Then 
and Now

The Anti-Defamation League-Michigan 
continues the fight against antisemitism, 
hatred and bigotry

KORIE WILKINS
I

n recent years, hateful inci-
dents against Jewish people 
have risen dramatically, and 
the Anti-Defamation League 
Michigan remains — as always 
— an organization that is vigi-
lant and relentless in its efforts 
to wipe out antisemitism. 
“The ADL has been here for 
decades in Michigan, and we 
aren’t going anywhere,” said 
Carolyn Normandin, regional 
director of ADL Michigan. “But 
antisemitic incidents are rising 
to unprecedented levels, and I 
worry about the commoniza-
tion or normalization of hate 
in America.”
The ADL takes a three-
pronged approach at fighting 
antisemitism: Education, 
advocacy and investigation, 
Normandin said. 
According to the 2021 Audit 
of Antisemitic incidents, there 
were 2,717 antisemitic inci-
dents (assaults, harassment 
and vandalism) in the U.S. — 
which is about seven per day. 

That represents a 34% increase 
from 2020. This is the highest 
number recorded since the 
ADL began tracking antisemit-
ic incidents in 1979. 
And in Michigan in 2021, 
Normandin said there were 
112 hateful incidents of 
antisemitism reported. The 
ADL works with law enforce-
ment when they receive 
reports, and Normandin said 
the ADL is often the one place 
people feel safe reporting inci-
dents of antisemitism.
“ADL is a safe harbor for 
people to report incidents and 
sometimes, it is a crime,” she 
said. “Other times, it is not. But 
each time, it is significant.”
For example, a swastika 
— for a Jewish person — is 
seen as a symbol of hate. But 
depending on where the swas-
tika is, it might not be consid-
ered a hate crime — it could 
be considered free speech.
“We are the only organi-
zation in the country that is 

tracking incidents of antisem-
itism,” Normandin said of the 
ADL’s investigation component 
of its mission. “And no com-
munity is isolated. It is every-
where.”
Antisemitism is considered 
the “canary in the coalmine” 
and seeing a rise in it generally 
means there will be a rise in 
other hate crimes and hate 
speech against other marginal-
ized groups, Normandin said. 
That’s why the ADL’s mission 
is so crucial, she said, with 
vigilance starting at the local 
level. 
Advocacy at the local, state 
and federal level for schools 
and communities includes a 
push to adopt DEI (Diversity, 
Equity & Inclusion) programs 
— specifically naming antisem-
itism in the policies and not 
just including it in the bucket 
of hate or discrimination. ADL 
also encourages voters to fully 
examine all candidates. 
“The down-ballot issues and 

candidates are so important to 
pay attention to,” she said. 
ADL also works tirelessly on 
education initiatives, providing 
anti-bias training in schools, 
law enforcement, community 
groups and companies. ADL’s 
“No Place for Hate” program 
is in many schools and is free 
and student-led. ADL also pro-
vides extensive information on 
its website. 
“We know that antisemi-
tism isn’t a Jewish problem,” 
Normandin said. “It is a prob-
lem for the Jewish commu-
nity. But hate anywhere is a 
problem for all of us, and that’s 
why the ADL will continue to 
be relentless. It’s a complex 
problem, but we cannot let the 
complexity paralyze us.”

ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE-
MICHIGAN

P.O. Box 252166

West Bloomfield, MI 48325

michigan.adl.org

– ADVERTORIAL –

Walled Lake High School students review ADL’s Guide for Responding to School-Based Bias Incidents as 
part of their No Place for Hate programming.

Report incidents: Go to adl.org/reportincident. Include pictures when possible.

Know your facts: Educate yourself about extremism, trends in antisemitism, and what is going on in your community.

Demand online providers take action: Insist social media companies create common-sense policies to curb hatred on their platforms.

Ensure leaders are doing their part: Fully vet candidates; know what people stand for; be aware of those who are not speaking out; 
advocate for strong stances and policy solutions.

For resources visit adl.org

ADL urges 
people to fight 
antisemitism 
by Standing up, 
Sharing facts and 
Showing strength. 
Here’s how.

