Top 10 Moments of Inspiration and Hope in 2022

As 2022 comes to an end and we ready ourselves for 2023, ADL looks back on the moments from the last year that gave us some light, hope and inspiration.

In the last year we witnessed many heartening and historical events: The confirmation of the first Black woman Supreme Court justice, landmark pieces of legislation that codified gay marriage into law and made lynching a federal hate crime, the enduring bravery of the Ukrainian and the Iranian people fighting for freedom against tyranny — just to name a few.

Here’s our list of the Top Ten most inspiring moments of 2022, as selected and curated by members of ADL’s staff, in chronological order. (You can read more about each of them here.)

1. The bravery demonstrated by the leadership and people of Ukraine.

2. Britain’s Angel of Odessa: Father-of-Ten aid worker from North London rescues 1,000 Jewish refugees.

3. Historian Deborah Lipstadt confirmed as envoy to combat antisemitism after push from Jewish groups.

4. The U.S. makes lynching a federal hate crime with signing of Emmett Till Antilynching Act.

5. When a Holocaust Remembrance Day event was cancelled, hundreds joined on Zoom to hear survivor’s story.

6. Ketanji Brown Jackson, first Black woman confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice.

7. The White House bipartisan “United We Stand” Summit tackles violent extremism and bipartisan coalition pushes for national strategy on antisemitism.

8. California passes landmark Assembly Bill 587 to require more action from social media companies on hate and harassment.

9. The relentless bravery of Iranian protestors.

10. Respect for Marriage Act codified into law.