ADL’s Jonathan Greenblatt and Urban League’s Marc Morial Spoke on Antisemitism and Racism
By ALAN SMASON, Special to the CCJN
Both Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO and national director Jonathan Greenblatt and Urban League CEO and former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial expressed alarm on Tuesday at recent crime statistics released for 2025 that showed marked increases in reported hate crimes affecting both the Jewish and Black communities nationwide.
Urban League CEO and former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, left, and ADL CEO and national director Jonathan Greenblatt on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at the Orpheum Theater. (Photo by Alan Smason)
Speaking at the Orpheum Theater in downtown New Orleans at 2:30, the two held a candid conversation with each other, moderated by local attorney Kim Boyle of the Phelps Dunbar law firm.
A crowd of 150 guests assembled to hear the two national figures give their thoughts on the rapid rise of antisemitism and the large number of race crimes committed each year against Blacks. According to the figures, more crimes were committed against African-Americans in 2025, but the rise in crimes reported as antisemitic are even more disturbing because the number of Jews in the U.S. is substantially lower than the number of Blacks. National Jewish population estimates are from 7.3 to 7.6 million, while Americans who identify as Black are listed at over 49 million.
The number of hate crimes reported against Blacks numbered at approximately 3,200, but hate crimes reported as antisemitic numbered at over 1,500. Crimes against Jewish victims did go down from the figures given for 2024, but were listed at 14% of all hate crimes and represented 65.3% of all religious hate crimes.
“I believe so deeply, so profoundly that this fight against antisemitism and racism – it’s linked, it’s synched up” Greenblatt spoke out. “We’ve got to do everything we can to make sure people on both sides understand that the fight against anti-Black racism and the fight against antisemitism in all forms, they are the same fight.”
ADL CEO and national director Jonathan Greenblatt. (Photo by Alan Smason)
When asked to speak on the legacy of the coalition between the ADL and the Urban League, Morial invoked a personal anecdote from his past, which was that the very first swimming pool he swam in New Orleans was at the Jewish Community Center. It was as a result of member of the Jewish community taking the bold initiative to bring Morial and other members of his family there during a time when mixed swimming was against the law.
“There was a unique relationship in the south between the African-American and the Jewish communities – whether it was New Orleans or Atlanta or Jackson or Birmingham – which stemmed from certainly the days of segregation, the antisemitism, the anti-Black racism that was baked into community. That led in this community to a level of collaboration to coorperation around a whole series or host of things,” Morial said.
Urban League CEO Marc Morial on Sept. 22, 2026 in New Orleans. (Photo by Alan Smason)
“This gentleman I am sitting next to has a passion. He has a fight. He has a spunk,” Morial said in describing Greenblatt. “He does know when to be confrontational and when you lead an organization like ADL, that’s a good thing because everybody is not on your side. Everyone is not always affirming you.”
Greenblatt expressed dismay at the continuing high numbers of hate crimes that affect Blacks and Jews, which occupy the number one and two positions, respectively. According to Greenblatt, the latest figures are the highest the F.B.I. has ever tracked against Jews.
“Something is wrong. This is going backwards,” Greenblatt protested.
“I think social media is scrambling our minds and I think the cynicism and distrust that is so rampant is sort of feeding these conspiracy theories and splitting us from each other,” Greenblatt added. “It’s never been more important to find ways to come together.”
Both Greenblatt and Morial expressed pride in recognizing many of the joint programming the ADL and the Urban League host for each other. Several of their programs involves young interns at both organizations learning from their peers and gaining much needed perspectives.
“We’ve got work to do with young people,” Morial continued. “We have to build multi-racial, multi-cultural conversations, tables if you will, so they can better understand each other – talk to each other. I think it’s easier for people to work together when they get older, if they work together when they are young.”
To view photos from the event click the gallery.
