An Interview with ADL New England Board Member Lori Gans

June 17, 2008

National and New England regional Anti Defamation League board member Lori Gans recently took some time to answer a few questions for the New Vilna Review by email. Ms. Gans has been an active leader in the Boston Jewish community in both a professional and volunteer capacity for a number of years.

NVR: How did you first become involved with the ADL?

I first became interested in the Anti-Defamation League when I worked for the Federation of Jewish Agencies in Philadelphia, staffing their Committee on National and Overseas Agencies. I learned about the work that ADL was doing and, to be honest, it just sang to me. I was eager to be involved with the Jewish community in some way when I moved back to Boston (which I was about to do) and ADL’s mission spoke to my most abiding Jewish and civic passions. It’s leadership in the civil rights arena and it’s effectiveness in combating anti-Semitism and the opportunity that an individual like me could have to make a real difference was appealing. And like most people, getting to know Lenny Zakim changed my life immeasurably.  No one could enter Lenny’s sphere and come out unchanged. His passion was viral, and no one was immune. I still find myself looking for him around corners, wondering what he thinks of the issues of the day and wishing I could hear his voice, his call to action, one more time.  

NVR: What kind of role do you play in the organization as a member of the board?

In the 20 years that I’ve been involved with ADL, I have had the opportunity to assist in many ways. At the local level, I have served on nearly every one of its programmatic committees, Speakers Bureau, Development, Civil Rights, Education, Confronting anti-Semitism (for which I have been a workshop facilitator for 20 years), Leadership, International Affairs and Public Affairs, as well as administrative committees and task forces like Nominating Committee, executive search committees, marketing and communications, and so on. I’ve served on the Executive Committee for many years and have chaired the Confronting Anti-Semitism Advisory Committee most recently.  I think I’m most proud of the work I did in the mid ‘90’s as creator and founding co-chair of the very first ADL Leadership Institute, which has grown to become today’s national Glass Leadership Institute program.  I’ve also had the pleasure to serve at the national level as a National Commissioner, through which I have served as co-Chair of the National Higher Education/Campus Affairs Committee, a Vice-Chair of the Education Committee and Northeast Quadrant Chair for Education, and as Vice-Chair of the Leadership Committee.

NVR: What are some of the major issues the ADL is working on right now?

We’re doing a lot of really exciting things with ADL these days. First and foremost, of course, ADL stands up to anti-Semitism. Unfortunately, business is “good” these days. We’re as busy as ever responding to the many forms that this age-old prejudice takes. We stand with and assist victims in responding when incidents happen.  We work pro-actively to help train parents and teens to prepare them to take action when they witness or experience anti-Semitism. We work with religious schools and educators to help them handle this issue when it arises in their communities.  We’re also on campus, where the anti-Israel rhetoric isolates and alienates Jewish students across the country. The “new” anti-Semitism, of course, comes in the form of anti-Israel or anti-Zionist activism that goes far beyond good faith political disagreement. These are difficult issues for even the most committed and knowledgable Jews, and ADL’s response is nuanced and effective – a powerful counterpoint to some of the more shrill debates we hear throughout the community these days, and we’re helping to train communities, campuses and congregations alike to engage productively and forcefully on behalf of Israel. 

We’re also leading the way in combating cyberbulling. Our recent Youth Congress brought more than 1100 kids and teens together and brought attention to the issue from all perspectives. At the national level, ADL was recently recognized by WiredSafety (the nation’s largest online safety, education and help group) and Parry Aftab (renowned Internet safety attorney and expert on cybercrime) with their “Stop Cyberbullying Excellence and Awareness Award” for our  Trickery, Trolling and Threats: Understanding and Addressing Cyberbullying training model and resources.  And here at home, we’re very proud to be co-sponsors of anti-bullying legislation which we’ll be presenting to the State legislature in just a few weeks. 

At our recent David A. Rose Breakfast we honored 5 area attorneys for their pro-bono work to secure the civil rights of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, and we were gratified by the recent Supreme Court decision which upheld the right of habeas corpus, a fundamental principle of our Constitution, a case for which ADL has been a strong proponent. 

And in August, we will once again bring together Muslim, Jewish and Christian teens at our renowned Camp IF to provide them a unique opportunity to explore each other’s faith traditions and develop leadership skills and friendships necessary to promote interfaith understanding in their own communities. Programs like these are among the greatest investment in the future that we can make. 

These are just a few of the items on our very busy agenda this summer, but can give you an idea of how varied our work is. Despite the range of initiatives, the common theme is, as it has always been, a profound commitment to tolerance, respect, freedom and peace.

NVR: The ADL is involved in bringing more attention to the crisis in Darfur – how can people who are interested in helping to end the genocide there get involved?

The question of Darfur is such an important one. Genocide is happening again in our lifetime, on our watch. These seem like almost trite words since they’ve become catchphrases, but they have a particular resonance with Jews and, particularly, with ADL. If the phrase “Never Again” is to mean anything, we cannot “stand idly by” and not take action. Every single person can help. Children can find creative ways to raise pennies, nickels and dimes (My kids sold lemonade and held up posters asking for “Change for Change in Darfur”). Teens can do more to educate their peers about what’s going on and to talk about Darfur with everyone who will listen. Adults can, must, fight for change locally by pressing for action and intervention at the local, national and international levels, contributing to advocacy and relief efforts and more. ADL is a proud, vocal and influential member of the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur and there’s important work being done. American Jewish World Service, www.savedarfur.org, UNICEF, American Red Cross and other organizations are also working hard to change the situation on the ground in Africa. Whatever way one chooses to make a difference, action is what it takes. We can’t just watch the news and sigh. 

NVR: What are your thoughts on how the controversy over the Armenian genocide was resolved within both the ADL and the larger Jewish community?

Personally, I'm gratified that ADL nationally has recognized the Armenian genocide as an historical fact, and now we're concentrating our efforts on moving forward and doing all that we can so that no community will ever again face such atrocities and threats to their very existence. This is why we are so committed to fighting genocide in Darfur. It must be stopped now. Every individual has the power to make a difference, and we all have a duty to exercise that power in whatever ways we can. Our work is expansive and we are fulfilling our mission in so many ways.

NVR: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Despite 20 years of voluntarism with and support for ADL, I can truly say I’ve gotten much, much more back from the experience than I could possibly have contributed. I’ve been working professionally in the not-for-profit field for my entire career and can honestly say that I have never encountered an organization that makes better use of its leadership than this one. The League has given me the platform to contribute in meaningful ways that very few organizations could match, and it’s empowered me to live as close to my values and ideals as I can. This is the true gift of the volunteer experience with ADL. I would also say that the most extraordinary people I’ve ever had the honor to know have come from the ranks of this organization because its mission and values are so critically important to the quality of life on this planet for every human being. As corny as it may be, I believe in these core values and pray that we be able to pass them along to empower and embolden an even more passionate generation of men and women to come.