ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) and NAACP (the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) announced a new partnership today to jointly combat all forms of hate and bigotry in New Jersey. This renewed commitment comes on the heels of an escalation in hate and bias incidents in New Jersey, including the violent anti-Semitic attack in Jersey City last month that resulted in the death of a police officer and left three people dead in a Kosher supermarket. ADL recorded 200 anti-Semitic incidents in New Jersey in 2018 and continued to record high levels of anti-Semitism in 2019. In addition, according to the most recent FBI data available, race-based hate crimes have increased 125%, and anti-Jewish hate crimes have increased 108%, in New Jersey since 2016.
Moving forward, ADL New York / New Jersey and NAACP New Jersey Conference intend to work together to provide anti-bias education to elected officials across New Jersey, build bridges of tolerance and understanding through a series of listening sessions with ADL/NAACP constituents, and respond with a united voice to racism, anti-Semitism, and all forms of hate in New Jersey.
“We are proud that two of the most prominent civil rights organizations serving the Black and Jewish communities have committed to strengthening our joint fight against hatred and bigotry in New Jersey,” said Evan R. Bernstein, ADL NY/NJ Regional Director. “The last few months have been some of the most difficult for the Jewish community in our region in recent memory. We have seen a dramatic increase in assaults against Jews in Brooklyn, as well as unprecedented violent attacks in Monsey, NY, and Jersey City, NJ. We are hopeful and confident that our renewed partnership with NAACP will allow our communities to lock arms and stand together against bigotry and those who seek to distract and divide us from the critical work ahead.”
“We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters in strong condemnation of the acts of hate perpetuated against the Jewish community in our state and in the tri-state area over the last month,” said Richard T. Smith, President of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference. “Whether the tragic murders in Jersey City, the stabbing during a Chanukah celebration just over the border in Rockland County, or the anti-Semitic graffiti found on a synagogue in Highland Park, the resurgence of words and acts against Jews in our state deeply troubles me as a civil rights leader and a person of faith. Anti-Semitic language fuels the actions of hateful and deranged individuals and groups. To the Jewish community in New Jersey I want you to know: the NAACP stands with you in this challenging time and in all times. We look forward to working together to build stronger communities where we all can prosper and fight against the voices and perpetrators of hate. Together, we shall overcome and build a great state where everyone can live, worship, and assemble in the community in peace.”
This renewed partnership in New Jersey will build on a decades-long collaboration between ADL and NAACP at a national level, which has focused on tackling racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of systemic oppression through advocacy related to voting rights, anti-lynching laws, school desegregation, criminal justice reform, and changes in sentencing guidelines.
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