In the post-Oct. 7 world, this summit on fighting antisemitism aims to equip attendees with information and real-world tools

When ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt spoke in December at an event in New York, he told the audience, “If you ask me today’s date, I would tell you it’s October 8.”

The leader of ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) was discussing the coordinated attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam in early November following a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Dutch team Ajax.

“We are going to be living in an October 8 world for a very long time,” Greenblatt said. “October 7 shattered many pre-existing ideas that we had, and it devastated norms that existed.”

ADL’s preliminary data recently released from its annual report on antisemitism backs that up. More than 10,000 antisemitic incidents were recorded in the United States in the year following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack. This marks the highest number of annual incidents ever recorded since ADL started its tracking program in 1979. It also represents a threefold increase from the previous year, when 3,325 such incidents were recorded.

Against this stark backdrop, ADL is holding its Never Is Now summit on March 3-4 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York to discuss the problem of antisemitism and what to do about it.

The annual event is the organization’s largest gathering on antisemitism. Participants will hear from leading experts and learn real-time tactics for addressing and combating antisemitism. More than 4,000 attendees are expected.

“Never Is Now is an opportunity to gather with global leaders and acclaimed experts, learn new skills, schmooze and share ideas alongside thousands of people who want to make a difference in the fight against antisemitism and hate,” said Debora Lehrer, ADL’s vice president of brand & marketing. “As the Jewish community continues to face antisemitism around the world, it’s critical for us to come together and send the message that hate cannot win.”

Registrants to the summit who enter the code JTA20 at checkout (use this registration link) will receive a 20% discount at checkout.

This year, pro-Israel activists Hen Mazzig and Montana Tucker are expected to share the main stage.

Tucker, a singer, actress and social media activist, spoke at last year’s event about how to fight online antisemitism effectively and what it’s like being an outspoken champion of the Jewish community with millions of social media followers. Mazzig, an Israeli who also appeared at last year’s event, is a widely recognized author, global educator and co-founder of the Tel Aviv Institute, a multidisciplinary laboratory dedicated to combating hate. He has become a trusted voice on Jewish issues for many of his hundreds of thousands of followers.

“I’m excited to attend Never Is Now because I’m eager to hear from Hen Mazzig,” said Jordana Fichtenbaum, who is planning to attend for her first time. “He is an amazing model for resilience and advocacy in the fight against antisemitism.”

Among other summit events of note this year are more than 20 panels featuring over 100 speakers. They will address a range of topics, including many “how to” sessions:

• Digital Defenders: Learning from Content Creators Combatting Antisemitism on Social Media
• Teaming Up Against Hate: Jewish Representation in Sports
• Parenting Online: Choosing Safe Technologies to Shield Kids from Antisemitism and Extremism
• Sounding the Alarm: Raising Awareness and Increasing Understanding of Antisemitism
• The Not-So-Silent Boycott: Unmasking Modern BDS and Its Hidden Impacts
•  Accidental Activists: How to Advocate without a Giant Social Platform.

“We are introducing workshops and networking opportunities to Never Is Now for the first time,” said Nicole Mutchnik, chair of ADL’s board of directors. “Kicking off with our National Leadership Summit the day prior, these sessions allow us to share impactful resources and strategies from ADL experts, empowering attendees and leaders with hands-on training.” 

One session, on being a “Workplace Advocate: How to Counter Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism at Work” (a CLE, or eligible continuing legal education course), comes on the heels of a recent ADL-sponsored study on employment discrimination. 

The landmark study revealed that Jewish and Israeli Americans often face discrimination in U.S. workplaces— not due to their skills or qualifications, but because of their identity. For example, the study found that Jewish American job candidates needed to send 24 percent more applications to receive the same number of positive first responses from prospective employers compared with Americans with Western European backgrounds when applying for the same job. Israeli Americans needed to send 39 percent more applications.

“Here’s hard proof that employers are discriminating against Jews,” Greenblatt said.

Addressing hate on college campuses will be another important focus of this year’s Never Is Now summit, and University of Michigan President Santa J. Ono will be among the featured speakers. Planned sessions include “Jewish Life on Campus: Building Community Amid Antisemitism” and “Litigating Campus and School Antisemitism in a Post-10/7 World” (also a CLE).

Last year, ADL released its Campus Antisemitism Report Card, which graded colleges and universities on their campus climate for Jews — and provided a roadmap for improving it. ADL also launched the Ronald Birnbaum Center to Combat Antisemitism in Education (CCAE) to drive coordinated advocacy to address rising antisemitism in K-12 schools and universities.

Students in college or graduate school can attend ADL summit for free using the registration code CAMPUS at checkout (register using this link).

“Attending Never Is Now is not just important; it’s essential,” Greenblatt said. “As we confront a global surge in antisemitism and heightened fears among students on campuses, ADL’s mission to combat hate and secure justice and fair treatment to all has never been more critical.”