Anti-Defamation League

Attorney Avana Epperson-Temple Honored with Anti-Defamation League's 2023 Krupp Leadership Award

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 6, 2023

BOSTON, Nov. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Attorney Avana Epperson-Temple was recently honored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of New England with the distinguished 2023 Krupp Leadership Award. She was honored for her incredible dedication to ADL's mission and embodiment of the organization's core principles and goals, including combatting antisemitism, racism and other forms of hate, and securing equal treatment for all people.

Key Points: 
  • Attorney Avana Epperson-Temple was recently honored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of New England with the distinguished 2023 Krupp Leadership Award.
  • BOSTON, Nov. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Attorney Avana Epperson-Temple was recently honored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of New England with the distinguished 2023 Krupp Leadership Award.
  • I am profoundly grateful to be a recipient of the Anti-Defamation League's 2023 Krupp Leadership Award.
  • Upon receiving the prestigious award, Epperson-Temple expressed her gratitude, stating, "I am profoundly grateful to be a recipient of the Anti-Defamation League's 2023 Krupp Leadership Award.

Legal in one state, a crime in another: laws banning hate symbols are a mixed bag

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 26, 2023

Queensland has now joined several other states in outlawing extremist hate symbols.

Key Points: 
  • Queensland has now joined several other states in outlawing extremist hate symbols.
  • Far-right and neo-Nazi groups pose a significant ongoing threat to national security, in Australia and globally.
  • However, banning specific symbols and gestures is a tricky thing to do.

What are the laws across the country?

  • Over the last 16 months, Victoria, NSW and Tasmania have enacted laws banning the public display of Nazi symbols and salutes.
  • Last week, it expanded this to include any symbols used by the Nazi party, including paramilitary arms like the SS.
  • All the laws include exemptions where symbols are displayed for legitimate religious, artistic, legal, historical, or educational purposes.
  • The federal government has also put forward its own national ban laws, but those are yet to pass parliament.

How do Queensland’s laws compare?

  • First, the laws do not list any prohibited symbols.
  • This will, in theory, allow the Queensland government to adapt to new hate symbols as the need arises.
  • No one knows, at this point, what the laws will actually ban.
  • It is a crucial aspect of the rule of law that laws state clearly when conduct is a crime.

How consistent are the laws?

  • Victoria, Tasmania and NSW’s laws are broadly consistent, with Queensland as a clear outlier.
  • For example, it will now be an offence to display a Nazi tattoo in Queensland and NSW, but not in Victoria and Tasmania.
  • But it does suggest a degree of experimentation, with no consensus on the most effective approach.

How will we know if the laws are effective?

  • In any state, neo-Nazi groups may simply avoid prosecution under these laws by adapting the symbols, slogans and gestures they use.
  • In addition, the laws will allow police to disrupt and arrest those who pose a threat to our communities.
  • These developing laws send a clear signal that Nazi ideology has no place in Australian society.


Keiran Hardy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Stop Antisemitism Today: "Work That Matters" Podcast Shines Spotlight on Lesley Israel's Impactful Work with Jewish Causes Worldwide

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 15, 2023

EASTON, Md., Aug. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In the latest episode of the acclaimed podcast "Work That Matters," host Lesley Israel opens up about her profound involvement with Jewish communities worldwide. In a candid and heartfelt interview, Lesley shares her experiences, challenges, and triumphs while advocating for Jewish causes and preserving American heritage abroad. As an esteemed political consultant, entrepreneur, and devoted family woman, Lesley's journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, with a track record of contributing to high-profile political campaigns, including multiple US presidential campaigns. Throughout the series, Lesley Israel has reflected on how these experiences shaped her understanding of politics and government, but now she discusses the importance of faith. Her advocacy and activity in promoting Jewish causes are second to none, and even in retirement, Lesley still finds ways to make a difference.

Key Points: 
  • "Work That Matters" episode eight delves deep into Lesley Israel's impactful work with Jewish causes worldwide, combatting antisemitism and promoting understanding.
  • EASTON, Md., Aug. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In the latest episode of the acclaimed podcast " Work That Matters ," host Lesley Israel opens up about her profound involvement with Jewish communities worldwide.
  • In a candid and heartfelt interview, Lesley shares her experiences, challenges, and triumphs while advocating for Jewish causes and preserving American heritage abroad.
  • Her advocacy and activity in promoting Jewish causes are second to none, and even in retirement, Lesley still finds ways to make a difference.

What is the difference between nationalism and patriotism?

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 28, 2023

The words nationalism and patriotism are sometimes used as synonyms, such as when Trump and his supporters describe his America First agenda.

Key Points: 
  • The words nationalism and patriotism are sometimes used as synonyms, such as when Trump and his supporters describe his America First agenda.
  • But many political scientists, including me, don’t typically see those two terms as equivalent – or even compatible.
  • There is a difference, and it’s important, not just to scholars but to regular citizens as well.

Devotion to a people

    • A nation is a group of people who share a history, culture, language, religion or some combination thereof.
    • A country, which is sometimes called a state in political science terminology, is an area of land that has its own government.
    • A nation-state is a homogeneous political entity mostly comprising a single nation.
    • Some of those groups are formally recognized by the federal government, such as the Navajo Nation and the Cherokee Nation.
    • Scholars understand nationalism as exclusive, boosting one identity group over – and at times in direct opposition to – others.

Devotion to a place

    • In contrast to nationalism’s loyalty for or devotion to one’s nation, patriotism is, per the same dictionary, “love for or devotion to one’s country.” It comes from the word patriot, which itself can be traced back to the Greek word patrios, which means “of one’s father.” In other words, patriotism has historically meant a love for and devotion to one’s fatherland, or country of origin.
    • Patriotism encompasses devotion to the country as a whole – including all the people who live within it.
    • Nationalism refers to devotion to only one group of people over all others.

Nationalism vs. patriotism

    • Adolf Hitler’s rise in Germany was accomplished by perverting patriotism and embracing nationalism.
    • After World War II, President Harry Truman signed the Marshall Plan, which would provide postwar aid to Europe.
    • Rather, he viewed the “principal concern of the people of the United States” to be “the creation of conditions of enduring peace throughout the world.” For him, patriotically putting the interests of his country first meant fighting against nationalism.

A tweak to the University of Nebraska's logo shows how the once benign 'OK' sign has entered a 'purgatory of meaning'

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Herbie’s left hand no longer forms the “OK” symbol.

Key Points: 
  • Herbie’s left hand no longer forms the “OK” symbol.
  • How did something as benign and commonplace as the “OK” hand gesture come to assume such sinister undertones?

A new way to hate?

    • “Operation O-KKK” encouraged the flooding of social media sites like Twitter with posts proclaiming the familiar gesture to be a symbol of the alt-right.
    • But what began as an effort to “troll the libs” quickly took on a life of its own.
    • Shortly thereafter, school officials recalled yearbooks in Petaluma, California, and Chicago after discovering pictures of students making the gesture.

Symbolic overreaction

    • The employee was fired, even though he claimed to be merely cracking his knuckles.
    • And in April 2021, a contestant on “Jeopardy!” held up three fingers when he was introduced in celebration of having won the three previous games.
    • Afterward, many Americans were particularly sensitive to racist symbols – and perhaps more prone to interpret ambiguous gestures as white power signs.

Gang signs and moral panic

    • A very similar dynamic involving gang signs has played out over the past couple of decades.
    • The campaign was changed when state officials discovered that the street and prison gang the Gangster Disciples also used the symbol.
    • He was accused of flashing a gang sign because his thumb and two other fingers were outstretched.

Kids, cats and devils?

    • They run the gamut, from uneasiness about young children using smartphones to house cats killing wildlife and even to role-playing games fostering demon worship.
    • Fears of gangs and hate groups are just the latest manifestation of this phenomenon.

Daniel P. Amos Honored as a 2023 Georgia Trustee

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 25, 2023

COLUMBUS, Ga., April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The company announced today that Aflac Incorporated Chairman and CEO Daniel P. Amos was inducted as a 2023 Georgia Trustee – the highest honor the State of Georgia can bestow on an individual – by the Georgia Historical Society and U.S.

Key Points: 
  • COLUMBUS, Ga., April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The company announced today that Aflac Incorporated Chairman and CEO Daniel P. Amos was inducted as a 2023 Georgia Trustee – the highest honor the State of Georgia can bestow on an individual – by the Georgia Historical Society and U.S.
  • President and CEO of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Donna W. Hyland was also inducted alongside Amos at the Georgia Historical Society's Trustees Gala in downtown Savannah, where the Georgia Historical Society is located.
  • "Tonight, we honor two outstanding Georgians, Donna Hyland and Dan Amos," said Dr. W. Todd Groce, president and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society at the Trustees Gala on Saturday.
  • As a Georgia Trustee, Amos and Hyland join dozens of other dedicated state leaders such as Hank Aaron, Ted Turner, Paul Bowers, Dan Cathy, Arthur Blank, Shirley Franklin and Andrew Young.

Family Honors Holocaust Survivor Lineage Amidst Rise in Public Antisemitism

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 9, 2023

PHOENIX, Jan. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- More and more people are feeling emboldened to publicly express antisemitic tropes. The Anti-Defamation League received 2,717 reports of antisemitic assault, harassment, and vandalism in 2021, 34% more than the previous year and the most since the organization began documenting such crimes more than 40 years ago. That is why Jerry Guttman and his extended family have created a movement through the website, Our Holocaust Story, to counteract prejudice by educating others about their own family's Holocaust survival experience and offering a platform for others to do the same.

Key Points: 
  • That is why Jerry Guttman and his extended family have created a movement through the website, Our Holocaust Story , to counteract prejudice by educating others about their own family's Holocaust survival experience and offering a platform for others to do the same.
  • "We will not tolerate the current vitriol spewed by public figures in the media, now or ever," said Jerry Guttman, son of holocaust survivors Irving Guttman and Rosie Polkenfeld.
  • Our Holocaust Story recounts the individual experiences of Irving and Rosie on a chronology that spans pre-, during-, and post-World War II.
  • Our Holocaust Story includes this comprehensive repository of key records that were critical to chronicling their stories.

Michael Rubenstein Joins Pennington Partners as Director of Estate and Wealth Planning

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 3, 2022

A renowned estate planning attorney, Rubenstein will support Pennington's national network of ultra-high net worth families

Key Points: 
  • A renowned estate planning attorney, Rubenstein will support Pennington's national network of ultra-high net worth families
    HOUSTON, Oct. 3, 2022 Pennington Partners , a multi-family office that specializes in working with entrepreneurs, family offices, and their families, has announced that Michael K. Rubenstein has joined the firm and will lead Estate and Wealth Planning.
  • Rubenstein joins Pennington after 38 years of practicing law, most recently at Schlanger Silver, a Houston-based law firm specializing in litigation, business, tax, and family law.
  • As a partner and leader in the firm's estate planning division, Rubenstein has advised high-net-worth families, business owners, entrepreneurs, public company executives, and real estate developers.
  • One of the primary reasons for launching Pennington was to simplify the complexities that are often inherent in managing wealth.

Appeal of Conscience Foundation to Honor Robert Kraft, Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group, and Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman of the L'Oréal Group, at the 57th Annual Appeal of Conscience Awards

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 21, 2022

Jean-PaulAgonwill be recognized for his visionary, innovative, global leadership committed to respect for human dignity, diversity and inclusiveness."

Key Points: 
  • Jean-PaulAgonwill be recognized for his visionary, innovative, global leadership committed to respect for human dignity, diversity and inclusiveness."
  • "I am humbled to receive this honor and join such a distinguished list of past recipients," said Robert Kraft.
  • "What Rabbi Schneier has created with this foundation and the positive impact it has had over the past half-century is truly remarkable.
  • I have tremendous respect for his tireless pursuit to combat hatred and his mission to help all humanity."

Appeal of Conscience Foundation to Honor Robert Kraft, Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group, and Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman of the L'Oréal Group, at the 57th Annual Appeal of Conscience Awards

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 21, 2022

Jean-PaulAgonwill be recognized for his visionary, innovative, global leadership committed to respect for human dignity, diversity and inclusiveness."

Key Points: 
  • Jean-PaulAgonwill be recognized for his visionary, innovative, global leadership committed to respect for human dignity, diversity and inclusiveness."
  • "I am humbled to receive this honor and join such a distinguished list of past recipients," said Robert Kraft.
  • "What Rabbi Schneier has created with this foundation and the positive impact it has had over the past half-century is truly remarkable.
  • I have tremendous respect for his tireless pursuit to combat hatred and his mission to help all humanity."