Thank you, John.

Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, I just wanted to express the gratitude of the entire ADL team to you and the rest of the amazing ADL community.

These have not been easy weeks. We were all devastated by the October 7 massacre, and we are focused each day on helping to secure the freedom of the hundreds of people who remain captives since they were cruelly taken hostage and dragged into Gaza. I will not forget that day of evil for the rest of my life. Antisemitism in the U.S. and around the world has surged since then, rising from already-concerning levels, and people are understandably frightened.

So, standing last week amidst hundreds of thousands of people on the National Mall in DC to push back against this hate was a powerful and much-needed moment for me. I was deeply moved to be among these friends — Jews and non-Jews, Democrats and Republicans, so many unified voices singing the U.S. national anthem and then Hatikvah. I am so appreciative of everyone in the ADL community who was there that day, or who has gathered in your communities, at your places of worship and in online spaces to speak the truth against antisemitism so that hatred does not echo in the silence. I am also amazed by the number of ways you have taken action by signing petitions, open letters and calls for legislation with ADL; having so many people speak out to our elected officials and others is truly making a difference.

You have all risen to the moment. You will not be intimidated or worn down by the challenges we face.

As we gather for the holidays, it’s possible that there will be challenging conversations at the dinner table or in the online communities where you gather with family and friends. We want to share a new ADL guide for how to (and whether to) engage in these conversations while avoiding angry comments and hurt feelings. You can read that here. We want you to have the information and context you need to counter misinformation and respond to questions, so please use ADL’s ‘We Stand with Israel’ Hub to read our online resources about the crisis and the rise in antisemitism since then.

At challenging times like this, I am truly gratified and humbled to be part of the ADL community with you. Please enjoy your holiday, rest up and get reenergized for the days ahead.

Have a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Greenblatt

CEO and National Director

ADL