Why I Joined the Fight Against Hate with ADL

I am the grandson of Holocaust survivors and Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe. I am a second-generation American-born Jew. The fact that I am here at all is a miracle, given what my grandparents had to endure to survive.

My heritage and experience are shared by millions around the world who have overcome extraordinary odds simply to exist. The awareness of this fact – and a drive to make change and seek justice – is what led me to join the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) as its new Southeast Regional Director.

I have seen advances in civil rights during my lifetime. I have also witnessed a disturbing rise in authoritarian, even Fascist movements here and abroad, and a coordinated effort to delegitimize the State of Israel that is antisemitic at its core. Now is the time to redouble our efforts to combat hate and promote equity and equality for all.

Growing up in New York City, I was lucky to be part of a large, active Jewish community. When Natan Sharansky was freed from prison and allowed to leave the USSR, he visited my Jewish day school. In high school, I remember attending special school-wide assemblies to watch the historic peace ceremonies between Israel and the PLO, and later Israel and Jordan.

There was hope, and my generation seemed to be the beneficiary. The world has since become increasingly more complex and dangerous, and antisemitism has been resurgent in a way I could never have imagined. According to the most recent ADL audit of antisemitic incidents, Georgia saw an increase of 133% – in 2021 compared to 2020. This is something that should concern us all.

I have seen advances in civil rights during my lifetime. I have also witnessed a disturbing rise in authoritarian, even Fascist movements here and abroad, and a coordinated effort to delegitimize the State of Israel that is antisemitic at its core. Now is the time to redouble our efforts to combat hate and promote equity and equality for all.

The ADL is the oldest and most established organization fighting hate in the United States. Through the generations, we have adapted and innovated, and we continue to do so. Since we started monitoring hate groups and collecting data on antisemitic and other incidents of hate in the 1950s, we have seen trends – both positive and negative – that should make us all pay attention to the hate in our communities. Hate that threatens all of us.

Unfortunately, hate has become normalized through social media and divisive turns in politics. ADL will continue to combat hate in all of its forms – through educational programming, incident monitoring, working with law enforcement to counter extremists, and through legislative advocacy so that we can pursue our mission – to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.

We cannot do this work alone and will continue to foster partnerships to fulfill our mission. The Jewish community in Georgia is growing, diverse, and vibrant. It is also vulnerable. This community will continue to grow and thrive only if we see each other as human beings and treat each other respectfully.

The Jewish community is also deeply connected to other communities in Georgia, and we must continue to forge relationships, partnerships, and understanding across faiths, races, generations, and socioeconomic statuses. We all want to live in peace and safety, be part of families and communities, and provide for future generations. I have learned that achieving these goals takes hard work, and we all must do our part.

The values of the ADL are courage, respect, collaboration, inclusion, integrity, credibility, and accountability. These values can guide our actions towards better outcomes for all. That is what the ADL stands for and I am proud to be a part of it. I welcome the chance to hear from you.

Eytan Davidson is the ADL Southeast Regional Director