ADL Designates City of Mount Dora as Community of Respect™

Date: December 19, 2011

ADL was proud to designate the City of Mount Dora as a Community of Respect™ on December 18, 2011 in celebration and recognition of the strong sense of community and solidarity that characterizes Mount Dora.

This designation was prompted by the way in which the close-knit community of Mount Dora stood up to condemn an anti-Semitic hate crime perpetrated against the city’s only synagogue in July, 2011.  At that time, just before the synagogue’s opening, its walls were tarnished with horrific anti-Semitic graffiti.  The outpour of support demonstrated toward the synagogue was a rarity in today’s polarized society.

In the immediate aftermath of the anti-Semitic vandalism, the city’s leadership, law enforcement, community members and peoples of many faiths refused to let this act of hate intimidate them or the synagogue. Instead, the community of Mount Dora helped remove the graffiti from the synagogue’s walls.

ADL’s Community of Respect™ initiative highlights the benefits of diversity, encourages inclusiveness and empowers people to reject prejudice and discrimination. This innovative communitywide anti-bias initiative has been effectively implemented in other ADL regions around the country, inspired by ADL’s successful No Place for Hate® campaign in schools throughout Florida and nationwide.

ADL in the News
Orlando Sentinel: Mount Dora synagogue members put vandalism behind them
Orlando Sentinel: Anti-Defamation League proclaims Mount Dora a 'Community of Respect'