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Anti-Defamation League

Short answer: The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. B'nai B'rith, a Jewish service organization, founded it in Chicago in autumn 1913, with attorney Sigmund Livingston as its first leader.

Wikipedia's account places the founding in the wake of the contested murder conviction of Leo Frank that year. The ADL became independent of B'nai B'rith in 2009, and Jonathan Greenblatt has been its CEO since 2015. The ADL describes its purpose as protecting the Jewish people and fighting antisemitism and hate. It's known for incident audits, research on extremism, law-enforcement training and pro-Israel advocacy. The ADL is politically contested. Critics on the left have accused it of conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. In late 2025, conservative critics, including Elon Musk and FBI Director Kash Patel, attacked its extremism research after its glossary included an entry on Turning Point USA. The ADL took the glossary down, the FBI announced it was cutting ties, and the ADL said it remained committed to protecting the Jewish people. This case reports those claims with their sources and doesn't judge them.

VideoWrite-up6 sources
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What should you know about Anti-Defamation League?

Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.

  1. The ADL was founded in 1913 by B'nai B'rith, with Sigmund Livingston as its first leader.

    DD-674-F01 · Write-up · Exhibit A (Founding)

  2. The ADL became independent of B'nai B'rith in 2009.

    DD-674-F02 · Write-up · Exhibit B (Structure)

Video transcript: Anti-Defamation League: A League Born in 1913

DID YOU KNOW? The Anti-Defamation League, or ADL, is a US-based non-profit organization founded in 1913 to combat anti-Semitism and defend civil rights for all people. Originally established in response to widespread discrimination against Jewish Americans, the ADL's mission has expanded to include fighting hate, extremism, and misinformation across society. NOW YOU KNOW!

Burned-in captions, read frame by frame (see transcript.md) · 19.5s Reel ·

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Anti-Defamation League: A League Born in 1913 Instagram Reel · · 19.5s

The write-up

A league born in 1913. The ADL was founded by B'nai B'rith in Chicago.

  1. Exhibit A

    Founding

    B'nai B'rith founded the ADL in Chicago in autumn 1913, with Sigmund Livingston as its first leader. Wikipedia ties the founding to the contested 1913 murder conviction of Leo Frank, whom historians today generally consider innocent.

  2. Exhibit B

    Structure

    The ADL became independent of B'nai B'rith in 2009. It's a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in New York City with regional offices around the US, and Jonathan Greenblatt is its CEO.

  3. Exhibit C

    What it does

    It publishes audits of antisemitic incidents, tracks extremist groups, trains law-enforcement officers and advocates on policy, including pro-Israel advocacy. In 2026 Greenblatt said it has about 40 analysts monitoring extremists full-time (as reported by IBTimes UK).

  4. Exhibit D

    The 2025 dispute

    After its 'Glossary of Extremism and Hate' drew criticism from Elon Musk and other conservatives, partly over an entry on Turning Point USA, the ADL took it down (The Guardian). FBI Director Kash Patel announced on October 1, 2025, that the FBI was ending its partnership (Al Jazeera). The ADL responded that it respects the FBI and remains 'more committed than ever' to protecting the Jewish people (ADL).

  5. Exhibit E

    Mission wording

    In October 2025, JTA reported that the ADL had removed a 'protect civil rights' passage from its website. An ADL spokesperson said this was part of a review of outdated content. Critics on the left have separately accused the ADL of conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism, which the ADL disputes (Wikipedia summary).

Questions people ask about Anti-Defamation League

Which organization founded the ADL in 1913?

B'nai B'rith, with Sigmund Livingston as the first leader.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Founding) · Wikipedia: Anti-Defamation League

In which city was the ADL founded?

Chicago. Today it's headquartered in New York.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Founding) · Wikipedia: Anti-Defamation League

In what year did the ADL become independent of B'nai B'rith?

2009.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Structure) · Wikipedia: Anti-Defamation League

Who has been the ADL's CEO since 2015?

Jonathan Greenblatt.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Structure) · Wikipedia: Anti-Defamation League

What did the ADL take down in 2025 after conservative criticism?

It removed the glossary (The Guardian).

Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (The 2025 dispute) · The Guardian (Oct 1, 2025): Anti-Defamation League takes down extremism research after Musk leads rightwing backlash; Al Jazeera (Oct 2, 2025): FBI cuts ties with Anti-Defamation League amid conservative backlash; ADL: Statement on the FBI Director's 10/1 announcement (Oct 1, 2025)

Test Your Knowledge

All quizzes →

5 questions, all from this case file. Answers are revealed instantly.

  1. Which organization founded the ADL in 1913?

    1. B'nai B'rith
    2. The NAACP
    3. The American Jewish Committee
    4. The ACLU
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. B'nai B'rith B'nai B'rith, with Sigmund Livingston as the first leader. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Founding) · Wikipedia: Anti-Defamation League

  2. In which city was the ADL founded?

    1. Chicago
    2. New York
    3. Atlanta
    4. Boston
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Chicago Chicago. Today it's headquartered in New York. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Founding) · Wikipedia: Anti-Defamation League

  3. In what year did the ADL become independent of B'nai B'rith?

    1. 1933
    2. 1967
    3. 2009
    4. 2020
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. 2009 2009. Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Structure) · Wikipedia: Anti-Defamation League

  4. Who has been the ADL's CEO since 2015?

    1. Jonathan Greenblatt
    2. Abraham Foxman
    3. Sigmund Livingston
    4. Kash Patel
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Jonathan Greenblatt Jonathan Greenblatt. Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Structure) · Wikipedia: Anti-Defamation League

  5. What did the ADL take down in 2025 after conservative criticism?

    1. Its Glossary of Extremism and Hate
    2. Its headquarters
    3. Its annual audit
    4. Its law-enforcement training
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Its Glossary of Extremism and Hate It removed the glossary (The Guardian). Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (The 2025 dispute) · The Guardian (Oct 1, 2025): Anti-Defamation League takes down extremism research after Musk leads rightwing backlash; Al Jazeera (Oct 2, 2025): FBI cuts ties with Anti-Defamation League amid conservative backlash; ADL: Statement on the FBI Director's 10/1 announcement (Oct 1, 2025)

Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Anti-Defamation League." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-674, last updated Nov 26, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/anti-defamation-league/

Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/anti-defamation-league/ · Last updated

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