Dear ADL Friends,

Before you read the full Year in Review below, we wanted to share what ADL in action looks like. This community helped achieve real wins in recent weeks — FBI arrests, community protection and accountability for hate. These victories show what’s possible when we join together. They’re proof that your support matters. Here's what you helped accomplish:

• Just days after ADL wrapped up the 2025 J7 Leaders Summit in Sydney where we expressed grave alarm about rising antisemitism in Australia, there was a devastating terror attack in Bondi Beach. We immediately offered our support to our allies in the Jewish community there and we coordinated with partners to increase security at Jewish communal institutions across the US. We also were all over the media, helping to put this terrible tragedy in context to remind viewers and readers about the global scourge of antisemitism we face.
• Following violent antisemitic protests last month at Wilshire Blvd Temple in Los Angeles, ADL reached out to law enforcement to help identify the culprits. Last week, as law enforcement arrested several people for an alleged New Year’s Eve bomb plot, we noted that one of those arrested had also been involved in the Wilshire Blvd Temple incident.
• On the fourth night of Hanukkah, ADL and our affiliate JLens took center stage at the New York Stock Exchange to ring the bell in celebration of JLens’ Jewish advocacy ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund), the first Jewish investment fund to do so. The ETF aims to amplify the Jewish voice in the corporate arena through shareholder advocacy. JLens experts assess companies based on metrics addressing antisemitism, supporting Israel and aligning with Jewish communal priorities.
• Most recently, after Mayor-elect Mamdani named a Director of Appointments, ADL uncovered her antisemitic social media posts from 2011-2012, including references to “money hungry Jews” and other classic antisemitic tropes. She resigned the following day. In response, Mamdani told reporters that his team was making changes in their vetting process. While this acknowledgement is a step forward, the specifics of these changes remain unclear.

Thank you for all you do to support ADL and to help us fight hate every day.

This Week’s Topline

The 2025 Year in Review: Challenging Times and Moments of Hope

2025 was a challenging year for all who oppose antisemitism and other forms of hate. It was a year that tested our community — and showed our strength. A year when we united when we were devastated by violence targeting Jews around the globe. We responded together. With resilience. With resolve. With action.

We also came together in times of hope: to recognize campus climate gains made at many schools; to drive change through litigation and legislation against hate; and to wipe back tears as the final remaining living hostages came home from Gaza to hug their loved ones after hundreds of days of a nightmarish captivity.

I don’t know what the next 12 months will bring. But I know that we will stand together once again to fight antisemitism and hate. We won’t just wish and hope for progress against antisemitism; we will do everything we can to make it happen.

Read on below for a month-by-month rundown of what the ADL community went through and accomplished in a tumultuous 2025.

We are so grateful for your support because we can only do this work with you at our side. Together, let’s make the coming year one of progress, resilience and hope.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Greenblatt
ADL CEO and National Director

JANUARY:

In a bleak start to the year, an Islamist terrorist rammed a truck into a crowd in a deadly attack in New Orleans. Hateful conspiracy theories seeking to connect the attack to immigrants, Israel, Jews or the federal government quickly circulated online. Just days later, more ugly conspiratorial accusations spread as the Los Angeles wildfires devastated that region. ADL put out an explainer to push back against these false narratives.

ADL released two important reports on the challenges that the Jewish community faces. In the first, we noted that 83% of Jewish college students had witnessed or experienced antisemitism since 10/7 and that 41% felt the need to sometimes hide their Jewish identity. In the second, ADL’s latest Global 100 survey found that 46% of adults worldwide hold significant antisemitic beliefs. One alarming finding was how prejudices seem to be hardening among the under-35 Millennial and Gen Z generations.

In wins to start off 2025... ADL and civil rights partners from across New York State welcomed a bill in the New York Legislature designed to bring back and strengthen a law prohibiting masked intimidation. A version of the #UnMaskHate NY bill passed in May. ADL also welcomed the news that the Wikipedia arbitration committee took disciplinary action against multiple editors in the wake of a massive effort by anti-Israel editors to spread misinformation and hate across the platform. Among those disciplined were several who had targeted ADL with misleading Wikipedia posts.

MAKING PROGRESS WITH ADL

Disrupting Threats: The ADL Center on Extremism’s Threat Monitoring Unit frequently uncovers threats against the Jewish community and shares information with law enforcement. Watch a fascinating video explaining how ADL analysts discovered multiple threats against the Jewish community from a Canada-based X user, and how the information they provided to local law enforcement helped bring charges against the perpetrator.

What’s News

VIDEO: ADL Game Changers with Geoff + Lee Schwartz — Faith, Family and Football: A candid conversation about Jewish identity, family and resilience with former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and his father, Lee Schwartz. Enjoy these lively reflections on navigating Jewish identity in locker rooms, responding to antisemitism and balancing the demands of the league with faith and family. Watch the recorded event.

Social Spotlights

@JGreenblattADL

It should not be difficult to condemn antisemitism wherever it appears — including within your own political camp. Credit to @VivekGRamaswamy and @benshapiro for using their platforms at AmFest to call out the antisemitic, hate-fueled rhetoric from other attendees. Leaders everywhere must do the same, even when it’s uncomfortable. News link.

@ADLCalifornia

Earlier this week, Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez shared antisemitic conspiracy theories in response to the Bondi Beach attack. Blaming the Jewish community for acts of violence is harmful, offensive, and unacceptable — especially from an elected official. Read more.

@ADL

“It seemingly took seconds after the October 7th attack for the world to lose complete sight of who committed the attack, who supported those that committed the attack, and who the victims of that attack were. But within the four walls of a federal courthouse and within the pages of court papers, facts still matter... and the truth will reign the day.” Hear more from ADL’s @James_Pasch in his conversation with @amandabdan about how we’re taking on the Axis of Evil through lawfare. Watch video.

@ADL

ADL welcomes the confirmation of Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as the next @StateSEAS. The horrific attack on Hanukkah celebrations at Bondi Beach once again underscores the global surge of antisemitism and the urgent need for coordinated international action. ADL’s Global 100 survey shows 46% of adults globally — an estimated 2.2 billion people — hold elevated levels of antisemitic sentiments. That’s more than double compared to nearly 1.1 billion people 10 years ago. We stand ready to support Ambassador Kaploun in this important work.