AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 27

Reform Jews, ADL
Launch Partnership

Amid an alarming rise in
antisemitic rhetoric and vio-
lence, the Union for Reform
Judaism (URJ) and ADL
(Anti-Defamation League),
the anti-hate organization, will
join together in a multifaceted
partnership to provide Reform
congregations with the tools
needed to address antisemi-
tism in their communities.
The newly launched partner-
ship will link the expertise of
ADL and the resources of the
URJ to better equip the Jewish
community to respond to and
prevent antisemitic attacks,
beginning with a new online
incident reporting form tailored
specifically to Reform congre-
gations and their members. The
new partnership also includes
collaboration around advocacy
and educating youth about
antisemitism.

“The scourge of antisemitism
is not isolated to any one source
or in any one community,
”
said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, presi-
dent of the URJ. “The Reform
Movement and ADL have long
been partners in addressing and
working against antisemitism,
racism and other acts of injus-
tice. This critical collaboration
will further integrate that work.
“It could not come at a more
pressing moment with rising
vandalism and violent threats
on congregations, assaults on
Jewish individuals, and an
increase in antisemitic rhetoric
and conspiracy theories from all
sides. Our community knows
all too well that when hatred
against one group is allowed to
fester, bigotry imperils us all.
”
“
Antisemitic incidents are on
the rise in the U.S., but we know
that without complete and
accurate data we do not have a
full picture of the problem,
” said
Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL

CEO and national director.
“Through this partnership,
we hope to encourage more
reporting to help raise aware-
ness of the threats facing the
Jewish community, and to lever-
age our combined resources to
convince policymakers of the
need to devote more resources
to combating extremism while
ensuring the safety and security
of our communities.
”

Security Grant
Budget Increased

The Union of Orthodox Jewish
Congregations of America
welcomed Department of
Homeland Security (DHS)
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’
recent announcement that
the $180 million in federal
Nonprofit Security Grant
Program (NSGP) awards for
fiscal year 2021 have been allo-
cated to synagogues and other
houses of worship, parochial

day schools, summer camps
and a variety of other nonprofit
organizations across the United
States.
The allocation for FY 2021
represents a 100% increase over
the previous year, which was
$90 million. Since 2005, when
Orthodox Union Advocacy
helped spearhead the creation
of the NSGP
, Congress has
apportioned a total of $599
million for the program. The
Orthodox Union is urging
Congress to increase NSGP
funding for FY 2022 to $360
million.
The latest allocations follow
a dramatic surge in antise-
mitic incidents and attacks
nationwide. In recent weeks
alone, a Chabad rabbi was
stabbed in front of a Jewish
school in Boston; a Jewish man
was attacked on his way to a
Brooklyn synagogue; and graves
at a Baltimore Jewish cemetery
were defaced with swastikas.

Senator Carl Levin, 1934-2021

Since joining Honigman as Distinguished Counsel in 2015, Carl has been a friend,

mentor and partner to the entire Honigman family. He was the longest serving

senator in Michigan history, a passionate supporter of equal rights for all and

devoted himself to serving the people of Michigan for more than half a century.

He honored us with his presence, and we will miss him greatly.

Honigman celebrates the life and legacy of