The move, with support of the Brooklyn Borough President's Office, comes following repeated instances of violence and harassment directed at Orthodox Jews
New York, NY, November 12, 2019 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) and the Brooklyn Borough President's Office today announced that the anti-hate organization is doubling funding for its premier education program, No Place for Hate ®, to bring the program to twice as many schools in Brooklyn. The move comes in response to a recent dramatic increase in anti-Semitic incidents and hate crimes targeting Jews in Brooklyn.
“The repeated violence and harassment of Orthodox Jews in this borough is unacceptable and must stop now,” said ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt on Tuesday at a press conference inside the Rotunda at Borough Hall alongside Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, local faith leaders, elected officials and community partners. “Since most hate crimes are born of ignorance for the 'other,' we believe that education, especially in the early years, can go a long way to building a foundation for understanding and a respect for diversity.”
In 2017, there were more than 200 reported anti-Semitic incidents in New York City, according to ADL’s annual Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents, representing a 90 percent jump from 2016. In 2018, 13 out of the 17 reported anti-Semitic assaults in the city took place in the borough of Brooklyn, and in 2019, ADL and the NYPD have continued to track an alarming increase in the frequency and aggressiveness of anti-Semitic hate crimes.
ADL will be providing the initial investment to fund this project – estimated to be about $250,000.
“No one should fear for their safety or be victimized because of their religious beliefs. But since extremist, hate-filled rhetoric has become awakened and stoked across this country—particularly in Crown Heights right here in Brooklyn—this unacceptable behavior is increasingly becoming the norm for some. And our children become indoctrinated and tainted in the process,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams. “We must stand in support of any efforts or curriculums designed to promote tolerance and inclusion, in all of its facets. Our youth are our society’s most capable change agents, and they are never too young to learn that hate speech or any other forms of intolerant expression are wrong, and must always be denounced when it is encountered.”
"My Office takes bias-motivated crimes and anti-Semitic attacks very seriously and our dedicated Hate Crimes Bureau investigates them thoroughly and prosecutes them vigorously," said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. "Many of the recent incidents were committed by juveniles, whose cases are not handled in criminal courts but rather in Family Court. That’s why I believe that education is the key and applaud the ADL and Borough President Adams for funding No Place for Hate to increase tolerance and understanding in Brooklyn’s schools. We must all work together to stump out hate in our communities.”
ADL’s No Place for Hate ® initiative is a school climate improvement program that provides K-12 grade schools with an organizing framework for combating bias, bullying and hatred, leading to long-term solutions for creating and maintaining a positive and equitable climate. Since 1999, No Place for Hate ® has helped promote anti-bias education in more than 1,600 public and private schools across the country.
No Place for Hate ® schools receive their designation in the following ways:
- Building inclusive and safe communities in which respect and equity are the goals and where all students can thrive.
- Empowering students, faculty, administration and family members to take a stand against bias and bullying by incorporating new and existing programs under one powerful message.
- Sending a clear, unified message that all students have a place where they belong.
In Brooklyn during the 2018-2019 school year, ADL reached 8,203 students in 22 schools with this program. With the additional funding now available for the 2019-2020 school year, ADL will be working in as many as 40 schools -- with an emphasis on public schools in Crown Heights and Williamsburg, where there are large Jewish populations.
“At ADL, we fundamentally believe education of our young people is the first step in putting an end to anti-Semitism and all forms of hate,” said ADL New York Regional Director Evan Bernstein. “Through our expanded outreach, ADL will now have the potential to reach over 10,000 students in the borough -- with hopes of one day ensuring that Brooklyn will be No Place for Hate.”