Anti-Defamation League

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is a Jewish international organization headquartered in New York City. The ADL fights against antisemitism, racism and all types of bigotry.^[3]

Anti-Defamation League

Formation	September 1913; 111 years ago (1913-09)
Founder	Sigmund Livingston
Type	Civil rights advocacy group
Tax ID no.	13-1818723 (EIN)[1]
Legal status	501(c)(3) organization
Headquarters	New York City, New York, U.S.
Chair	Ben Sax
CEO	Jonathan Greenblatt
Revenue (2021)	$101.1 million[2]
Expenses (2021)	$81.5 million[2]
Staff (2021)	501[2]
Volunteers (2021)	3,500[2]
Website	adl.org
Formerly called	Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith

It was founded in late September 1913 by the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith, a Jewish service organization, in the wake of the contentious murder conviction of Leo Frank. ADL subsequently split from B'nai B'rith and continued as an independent US section 501(c)(3) nonprofit. In an early campaign, ADL and allied groups pressured the automaker Henry Ford, who had published virulently antisemitic propaganda.^[4][5] In the 1930s, ADL worked with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) to oppose pro-Nazi activity in the United States.^[6][7] It opposed McCarthyism during the Cold War,^[5] and campaigned for major civil rights legislation in the 1960s.^[5][7] It also worked with the NAACP to discredit the far right in a spy operation.^[8] In the 1980s, it was involved in propaganda against Nelson Mandela of South Africa before embracing him the following decade.^[9][10]

Since the 1970s, ADL has advanced the concept of new antisemitism, including a definition that says anti-Zionism and some criticisms of Israel are antisemitic.^{[11][12][13][14]} It has received criticism, including from members of its staff, that such advocacy has diverted ADL from its historical fight against antisemitism.^[11][15][16]