2001: THE YEAR HATE BECAME EVERYONE'S PROBLEM
Glen A. Tobias · 2001
We at ADL do not disagree with these perceptions. We also know, however, that our agenda has focused on issues of hatred and terrorism for some time — matters we have always deemed serious. What’s changed is the recognition since September 11 that hate is now everyone’s problem. For us it means not changing our message and our mission — fighting against anti-Semitism and attacks on the Jewish people and working for respect for all people — but to have our principles and programs understood and accepted by a far wider public. We have long believed — and events of this year reaffirm this belief — that the struggle for a world in which hatred is reduced and respect enhanced requires a comprehensive approach. There is no magic wand to achieve solutions. That is why we address and will continue to address issues from diverse perspectives: short-term action such as speaking out promptly whenever bigotry emerges; and long-term action to change hearts and minds, such as our Bearing Witness program which brings together Catholic school teachers with ADL staff to discuss the history of anti-Semitism and the progress made in interfaith relations. We look at issues from local, national, and international perspectives because, as September 11 demonstrated once again, the world is too small to be ignored and too personal to be left to national action alone. That is why we value our Regional Offices in major cities around the country and abroad. This serious attention to issues that we all now understand threaten the very existence of civilization is ADL’s trademark. We recommit ourselves to the struggle.