The following letter, penned by National Chair Marvin Nathan, appeared in the Houston Chronicle in response to FEMA's recent policy reversal to permit disaster funding for houses of worship. FEMA vs. First Amendment
Regarding "FEMA's new policy on disaster aid to chruches a sound decision" (Page A3, Thursday), contrary to Erica Grieder's assertion, FEMA's recent policy reversal to permit disaster funding for houses of worship is not constitutionally "sound."
The U.S…
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The following letter, penned by Brittan Heller, director of the ADL's Center for Technology and Society, and Susan Benesch, executive director of the Dangerous Speech Project, appeared in The New York Times in response to President Trump's speech to the F.B.I. National Academy. To the Editor:
Re “Deceit and Confusion in Talk on Law and Order” (Fact Check, Dec. 16): Addressing elite F.B.I. National Academy graduates last week, President Trump…
For parents, families and young people Topic SummaryIn recent years, there has been a lot of attention paid to the diversity of children’s books, shining a light on the lack of diversity and amplifying the need for more children’s and young adult literature that reflects our multicultural society. In 2014, an organization named We Need Diverse Books formed, following a regularly trending hashtag with the same name (#WeNeedDiverseBooks) that helped bring attention to the issue. We…
Talk to your family about issues of sexual harassment in the news in the past and currently.
ADL responded to an op-ed by a Jewish Voice for Peace staffer, who asserted that alt-right leader Richard Spencer was right in his remarks that Zionism is akin to white supremacy. Days after the horrific showcase of American far-right extremism in Charlottesville, America’s leading extremist, white supremacist leader Richard Spencer, appeared on an Israeli television newscast and compared his hate-filled ideology to Jewish nationalism, declaring it “white Zionism.”
…
What is the source of our free speech rights? Free speech rights emanate from the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution[1] and from state constitutions. The U.S. Constitution limits the government’s ability to regulate speech based on content and it applies to all public colleges and universities. It serves as a floor, not a ceiling. State constitutions may grant more robust free speech rights than the U.S. Constitution, but never fewer. Is there a distinction between private and…
Letters to the Editor
National Review
To the Editor:
Re “Remember the Hysteria about Trump-Induced Anti-Semitism” (June 13):
Our concerns about anti-Semitism in America are real and based on fact. Dennis Prager, in making his claim of hysteria, ignores the data and chooses to mischaracterize our statements.
We made clear, reflecting ADL’s most recent poll of the American people, that the American public at-large was not becoming more anti-Semitic. We also…
ADL reacted to an op-ed in The New York Times which "bears no resemblance to the complicated reality" between Israel and the Palestinians. Letters to the Editor
The New York Times
To the Editor:
Re “Israel’s Everlasting Occupation” (Sunday Review, June 4):
Nathan Thrall attributes to Israel an early determination to hold on to the territories. In fact, from the outset after the Six-Day War, Israel saw its winning territory as a perfect bargaining chip…
For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the High Holidays, are celebrated by Jewish people all over the world. The High Holidays fall on different days each year. For the specific dates each year, check our Calendar of Observances. These and other Jewish holidays fall on different days in our calendar because they follow the Jewish calendar, which has a different number of days than our calendar. The Jewish calendar is a Soli-lunar calendar. …
Table Talk: Family Conversations About Current EventsBullying is a phrase we hear regularly and often: in the media, on TV shows and movies, in schools and in conversations among both adults and children. Parents, students and schools are rightfully worried about bullying. It is a problem and cause for concern but may not be as widespread as many think because the term “bullying” is often used as an umbrella to describe all kinds of mean behavior—from a rude comment to a…
ADL responds to an article in The New York Times titled "Hamas Tempers Extreme Stances in Bid for Power” which appeared on May 2, 2017. Letters to the Editor
The New York Times
To the Editor:
The story of a new Hamas statement of principles, with all the fuss and anticipation, is much ado about nothing. On the core of Hamas’s attitudes and policies toward Israel, nothing has changed.
For Hamas, there is only one legitimate authority in the Holy Land. Israel,…
ADL letter to the public editor concerning convicted Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti. Letters to the Editor
The New York Times
To the Public Editor:
We appreciate your comments about the Times failure with regard to the article by Marwan Barghouti. Unfortunately, it did not go far enough nor did the newspaper's clarification.
Yes, Mr. Barghouti was not merely a Palestinian parliamentarian. He was convicted of murder by an Israeli court.
Also important…
Rosalind's Classroom Conversations, March 2017 For Educators By Rosalind Wiseman
“I dare you…”
Who doesn’t remember that from adolescence? At Cultures of Dignity, we’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to take a risk because taking one can be a great learning experience. And then a mom asked us these really good questions: I dare you to hold your breath, which can lead to the choking game. I dare you to chug this, take this pill, drink…
This letter was written in response to an article that appeared in The Nation regarding zionism and feminism. Letters to the Editor
The Nation
To the Editor:
My parents came to Israel from Morocco, a country where Jews and Muslims lived together in harmony for centuries. They instilled in me and my siblings a loving humanism that demands we treat people of different race, gender, and religion with equal respect. As an Israeli woman, I inhabit multiple identities…
Table Talk: Family Conversations About Current Events For Parents, Families, and Caregivers | 13 and upTopic Summary We see symbols every day in all aspects of our lives. Symbols are used to convey ideas, qualities, emotions, material objects/products, opinions and beliefs. Unfortunately, symbols are also used to convey hate and bias. Lately, we have seen a lot of hate symbol graffiti in public spaces and specifically the swastika, which in most circumstances is understood as an expression…
For Educators Individuals, including parents, and groups who have no formal relationship to a school (Third Parties) may distribute religious materials, including Bibles, to students outside of school premises. They may also discuss religious matters with students.
Third-party materials or publications of a religious viewpoint may be distributed on- campus to the same extent distribution of third-party secular materials is permitted. However, courts have applied different rules to…
For Educators Release time in the public schools refers to programs in which students are released from school early to attend religious classes off school premises. Participating students must have permission from their parents. Nonparticipating students remain in school. Such programs may be constitutional if the religious classes take place off school grounds, if no public school funds are expended, and if school officials or teachers do not promote program attendance through coercion or…
December 29, 2016 Letters to the Editor
The New York Times
To the Editor:
Re “Israel and the Two-State Solution” (editorial, Dec. 29):
Regrettably, developments over the last few days will likely worsen the very point that Secretary of State John Kerry identified as the critical hurdle to reaching a two-state solution: the lack of trust and confidence between the parties.
The Security Council resolution and Mr. Kerry’s harsh and hectoring speech…
The following letter was written to The New York Times in response to "Celebration at Trump Hotel Illustrates Rift Among Jews” (Dec. 16) Letters to the Editor
The New York Times
To the Editor:
While we can’t speak for the other organizations who did not attend the Hanukkah celebration sponsored by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, it is inaccurate to suggest that all of us “refused to attend” as part of some…
The following letter was written in response to an op-ed in the New York Post on December 9, 2016. Letters to the Editor
New York Post
To the Editor:
Your op-ed hatchet job attacking Jonathan Greenblatt’s leadership as CEO of the Anti-Defamation League was not only riddled with errors but predicated on the false presumption that there’s been a shift in mission and mandate under his leadership of this 103-year-old organization. Nothing could be further from the…