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ADL WASHINGTON, D.C.'S YEAR IN REVIEW
Dear Friends,


I can’t believe the end of the year is almost here. It feels like just yesterday we welcomed 2023. As is typical during this time, I’ve been reflecting on what we have accomplished with pride. It has been a year filled with both triumphs and setbacks, each of which has helped us grow as individuals and as a community.


Of course, it has been difficult for many of us to look back on any part of this year that occurred before the horrific massacre and attacks on October 7th. With still no clear end in sight to what is happening in Israel and, consequently, around the world, I feel hopeful not only in the State of Israel’s resilience but in the strength of the Jewish community and its allies. What we can do is stand together as one and support our loved ones in this fight.


It's important we also remember our achievements in 2023 and the times of hope and happiness we’ve spent together. That is one of the reasons we’ve put together this email for you – to remind ourselves of the events, partnerships, and more that we have held this year. As you read and see what’s below, I hope you feel a true sense of pride in ADL’s work. We hope you know that none of this would be possible without your support. You make it easy and meaningful to show up to work every day to do our jobs to fulfill ADL’s mission.


Please take a few moments to sit back and read about just a few of our highlights within our region. Looking ahead to the new year, I and my team are holding hope for a bigger and brighter 2024 ahead. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from your ADL D.C. family.

Sincerely,
Meredith R. Weisel

ADL Washington, D.C. Regional Director


CELEBRATING SUCCESSES


COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
ADL D.C. engages community members across D.C., Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia to counter antisemitism, build allyship, respond to incidents of antisemitism and hate, and work towards a shared goal of justice and fair treatment for all. This includes programs like our Glass Leadership Institute and our next generation Associate Board.

Responding to Incidents This year ADL D.C. has responded to incidents of hate and bias throughout the region. Since October 7th, the United States has seen over
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2,000 reports of antisemitic incidents, including vandalism, assault, and antisemitic rhetoric at rallies. The D.C. region has been adversely impacted as well. When egregious incidents of hate occur, we speak out. Here are just a few examples of ADL D.C.'s statements on antisemitic incidents since October 7th:
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Swastikas found on American University's campus
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Man verbally harasses synagogue-goers in D.C.
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Vandalism of Holocaust memorial over Hanukkah in North Carolina
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Cancelled Menorah lighting at an Arts and Music Festival in Williamsburg
While the region's Incident Response Team typically handles each case individually, certain areas require more attention. For example, in response to the uptick of antisemitic incidents in Montgomery County, Maryland schools, Councilmember Andrew Friedson hosted a town hall in March. ADL D.C. Regional Director Meredith R. Weisel attended to offer context for these antisemitic incidents and offer resources to combat hate within the county.

Building LeadershipADL D.C.'s Associate Board is made of up 32 next-generation leaders members. During 2023, these regional members, through quarterly meetings, received ongoing ADL education and advocated on behalf of the D.C. Regional Office. Associate Board members participated in lobbying meetings, fundraised around the In Concert Against Hate, and shared antisemitism resources with their workplaces among other contributions to ADL D.C.'s work.ADL's Glass Leadership Institute (GLI) engages young leaders with ADL subject matter experts from various departments within the organization both in-person and virtually. ADL D.C. had 10 individuals participate in GLI from January to September.
They were able to attend ADL’s National Leadership Summit in D.C. where they met other young professionals from around the nation and were able to hear from an impressive line-up of speakers. The Summit culminated in a lobbying day on the Hill where cohort members were able to advocate to their local officials on various ADL-backed pieces of legislation. Rallying with the CommunityThe Jewish community came together in solidarity with Black community partners and other allies at the 60th anniversary commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington. ADL D.C. Regional Director Meredith Weisel
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spoke at the March about bias incidents seen in our community and the need for a multi-layered approach to build coalitions and stand up to hate. On November 14th, the Regional Office hosted ADL staff from across the country to join the historic March for Israel. An estimated 300,000 members from the Jewish community, allies, and supporters united their voices to condemn antisemitism and demanded a continued effort to bring all hostages home. ADL was proud to be there on the scene, handing out signs and joining together to lift up our voices.

LAW ENFORCEMENT
For over 100 years, ADL has been a leader in identifying and calling out antisemitism and hate. An important part of our work is ensuring that law enforcement agencies and personnel at the local, state and federal levels understand threats to vulnerable populations. We regularly communicate with law enforcement about individual incidents and alert them to threats identified by our Center on Extremism. We also honor the work of local Law Enforcement within our region through an annual celebration, the Service, Honor, Integrity, Excellence, Leadership, and Dedication (SHIELD) Awards.ADL D.C. held this year's SHIELD Awards in June, honoring law enforcement for significant contributions towards
protecting the American people from hate crimes, extremism, and domestic and international terrorism. Among award recipients was an outstanding group of individuals from D.C. Capitol Police, FBI Washington Field Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office for their relentless efforts to pursue justice against those responsible for the January 6th attack on the Capitol.

EDUCATION
ADL D.C. works in partnership with schools, organizations and communities to design and deliver anti-bias and antisemitism education, both online and in person. This entails traveling throughout our region to equip administrators, teachers, and students with the knowledge and resources needed to handle incidents of antisemitism and hate when they arise. Overall, ADL D.C. held 26 anti-bias and 36 antisemitism programs in 2023, highlighting this work:
- ADL D.C. facilitated 5 anti-bias in sports workshops for coaches and athletic staff in the Virginia High School League, with over 300 participants.
- Alongside the JCRC of Greater Washington, regional education staff provided workshops on antisemitism for the entire elementary, middle and high school cluster of faculty at Walt Whitman High School in Montgomery County.
- At the University level, ADL D.C. held briefings on antisemitism on campus for senior leadership at American University, the University of Mary Washington, William & Mary, Georgetown University, and George Washington University.
- 173 regional schools are participating in ADL's No Place for Hate program for the 2023-2024 school year. No Place for Hate is a self-directed program providing students, educators, and families a role in combating bias and bullying.

POLICY INITIATIVES
ADL regularly speaks out for marginalized communities and advocates for laws and policies focused on creating justice for all. In the D.C. region, this is done by advocating at the state and local level to government officials to promote ADL's work and legislation and supporting mission-relevant policies.
Regional Director Meredith R. Weisel was appointed to three different government initiatives created in our region. In Maryland, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown created the
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Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention , composed of 20 stakeholders from law enforcement, state and local organizations that represent communities targeted by hate crimes. In Virginia, Meredith was named as a member of Attorney General Jason Miyares
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taskforce on antisemitism . This taskforce monitors, gathers information, educates, and coordinates with law enforcement regarding instances of antisemitism. And in Montgomery County, Maryland, Meredith was named to a local
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anti-hate taskforce put together by Councilmember Evan Glass to help advocate for policies to combat antisemitism and hate in the community.

In 2023, ADL D.C. staff and Board members attended meetings with officials our region, including Montgomery County Council members, Fairfax County and Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, D.C. City Council Members, and D.C. Mayor Bowser.


ADL D.C. advocates for and supports legislation throughout the region that improves the safety and security of all minorities. Click through a few examples of this legislation and stands against antisemitism:
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Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin introduces new effort to combat antisemitism
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Governor Moore denounces rise in Jewish hate incidents in Marylan d

FUNDRAISING
ADL cannot fulfill its mission to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all without the generous support of its donors. A major portion of ADL D.C.'s fundraising encompasses it's annual ADL In Concert Against Hate.On Monday, October 30th, ADL D.C. hosted the 29th annual ADL In Concert Against Hate at the Kennedy Center. A night of hope bolstered by stars, this year’s concert was particularly poignant following the terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7th and the rising antisemitism in our community and around the world. The evening began with the presentation of the Levenson Family Defender of Democracy Award to two remarkable women: Ruby
Freeman and Wandrea' Arshaye Moss. The mother-daughter Georgia election workers who were falsely accused of processing fake ballots by then-President Donald Trump and his allies. In August, they won a defamation suit against Rudy Giuliani. The ADL Defender of Democracy Award is given annually to individuals who take a principled stance to uphold and defend the tenets of democracy embodied in the Constitution of the United States. In addition, ADL presented the Kay Family Award to three remarkable honorees for their courage and conviction in confronting and combating hate:
- Tova Friedman and Aron Goodman: Born in Poland in 1938, Friedman shares her story with audiences all over the country and is the subject of “Tovatok,” a social media platform that educates young adults about the Holocaust, antisemitism and promotes cultural understanding. Goodman created “Tovatok” with his grandmother when he noticed that few of his peers knew about the Holocaust. “Tovatok” now has over 80 million views and more than half a million followers.
- Kim Klett: For over 30 years, Kimberly Klett, MA, has worked to bring quality Holocaust education to classrooms all around the country. In addition to her work in schools, Klett is the Deputy Executive Director for the Educators’ Institute for Human Rights, where she works with teachers to establish global Holocaust and human rights education.

Thank you for our incredible 2023 Regional Team--Allison, Ben, Debbie, Emily, Kay, Lacy, Marya, Meredith, Michelle and Shelby--without them, we could not do this work.Happy Holidays and New Year!






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