With ADL in its ninth decade -- and the world about to enter a new millennium -- it is easy to be discouraged by the persistence of anti-Semitism and other prejudice. But while it is important not to lose sight of how far we have to go, it is also worth remembering how far we have come.

ADL came into being at a time when vicious caricatures of Jews and other minorities were common in the mass media; when anti-Semitic remarks rarely raised eyebrows in polite society; when religious and racial prejudice was codified by law, or respected as social custom, in much of the country, and when quotas and other restrictions on Jewish educational and economic opportunities were widespread. All of these conditions are virtually nonexistent today, due in large measure to the efforts of the League and its allies.

But hatred still exists. And while today's haters lack the economic and political power of those in the past, they still have the power to cause injury to others -- both physical and emotional -- and to damage the social fabric of America. Their actions may be as familiar as the desecration of a cemetery or a synagogue, or as modern as a hate-filled page on the World Wide Web. They may be rehashing ancient libels, or exploiting the more recent frustrations of other groups in America and overseas.

But whatever their origins, whatever their tactics, they can never be allowed to go unchallenged. When they hide in shadows, they must be exposed; when they operate in public, they must be opposed -- in the courts, in the schools, in the marketplace of public opinion. That remains the mission of ADL as it builds on the gains of the past, addresses the issues of the present, and rededicates itself to a more just society in the future.