“Antisemitism has not just become murderous, it’s become mundane,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt in his annual “State of Hate” address at this year’s Never Is Now Summit in New York City. “What would have made headlines a decade ago barely goes noticed today.”

“If we don’t turn this tide, life in America as we know it will be irrevocably changed. Changed for Jews, sure, but also changed for everyone,” he said. “A country riddled by antisemitism is one where intolerance is widespread, where conspiratorial thinking tops free inquiry, where pluralism is imperiled, and where democracy is in danger.”

The two-day conference, attended by 4,000 in person and hundreds more online, was for the most part excellent. Many who criticized the ADL before Oct. 7, 2023 refuse to see how much it’s changed. It has now risen above partisan politics to the point that it’s now hated by both sides. Greenblatt even called out two Democratic lawmakers — Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Santa Clara)—for perpetuating antisemitism.

And unlike many of the legacy organizations, the ADL is not obsessed with “influencers” and other tactics that have actually been harmful. Perhaps the best assessment of its effectiveness could be found in the level of derangement of the protesters outside. Half were violent Chinese women who spat at us and shoved an elderly woman to the ground before the NYPD could intervene. The other half gleefully called us Nazis; the fact that their skin color was whiter than everyone inside was lost on them.

Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis accused Western leaders of remaining silent as Israel and the U.S. confronted Iran, saying those who failed to publicly back the campaign were effectively standing with the ayatollah regime. “This campaign is intended not only to defend Israel and the United States, but the entire free world,” he said. “Those same leaders who rushed to condemn Israel have suddenly lost their voice.”

“Just as President Bush said after the Sept. 11 attacks: ‘Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists,’” Akunis said. “That is the story today as well: if you do not speak up and stand alongside Israel and the United States, you support the ayatollahs.”

Akunis also rejected the idea that Israel required outside validation as the nation-state of the Jewish people. “We do not need anyone to recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people, and we do not intend to ask for that recognition, not from presidents, not from prime ministers and not from mayors.”

Breakout sessions included: Identifying Bias in the Media; Fighting Antisemitism Through the Courts; The State of Antisemitism in NYC; The Power of Youth Advocacy; Building and Sustaining Christian-Jewish Alliances; and Dismantling Antisemitism in the Arts. One breakout session was reminiscent of the pre-Oct. 7 ADL, with a defensiveness about leftist antisemitism; endless virtue signaling and gratuitous bashing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And one Arab Israeli awardee inappropriately talked about the problem she claimed to have encountered with Israeli “settlers.”

But the majority of the conference rose above partisan politics, focusing on the ADL’s essential work:

* The Legal Action Network, which now has more than 50 of the top law firms committed to taking cases pro bono;

* Center for Technology and Society, focusing on AI and social media;

* Hazak (Hebrew for “strong”) partners with early-stage grassroots organizations, sharing expertise and resources.

* Mamdani Monitor, which no doubt made every NYC parent feel a little more safe.

And with 1,100 students and educators in attendance, the conference was rightly focused on Gen Z. “Our data has shown that more than 40% of Jewish students have actively felt the need to hide their Jewish identity, and three-quarters are not comfortable expressing their views on Israel,” said Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International.

Perhaps the most emotional session of the conference was an interview with Bob and Nancy Milgrim, parents of Sarah Milgrim, who was murdered with her soon to be fiancé, Yaron Lischinsky, outside of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., last May. Both worked at the Israeli Embassy. The Milgrims talked about the “overwhelming” messages they continue to receive from around the world, creating a deeper connection to the Jewish community. “Without that, I don’t know how we could have gone through this,” Sarah’s father said.

Focusing on Sarah’s legacy as a “beacon of light,” “If you can do one thing to make the world a better place, you will be honoring Sarah,” said her mother.

The conference ended with a live “Call Me Back” podcast: Dan Senor interviewing Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad. “This is a Berlin Wall moment for us Iranians,” said Alinejad, who is the founder of the My Stealthy Freedom campaign against compulsory hijab and one of the most prominent advocates for women’s rights and democratic freedom in Iran.

She expressed shock, disappointment, and sadness by the leftist protesters who are supporting the Islamic Republic. “They mean it when they say ‘Death to America.’ And yes, we had to burn the flag of America.” How do they call themselves feminists, she exclaimed, when they’re supporting the most misogynistic regime in history? Her moral clarity has not surprisingly been met with repeated kidnapping and assassination attempts linked to the Iranian regime.

In her passionate pleas for the West to “wake up” to what is really at stake here, Alinejad said that it will be Iranian and Israeli women who show the world what real feminism is. Since Queen Esther was possibly the first real feminist, Alinejad’s words were the perfect ending to the conference. And she no doubt inspired every attendee to walk a bit prouder into the increasingly ugly city, which may never again be known for creativity and innovation.

Repression of truth and morality always leads to darkness. But as an ancient people who’ve been through far worse, we will take our inner light wherever we go. And for many New Yorkers, that means finally going home.

Karen Lehrman Bloch is editor in chief of White Rose Magazine.