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ADL Washington, D.C.

A YEAR IN REVIEW

Dear Friends,


I find myself feeling a mix of emotions as 2024 comes to a close. Unfortunately, in many ways this has felt like one of the hardest years for our community. More than a year later, we still find it difficult to express words about the horrific massacre and attacks on October 7, 2023. Hamas continues to hold captive more than 100 hostages while antisemitism and extremism are rising across the world. In this moment, Jews everywhere feel a level of threat that would have seemed unimaginable in our lifetime. We must never forget the impact this is having on our communities. And while the Jewish community certainly bears the brunt of antisemitism, it is a virus that spreads and ultimately will
endanger all of society if we fail to act.


Against this backdrop, we know that here at ADL our mission has remained steadfast amongst the turmoil. We are just as committed as we have ever been in our efforts both regionally and around the globe to fight the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Our staff and volunteer leaders refuse to remain complacent against the onslaught of antisemitic incidents and rise in extremist activity. ADL has doubled down on our partnerships and coordination inside and outside of the Jewish community. We have launched massive advocacy campaigns at the federal, state and local levels. We are calling upon our governors and state leaders to launch comprehensive
and state-specific strategies to reverse the normalization of antisemitism. And our educators have created new and innovative teaching materials on antisemitism.


Finally, I am reminded that each of us has a responsibility to play a constructive role in transformational change that is so desperately needed in our world today. And that is just what ADL did on November 18th right here in D.C. at the Kennedy Center for our 30th Anniversary Celebration of the In Concert Against Hate. It was an unforgettable night, and the atmosphere was filled with infectious energy and high spirits. We honored everyday heroes and leaders who stand up in the face of hatred and antisemitism. It reminded me that each of us has the power to speak out, to respond to misinformation with facts, and to show strength by speaking out whenever someone is targeted because of their
identity. This is the message I will carry with me as we head into 2025 – a message of resilience and pride of my identity. On behalf of the entire ADL Washington, D.C. team, I want to wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season and Happy New Year!


Warmly,
Meredith R. Weisel

ADL D.C. Regional Director

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celebrating successes

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.

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT


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United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and ADL D.C. hosted an interactive workshop preparing Jewish students to respond to antisemitism
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ADL D.C. Stands with Jewish students at George Washington University, American University and University of Maryland on the GW Campus to Celebrate Jewish Pride, Unity, Community and Hear from Families of Hostages
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ADL D.C. Joined Community Wide Gathering to Commemorate October 7th Thanks to Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Washington Board of Rabbis, and Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington
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Regional Director Meredith R. Weisel attended the JGO Partner Summit joining Jewish leaders across the country to discuss rising antisemitism on college campuses & staggering rates of hate directed towards Jewish students.
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Senior Vice President of International Affairs Marina Rosenberg and D.C. Regional Director Meredith R. Weisel attended the memorial event hosted by the Embassy of Israel, commemorating one year since the October 7 massacre.

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Responding to Incidents

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This year ADL has continued our commitment of responding to incidents of hate and bias throughout the region. In 2023, ADL tabulated
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8,873 antisemitic incidents across the United States. This is a 140% increase from our
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2022 audit and remains the highest number on record since ADL began tracking incidents in 1979. When hate tries to infest our communities we are there to speak out. Here are just a few examples of ADL D.C.'s statements on antisemitic incidents in 2024.
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Signs at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation Vandalized Again
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Teacher Uses Holocaust Comparisons when Discussing War Between Israel and Hamas
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Antisemitic Signs, Chants and Harassment near the George Washington University encampment
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White Supremacist, Antisemitic Flyers Found in D.C. Region
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Community Member Assaulted When Trying to Support Local Restaurant Vandalized with Swastikas
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Anti-Israel protestors Release Maggots and Crickets, Pulled Fire Alarms at Watergate Hotel Where Israeli Delegation is Staying
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Antisemitic Propganda in North Carolina's Little Free Libraries
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Jewish Man Assaulted in Antisemitic Attack in Foggy Bottom
ADL D.C. is committed to being a source of support, education, and a beacon of hope for our community in the face of hate. We are thankful for every person who has taken the time to report an incident to us. If you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or antisemitism,
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please click here to report an Antisemitic, Bias or Discriminatory incident.

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Building Leadership

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This year, ADL D.C.'s GLI had 9 wonderful particpants.
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Applications for ADL Washington, D.C.'s 2025 Glass Leadership (GLI) Institute are still open , and we need YOUR HELP finding the next generation of ADL leaders! Established over 20 years ago, GLI is the cornerstone leadership development program at ADL. It empowers young professionals to fight antisemitism and hate in their own communities and provides unique opportunities to explore ADL’s core mission. If you know a young professional who would be a good fit, encourage them to apply today or
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nominate them !

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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
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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 Henrico County Police Department, Metropolitain Police Department Office of Intelligence, FBI Charlotte and FBI Richmond.

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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. Here are some of the ways ADL D.C.'s Education team has accomplished our mission over 2024.
- ADL D.C. provided anti-bias workshops for camp counselors at Lessans JCC and Chizuk Amuno to approximately 300 employees of the camps.
- At the University level, ADL D.C. provided our Words to Action workshop to students at Wake Forest University. Students discussed antisemitism they've experienced on campus, and shared resources with how to address what they experienced.
- ADL D.C. provided workplace antisemitism programs to companies throughout the region--from HR specialists to scientists to the arts, the region discussed the impact of antisemitism on mental health, how antisemitism impacts those in the arts community, and how to support Jewish colleagues in any professional setting.
- 191 regional schools are participating in ADL's No Place for Hate program for the 2024-2025 school year. No Place for Hate is a self-directed program providing students, educators, and families a role in combating bias and bullying.

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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.
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ADL D.C., Baltimore Jewish Council, and the Jewish Community Relations Council Urged the Maryland House of Delegates to Change the Makeup of the Attorney General's Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention (HB763)
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ADL D.C. Thanked Maryland State Senator Will C. Smith Jr. as Chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee for Support for HB763
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ADL D.C. Regional Director Meredith R. Weisel Releases a Statement on the Passage of SB7 and HB18
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Council of D.C. Declares May as Jewish American Heritage Month in D.C. and May 6 as Holocaust Remembrance Day
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ADL's Oren Segal, VP at the Center on Extremism, Testifies Before Congress' Ways and Means Committee Addressing Tax Exempt Funds Fueling Antisemitic Activity
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ADL D.C.'s Statement on pro-Hamas Protestor Being Federally Charged
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ADL D.C. Supports Maryland Legislation Requiring Schools to Designate a Title VI Coordinator

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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 its annual ADL In Concert Against Hate.


The Concert began in 1995 as a special event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust. On November 18th, 2024, ADL hosted the 30th annual In Concert Against Hate and the mood was electric at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Stars like Ben Stiller, Sia and Eden Golan entertained us and inspired us as we all work to fight antisemitism and hate.


Scooter Braun received the ADL Spotlight Award for bringing “The Nova Music Festival Exhibition: October 7th 06:29 AM” to the U.S., where it has provided survivor testimonies and recreated the atmosphere of the harrowing Hamas attack. The powerful exhibit has been in NYC, LA and now Miami.

Blair Underwood, Shiva Negar and Cynthia Mace joined us to honor our Kay Family Award recipients Dr. Mehnaz Afridi, Dr. Charles Chavis and Rosette Goldstein.


We were honored to present the Levenson Family Defender of Democracy Award to Noa Fay, Luda Isakharov and Einav Tsach, students who both on campus and on Capitol Hill have put their college experience on the line in order to speak out for what’s right.

We need people like these honorees more than ever. They set an example for us, they lead us and they remind us that all of us, in our own ways, need to rise to meet this moment.


ADL thanks all of our Concert honorees, Zach Sage for helping us kick off the evening, our generous sponsors, and we thank you for all you do to Fight Hate for Good with ADL.

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Thank you to our incredible Regional Team! Allison, Shayna, Luda, Avi, Leah, Lacy, Emma, Meredith, and Shelby--without them, we could not do this work. Happy Holidays and New Year!





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