New York, NY, May 2, 2023 … ADL (Anti-Defamation League) today announced the appointment of Rabbi David Wolpe as its inaugural Rabbinic Fellow. In this newly created role, Wolpe, the longtime Senior Rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, will serve as a thought leader within the organization, helping ADL’s leadership and board to integrate Jewish values and a wide range of Jewish perspectives into the organization’s work fighting antisemitism and hate.
His appointment was announced today during ADL’s National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., which brought more than 500 leaders to the nation’s capital for three days of meetings and lobbying members of Congress. Rabbi Wolpe made a brief video statement to the gathering.
“I’m so pleased to welcome Rabbi Wolpe into the ADL family and look forward to his insights as we seek to expand interfaith relationships and incorporate an inclusive focus on Judaism into our everyday work,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “As a former congregant of Sinai Temple, I have experienced the rabbi’s inspirational leadership firsthand. He is one of the nation’s leading rabbinic theologians and scholars, and we are deeply fortunate to be able to tap into his knowledge of Jewish values to inform our work combating antisemitism and hate in all forms.”
Named The Most Influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek and one of the 50 Most Influential Jews in the World by The Jerusalem Post, Rabbi Wolpe has written more than eight books and authored weekly columns at the Jewish Week and Jerusalem Post. He previously taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, the American Jewish University, Hunter College and the University of California, Los Angeles. Beginning in the fall, Rabbi Wolpe will be a visiting scholar at Harvard Divinity School.
In addition to consulting with ADL’s executive team and board of directors, Rabbi Wolpe will serve as a thought leader inside ADL on relevant issues – contextualizing the work into the broader scope of Jewish teachings, tradition and history – while also serving as a public speaker and interfaith liaison.
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all.