination, and the value of diverse school communities. Talking about themes related to diversity requires that students demonstrate maturity and compassion for others. In conjunction with social justice curricula, it is therefore recommended that teachers use service learning, conflict resolution,…
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Assessing Children's Literature

Tools and Strategies
Literature is a powerful vehicle for helping children understand their homes, communities and the world. Even before young children can read, family members, childcare providers and teachers read them stories about people in faraway places, sometimes from the distant past and sometimes about people whose lives are similar to their own. The impressions and messages contained in these stories can last a lifetime. Books, at their best, invite children to use their imaginations, expand their…
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ADL Letter to Augusta National Golf Club

Letter
August 01, 2012 William Porter “Billy” Payne  Chairman  Augusta National Golf Club  2604 Washington Road  Augusta, GA 30904  Dear Mr. Payne: We write to join the chorus of voices objecting to Augusta National Golf Club’s adherence to its policy of excluding women from its membership. As a civil rights and human relations agency, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry and prejudice.  For nearly 100 years…
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Challenging Biased Language

Tools and Strategies
Emotional Asian Woman Talks in a Group
On a daily basis—in the lunchroom, at the grocery store, in school hallways, in our political rhetoric and even at home—people hear and sometimes use words and phrases that demean, ridicule, offend or show ignorance about people from different groups and backgrounds. Regardless of whether the comments are deliberately malicious, said because the person lacks knowledge, or thought to be "a joke," such words are harmful and not only impact those on the receiving end but also everyone…
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ADL Letter to JTA, Regarding Day School Funding

Letter
August 03, 2012 Jewish day school funding is a real challenge and doesn’t lend itself to easy solutions. Letters to the Editor The Jewish Telegraphic Agency To the Editor: Jewish education and religious freedom are both vital to the American Jewish community.  But it would be a mistake to sacrifice one for the other, as advocated by Shai Franklin (“ADL must reassess opposition to gov’t support for parochial schools,” Aug. 1).  We are in agreement that Jewish…
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ADL and Albanian-Americans Agree: Stereotyping Muslims Unacceptable

Letter
May 16, 2007 Mr. Esad Rizaj President Albanian American Society Foundation 2548 Davidson Avenue Bronx, NY 10468 Dear Mr. Rizaj: Thank you for sharing your concern that some people may blame and target Muslims, including Albanian-Americans, in the aftermath of the recent arrests in the Fort Dix case. It is vitally important that we show strength and determination in fighting terrorism, and we congratulate those law enforcement authorities responsible for uncovering and successfully…
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