The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 2,000 traditional, observant rabbis in American public policy, last week congratulated the Anti-Defamation League for recent steps to protect observant Jews from discrimination. CJV called these indicators of the ADL’s “bold return” to its mission: fighting defamation of the Jewish people.
Just two weeks ago, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt delivered a strong condemnation of The New York Times for what he called “irresponsible” coverage that “can encourage more anti-Semitism.”
“We have an obligation to a community that is under siege,” Greenblatt said, “to state clearly and consistently that this is not acceptable, and to demand that the paper that serves the largest urban Jewish community in the world endeavor to do better when addressing the issues facing that community.”
Then, last week, ADL announced that it had joined a list of traditionalist Baptist, Catholic, Evangelical, and Mormon groups on an Amicus Curiae brief supporting better than de minimus accommodation for Sabbath-observant workers, a key protection for Orthodox Jewish professionals of all kinds.
CJV’s thanks are especially notable, as it has been an outspoken critic of the ADL for what it described as “partisan misuse of anti-Semitism,” even calling for Greenblatt’s resignation after the ADL retweeted a claim that Fox host Tucker Carlson had “gone full nazi” on his show.
“We have chastised the ADL in the past, and, if necessary, will do so in the future,” said CJV President Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld. “But its actions over the past two weeks indicate not a new direction, but a bold move back to its original mission and purpose: fighting anti-Semitism. We strongly encourage the ADL to continue in this vein, and hope to see that borne out in its future efforts.”