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