From November 7 to November 9, students attended the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL)summit series. The ADL, founded in 1913, is a global anti-hate organization with a mission to “stop the defamation of the Jewish people” and “secure justice and fair treatment to all.” This year, the ADL continued its annual “Never Is Now” online summit to discuss the empowerment of marginalized groups and to combat Anti-Zionism, Anti-semitism and other forms of hate.
“This is a great opportunity for students because of the content, speakers, and format,” said Dean of Equity and Inclusion Dr. Rachel Myers. During the three-day conference, the agenda consisted of various seminars and workshops such as “Confronting Anti-Black Racism to Fight Anti-Semitism,” “How Online Hate is Infiltrating New Platforms,” and “Confronting Anti-Semitism on Campus: A How-To Guide.” The wide range of topics brought about diverse methods to interpret the overarching theme of fighting hate and discrimination.
As one of the largest global conferences on Anti-Semitism, “Never Is Now” invites experts to present at panels every year. This year, the featured speakers included Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States of America; Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman of L’Oréal; and Yair Lapid, Israel’s Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. These prominent figures offered insight on societal issues and helped bring widespread notoriety to the organization’s important cause. According to ADL’s official website, “Never Is Now” brought together “7,000 participants from 28 countries and more than 45 states in 2020.”
Many students said that since Choate is a diverse community with a vibrant Jewish population, it is important for students and faculty alike to understand Anti-semitism and to take actions toward combating the discrimination faced by our Jewish community members. As a leader of Hillel, the Jewish affinity group on campus, David Garsten ’23 said, “A lot of people at Choate know that the issue exists, but not how it exists, what it does, and how to combat it.” This summit, he explained, offered a valuable educational opportunity for everyone to become a more aware and compassionate community member.
Hillel welcomed all students to join its watch parties for parts of the ADL summit. One panel, “How Marginalized Communities Can Advocate Together,” particuraly resonated with students. Garsten learned from the session that becoming a change-maker and activist is not exclusive to a particular identity, but rather a skill that benefits people from all walks of life.
Garsten expressed appreciation for Choate’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force for introducing the event to the Choate community, as well as for supporting the Jewish population on campus in general, such as in last year’s Community Conversation on Jewish identity. Many hope that with the School’s ongoing efforts to eliminate discrimination on campus, the crucial conversations of the ADL Summit can extend beyond the online space and be brought into Choate students’ day-to-day interactions.
Nevertheless, Will Hare ’23, another Hillel leader, believes there is still much to be done. “Anti-semitism is an incredibly important issue to address,” he said. “I hope we can foster an environment at Choate that understands that.”
“We should all be learning about combating Anti-semitism and other forms of hatred so we can live together in mutual respect and show compassion for one another,” said Dr. Myers.
