Anti-Defamation League

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is a nonprofit civil rights organization headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1913, it works to combat antisemitism and all forms of bigotry through research, education, advocacy, and litigation. With 25 regional offices across the United States, an office in Israel, and staff in Europe, the ADL monitors extremist groups, provides anti-bias training, and pushes for policy changes. Its Center for Technology & Society, established in 2017, focuses on online hate and harassment.

The ADL's influence extends to shaping federal policy and law enforcement practices. It played a key role in the landmark Sines v. Kessler case, helping secure over $26 million in verdicts against white supremacists responsible for the 2017 Unite the Right rally. The organization has also advocated for legislation like the Stop Hiding Hate Act in New York, which requires social media companies to disclose their content moderation practices.

In fiscal year 2024, the ADL reported record revenue of $163 million, with contributions making up 99.7 percent of that total. The organization employs roughly 450 to 500 staff and maintains a significant lobbying presence in Washington, D.C. Its positions on Israel-related issues, including the view that some criticism of Israel crosses into antisemitism, have generated both influence and internal dissent. [edit]

The ADL's mission, unchanged since its founding, is to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. The organization holds that combating one form of prejudice requires confronting all forms of bigotry. It pursues this through research, education, advocacy, and litigation, aiming to protect democratic values and build a society free from hate. [edit]

The ADL was born in the shadow of the Leo Frank case. In 1913, Frank, a Jewish factory manager in Atlanta, was wrongfully convicted of murdering a 13-year-old girl. After his death sentence was commuted, a mob lynched him in 1915. The case exposed rampant antisemitism in American society, prompting attorney Sigmund Livingston to propose a new organization under B'nai B'rith. The ADL's first efforts targeted defamatory portrayals of Jews in newspapers, books, and plays. During the 1940s, it launched large-scale research operations to uncover Nazi supporters and hate groups in the United States, sharing findings with government agencies and the press.

In the postwar decades, the ADL expanded its civil rights work. In 1948, it filed an amicus brief in McCollum v. Board of Education arguing against religious instruction in public schools. Benjamin Epstein, then national director, joined Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy at a White House meeting in 1963. The ADL also fought against quotas limiting Jewish students in college admissions. In 2009, it became independent of B'nai B'rith and shortened its name. Under Jonathan Greenblatt, who took over in 2015, the organization modernized its approach, adding a tech-focused center and acquiring the investor network JLens in 2022. The ADL provided expertise and financial support for the lawsuit against organizers of the 2017 Unite the Right rally, which yielded over $26 million in damages. [edit]