Anti Defamation League

To stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.

ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all.

ADL Orange County/Long Beach (ADL Orange County) comprehensively fights antisemitism and extremism in Orange and Long Beach counties. ADL Orange County is the “regional boots on the ground” of our country’s leading organization combatting antisemitism and hate. ADL Orange County has long been the “go to” partner to local law enforcement, public officials and Jewish communal leaders, and we are well-positioned to serve a “first responder” when antisemitic incidents and hate crimes occur. Since its inception in 1913, ADL has believed that America would only be safe for its Jewish people if it was safe for all its people—and that when it was truly safe for all its people, it also would be safe for its Jewish community.

ADL Orange County challenges antisemitism and hate through both responsive and proactive approaches that span three broad, intertwined categories of service and engagement:

(1) Incident Response: Aiding those targeted by hate and tracking and sharing intelligence on all types of extremists online and on the ground to keep people and institutions safe;

(2) Education: Delivering anti-bias and anti-bullying education to schools and community groups, as well as supporting law enforcement training; and

(3) Allyship with Our Neighbors: Standing up for the civil rights of minority and marginalized groups as builders of intergroup and interfaith coalitions and advocates to elected officials.

Orange County and Long Beach Jewish communities, like our counterparts across the nation and globe, have been taxed by the collective trauma of a multi-year upswing in antisemitic sentiments and violent attacks that was aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have been incredibly fortunate not to suffer violent physical attacks against Jewish institutions in our area, the Jewish communities of Orange County and Long Beach are anxious and frightened by violence at synagogues and attacks on the streets elsewhere. The hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, is just the latest in a list of horrific attacks ADL regional teams and national experts mobilized to address.

Hate crimes are ultimately message crimes meant to send a message to an entire community that they are not respected and do not belong. Even when a hate crime only targets one individual, it has a ripple effect far beyond the immediate target. ADL’s survey of American Jews’ experience with antisemitism released on March 31, 2021 indicated a majority of respondents had confronted or witnessed antisemitism and feel Jews are less safe today.2 The survey data was gathered before the military conflict between Hamas and Israel in mid-May 2021.

During the military conflict, Jews were widely targeted and harassed, including numerous physical attacks with high profile incidents in Los Angeles, New York and throughout the country. Online and at protests, criticism of Israeli policy was characterized by blaming of the Jewish people—definitely crossing the line to antisemitism. Antisemitism in progressive circles has been a growing challenge locally and nationally in recent years. ADL fights back forcefully against all forms antisemitism regardless of the source—we do not hesitate to call out hatred from either side of the aisle.