BBYO and ADL Forge New Partnership to Better Equip Jewish Teens with Skills to Respond to Antisemitism

Students in the U.S. and Europe will gain access to new reporting tools and educational programs

New York, NY, November 7, 2022—BBYO, the leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement reaching more than 70,000 young people in 60 countries, and ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), a major provider of antisemitism education, have formed a partnership to equip Jewish teens with the tools to effectively respond to antisemitism and hate in communities, schools, and on social media.

The collaboration between the two organizations will center around the delivery of new educational programming for students in the U.S. and globally. ADL will provide ongoing training to teens in BBYO chapters across the U.S. and in Europe around understanding and responding to antisemitism. Additionally, ADL and BBYO will launch a joint incident reporting site to encourage teens to report incidents of antisemitism and bias. This data will be collected and evaluated by the ADL Center on Extremism for inclusion in ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents.

“Surveys have shown that Jewish students increasingly are experiencing antisemitism at home, in their communities and online at frightening levels,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “We need to prepare Jewish students to be able to understand the drivers of modern antisemitism and the ways by which they can respond safely and effectively when hate manifests in their lives. We are pleased to be partnering with BBYO to take this vital work to the next level.”

“As Jewish teens around the world face increased antisemitic harassment and hate speech in their schools, communities, and on social media platforms, having the tools to understand and respond to antisemitism is vital,” said Matthew Grossman, CEO of BBYO. “BBYO has a long history of supporting young people in the fight against hate in all forms, and as antisemitism grows and its sources evolve, this partnership with ADL is an ideal way for us to continue supporting our teens as they navigate the tides of intolerance.”

As part of their collaboration, ADL’s education experts and BBYO’s Center for Adolescent Wellness developed a new resource to enable adults, particularly educators and parents, to initiate conversations with young people about antisemitism and other forms of hate, and to safeguard youth mental health while tackling these difficult topics. At the same time, ADL and its European partners are also developing an online education program for European high school students about the Jewish people, antisemitism, and how to stand up against anti-Jewish hate.

Later this week, members of BBYO’s International Teen Board, teen leaders in New York and New Jersey, and BBYO staff members will participate in ADL’s Never is Now Summit, the world’s largest annual summit on antisemitism and hate.

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About BBYO
BBYO is the leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement aspiring to involve more Jewish teens in more meaningful Jewish experiences. For more than 95 years, BBYO‘s leadership programs the Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA, high school fraternity) and the B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG, high school sorority) have been providing exceptional leadership programs and identity enrichment experiences, shaping the confidence and character of more than 400,000 alumni who are among the most prominent figures in business, politics, academia, the arts, and Jewish communal life. Now, BBYO’s network of Jewish teens, alumni, parents, volunteers, and philanthropists serves as the Jewish community’s most valuable platform for delivering to the post Bar/Bat Mitzvah audience fun, meaningful, and affordable experiences. With year-round activities in hundreds of local communities and inspiring world-wide travel experiences, BBYO’s broad program menu enables teens to explore areas of leadership, service, civic engagement, Israel education, and Jewish values. More at www.bbyo.org.

About ADL
ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. More at www.adl.org.