Anti-Defamation League

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was founded in 1913 in response to a climate of anti-Semitism and racism that permeated American society of the time. The stated mission of the ADL is: “to stop, by appeals to reason and conscience and, if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people. Its ultimate purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike and to put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens.”

The history of the ADL has repeatedly demonstrated the organization's commitment to its mission. In its first decade, stereotypical anti-Semitic cartoons and stories were common in newspapers and magazines in the United States. Adolph Ochs, an early member of the ADL and publisher of the New York Times, successfully convinced fellow publishers to stop such submissions. In the 1920s, the ADL took on Henry Ford, a vehement anti-Semite, who promoted his views in the Dearborn Independent newspaper, forcing him to apologize for his anti-Semitic propaganda. The 1930s and the Great Depression brought out anti-Semitic sentiment in the United States and other countries, and allowed for the growth of Nazism in Europe. Radio personalities such as Father Charles Coughlin popularized the stereotypical view of Jews. The ADL's reaction was to discredit Father Coughlin with evidence countering his words.

In the 1940s, the ADL used legal means to fight housing, education, and immigration quota discrimination. The 1950s brought the fight against McCarthyism, and support for the civil rights movement, including an amicus brief in Brown v. Board of Education. In the 1960s the ADL supported passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. Since the 1970s, the ADL has fought various attempts by the anti-Israel movement, white supremacists, and terrorists to support their anti-Semitic missions.

In recent years, the ADL has continued to take an active role in countering threats to the liberties of Jews and non-Jews alike. It has worked to increase dialogue between Jews and Christians by educating each about the other's religion. The ADL also is involved in providing educational materials to teachers and students dealing with a variety of issues, such as discrimination against persons with physical disabilities, the Holocaust, internet rumors regarding a variety of topics, and laws promoting religious discrimination. For example in 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2123, which would allow federally funded faith-based Head Start programs to base hiring and firing decisions on religious beliefs of the organization, a probable violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of religion.

The ADL has also taken an active role in antiterrorism activities. The organization's website maintains information on both domestic and international terrorist organizations. Also, the ADL is active in the dissemination of current information about the state of terrorism to law enforcement agencies around the world, as well as providing training opportunities to law enforcement, military, and intelligence officers, through cooperative agreements with agencies and governments around the world.