ADL Florida Delegation Returns from National Leadership Conference in DC

Date: April 24, 2009

L – R: Tracey Grossman, ADL FL Regional Board Member and GLI Chair, Boca Raton; Clarence Page, honoree; and Catherine & Matthew Lapides, GLI Miami participants.

An ADL Florida delegation comprised of 24 lay leaders just returned from Washington, D.C. where they attended the Anti-Defamation League's 2009 Shana Amy Glass National Leadership Conference, held April 19-21, which brought over 400 ADL leaders from across the country for a series of briefings from legislators, civil rights leaders, ambassadors and foreign policy experts.

During the conference, the ADL Florida delegation had the opportunity to hold Congressional meetings with the offices of U.S. Representatives Alcee Hastings, Ron Klein, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Tom Rooney, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Robert Wexler to discuss their support for Israel, improved Federal Hate Crime response, rising global anti-Semitism and comprehensive immigration reform.  The Florida delegation thanked Congressman Klein for his global anti-Semitism resolution.

This was also an opportunity for participants of ADL's Glass Leadership Institute in Florida as well as senior ADL lay leaders who reside in Florida to dialogue about national issues of importance to ADL, and learn how the organization responds. Florida delegates interacted with ADL leaders from around the country sharing best practices and collaborating on core ADL issues. 

"We interacted with over 400 other GLI members from across the country and heard from top national leaders including President Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano," stated Alan Rosenthal, GLI Chair in Boca Raton and attorney at Redgrave and Rosenthal LLP. "We also lobbied our local members of Congress on the issues that are important to the ADL.  The conference was the culmination of our year long GLI program where we learned about all of the many wonderful programs offered by ADL.  I have had the opportunity to attend three Leadership Conferences and I continue to be more excited and impressed with the great work the ADL is doing to stop anti-Semitism and secure justice for all both nationally and internationally."

Highlights from the conference included remarks from Ambassador Sallai Meridor, Ambassador of Israel to the U.S., and Martin Indyk, Director, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution.  In addition, nationally syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page was honored with the ADL Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize which recognizes those who have made significant and lasting contributions to the protection and advancement of the First Amendment.  ADL also honored Irene Gut Opdyke, a Catholic rescuer who saved Jews during the Holocaust, with the Courage to Care Award presented to her daughter.