Increase your awareness of religious obligations and ethnic and cultural festivities that may affect students, colleagues and neighbors in your community.
January 14, 2019 In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, ADL called for the censure of Rep. Steve King and asked that his ranking membership be stripped, due to a history of anti-Semitic and offensive involvements and statements. January 14, 2019
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House of Representatives
204 Capitol Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader
H-107 Capitol Building
Washington,…
Letter to House Leaders Regarding Anti-Semitism Awareness Act
Letter
December 04, 2018 In an ADL-led letter to House leaders, ADL and 12 coalition partners called for the enactment of the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act before the end of the 115th Congress. December 3, 2018
The Honorable Paul D. Ryan
Speaker
United States of House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Majority Leader
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
United States House of…
ADL Letter to Airbnb on its Decision to Delist Rentals in Israeli Settlements
Letter
November 21, 2018 In a letter to Airbnb, ADL raises questions about the company's recent decision to not list rentals in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Brian Chesky
Chief Executive Officer
Airbnb, Inc.
888 Brannan Street
San Francisco, CA
Dear Brian:
For the past several years, the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) movement has worked around the world to isolate and delegitimize the state of Israel. The predominant drive of the BDS campaign and its…
The Pyramid of Hate illustrates the prevalence of bias, hate and oppression in our society. It is organized in escalating levels of attitudes and behavior that grow in complexity from bottom to top. Like a pyramid, the upper levels are supported by the lower levels; unlike a pyramid, the levels are not built consecutively or to demonstrate a ranking of each level. Bias at each level reflects a system of oppression that negatively impacts individuals, institutions and society…
Letter to the Office for Civil Rights at HHS Regarding South Carolina Adoption Issue
Letter
October 23, 2018 In a letter to Roger Severino, Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), ADL called for the rejection of South Carolina's request to allow federally funded, faith-based foster agencies within the State to deny applications of prospective Jewish and other foster parents on the basis of religion. October 23, 2018
Mr. Roger Severino
Director of the Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human…
November is Native American Heritage Month, which was first declared by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. The month provides an opportunity to commemorate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions and histories and acknowledge the important contributions of Native American/Indigenous people. It is also an important time to educate the general public, as well as young people in schools, about the bias, discrimination and unique challenges faced by Native American/Indigenous people…
What is Everyday Bias? (In English and en español)
Tools and Strategies
Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Topic SummaryIt seems like we are seeing more and more news and social media stories about people experiencing bias as they go about their daily lives—riding the subway, shopping in a store, dining in a restaurant and hanging out with friends. Indeed, the surge of such stories makes it seem like racism, sexism, antisemitism and other forms of bias and discrimination are becoming more pervasive…
Letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Regarding Anti-Semitism Envoy
Letter
May 22, 2018 In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, ADL, along with Human Rights First, called on Pompeo to immediately identify and appoint someone to the position of U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. May 23, 2018
The Honorable Michael Pompeo
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Mr. Secretary:
Now that you have been confirmed as Secretary of State, we wish you every success in this essential…
Letter to U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley Regarding Her Efforts to Defend the Jewish People and State
Letter
May 07, 2018 In a letter to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt expressed appreciation for Haley's stalwart efforts the past two months to ensure that the Jewish people and the Jewish state are treated fairly at the United Nations Security Council. May 7, 2018
The Honorable Nikki Haley
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
799 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
Dear Ambassador Haley:
I am writing to…
Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Topic SummaryIn 1983, a social scientist named David Chambers published a research study on children’s drawings. The study gathered information from the late 1960s and 1970s in which teachers asked 5,000 children (in three different countries) to “draw a scientist.” One pattern appeared strongly: almost all of the scientist drawings depicted men. Through the study, Chambers was able to…
Letter to Iceland's Minister for Foreign Affairs on Proposed Male Circumcision Ban
Letter
April 20, 2018 In a letter to Iceland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt expressed appreciation for the government’s recommendation to the Icelandic parliament that male circumcision remain legal and its regulation be consistent with the practice in other Nordic countries. April 19, 2018
His Excellency Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
…
David Barr and the Early Days of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic Interview
Tools and Strategies
Unheard Voices: Stories of LGBT History For Educators ADL, GLSEN and StoryCorps collaborated to create Unheard Voices, an oral history and curriculum project that will help educators to integrate LGBT history, people and issues into their instructional programs.
David Barr has worked as an AIDs activist for over 25 years. At Storycorps, David talked about how the disease changed the gay community in New York City during the early 1980s, and what it was like to fight a disease that…
For Educators Educators sometimes aim to use simulations or role plays when teaching about historical atrocities in order to engage students more deeply, build empathy and teach the topic in an interactive way.
We frequently hear news stories about a classroom lesson that set out to try to help build empathy for the victims of the Holocaust by having students role play situations of either being “persecuted” or “privileged.” We also hear about teachers who have…
ADL Letter to Congressman Matthew Gaetz Regarding Charles Johnson
Letter
February 01, 2018 In a letter to Florida Rep. Matthew Gaetz, ADL urged the Congressman to discontinue any association with extremist Charles Johnson and publicly repudiate his views immediately. February 1, 2018
The Honorable Matthew Gaetz
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Gaetz,
On behalf of the Anti-Defamation League, I am writing to express deep concern about news reports that you invited Charles C. Johnson as your guest to…
For parents, families and young people Topic SummaryIn recent years, there has been a lot of attention paid to the diversity of children’s books, shining a light on the lack of diversity and amplifying the need for more children’s and young adult literature that reflects our multicultural society. In 2014, an organization named We Need Diverse Books formed, following a regularly trending hashtag with the same name (#WeNeedDiverseBooks) that helped bring attention to the issue. We…
What is anti-Semitism?
Anti-Semitism is a form of prejudice or discrimination directed toward Jews as individuals or as a group. Anti-Semitism is based on age-old stereotypes and myths that target Jews as a people, their religious practices and beliefs, or the Jewish State of Israel.
Words or actions related to Israel are anti-Semitic when they blame all Jews for the actions of the state, single out Israel in denying the country’s right to exist as a Jewish state and an…
Dos and Don’ts in Responding to Antisemitism on Campus
Tools and Strategies
In the 1930s, the dean of Yale University’s medical school — who was Jewish himself — reportedly advised his admissions team, “Never admit more than five Jews, take only two Italian Catholics, and take no blacks at all.”
The American college campus has come a long way in the past century. Colleges are more diverse, and there are greater efforts to create inclusive environments whereby all students feel comfortable on campus. But that does not mean you…
Frequently Asked Questions About Free Speech on Campus
Tools and Strategies
What is the source of our free speech rights? Free speech rights emanate from the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution[1] and from state constitutions. The U.S. Constitution limits the government’s ability to regulate speech based on content and it applies to all public colleges and universities. It serves as a floor, not a ceiling. State constitutions may grant more robust free speech rights than the U.S. Constitution, but never fewer. Is there a distinction between private and…