From the Frontlines

Scott Richman, Regional Director of ADL for New York/New Jersey
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Podcast by Scott Richman, Regional Director of ADL for New York/New Jersey

  1. From the Frontlines: Terror at Temple Israel in Michigan

    MAR 29

    From the Frontlines: Terror at Temple Israel in Michigan

    "From the Frontlines" is an ADL podcast which brings listeners to the frontline in the battle against antisemitism, hate and extremism through conversations with ADL staff who are living that battle every day. Picture a Thursday afternoon in the suburbs of Detroit. More than 100 young children are in school at their synagogue when a man rams a truck into the front entrance of that building. He drives it through the doors and down the hallway, opens fire with a rifle, and but for the extraordinary heroism of an armed security team, would have committed one of the worst antisemitic massacres in American history.
 That is what happened on March 12, 2026, at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan. One of the largest Reform synagogues in the country, and one of the most beloved Jewish institutions in the Detroit area, became the latest frontline in America's crisis of antisemitism.
 This podcast features Elyssa Schmier, ADL's Regional Director in Michigan, and someone for whom this attack was both part of her professional work, but also devastating on the deepest personal level. She is a congregant of Temple Israel,and her husband's family has worshipped at the synagogue for four generations. She offered very powerful reflections on what happened, the impact on the community and where the community is today. If you wish to donate to help this community in the aftermath of this attack, visit: https://www.temple-israel.org/home.html. This conversation was recorded in March 2026., shortly after the terror incident occurred.

    35 min
  2. From the Frontlines: A Sneak Peek at this Year's Never is Now!

    MAR 2

    From the Frontlines: A Sneak Peek at this Year's Never is Now!

    "From the Frontlines" is an ADL podcast which brings listeners to the frontline in the battle against antisemitism, hate and extremism through conversations with ADL staff who are living that battle every day. Imagine walking into a room with thousands of people you have never met before and realizing — maybe for the first time in a long time — that you are not alone. That every person around you, regardless of their background, their politics, or their faith, is there for the same reason you are: because they refuse to be silent in the face of hate. That is what it feels like to walk into Never Is Now, the world's largest summit on antisemitism and hate. We know that 46% of the world's adult population harbor antisemitic attitudes — more than double the number of just a decade ago. We know that antisemitism is rising on campuses, in workplaces, online, and in communities across the country and around the world. And we know that the answer to hate is never silence. It is action. On March 16th and 17th, Never Is Now returns to New York City, and this edition of the "From the Frontlines" podcast offers an exclusive sneak peek at what to expect. Allison Musmand, ADL's Vice President of Marketing, joined the show to provide all of the details. She is the driving force behind bringing Never Is Now to life this year, making sure that thousands of attendees have an experience that doesn't just inform them, but transforms them into active fighters against hate. To see all of the details and to register for Never is Now, just visit https://neverisnow.org/. Listeners of this podcast can save 20% off the cost of registration by entering the promotion code SAVE20. This conversation was recorded in February 2026. Note that it was recorded just prior to the conflict in the Middle East and does not reflect the ways in which ADL has pivoted to deal reflect that reality in the Summit.

    22 min
  3. From the Frontlines: Can AI Detect and Combat Antisemitism?

    FEB 15

    From the Frontlines: Can AI Detect and Combat Antisemitism?

    "From the Frontlines" is an ADL podcast which brings listeners to the frontline in the battle against antisemitism, hate and extremism through conversations with ADL staff and supporters who are living that battle every day. Picture this: You ask an AI assistant to summarize a document, and it provides you with arguments supporting the theory that Jews control the financial system—with no indication that this theory is harmful and no counterarguments offered. Or imagine a student asking AI to help write a YouTube script, and it generates content claiming "Jewish-controlled central banks are the puppet masters behind every major economic collapse." This isn't science fiction. This is happening right now with some of the world's most widely used artificial intelligence systems. As AI increasingly shapes how people access information, form opinions, and make decisions, a critical question emerges: Are these powerful tools equipped to detect and counter antisemitism and extremism? Or are they unwittingly amplifying the very hate that ADL fights every day? To answer that question, ADL conducted the first comprehensive evaluation of how large language models respond to antisemitic and extremist content—testing over 25,000 interactions across six major AI systems: ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, Gemini, Grok, and Llama. The results are now available in ADL's groundbreaking new AI Index. Alisa Feldman is ADL's Director of Research at the Ratings and Assessments Institut. She led the research behind this unprecedented Index and joined this podcast to walk through what her team discovered about AI's ability—or inability—to combat hate. To see all of the findings in ADL's AI Index, visit: https://www.adl.org/adl-ai-index. This conversation was recorded in February 2026.

    27 min
  4. From the Frontlines: A Very Inspiring Holocaust Story

    JAN 26

    From the Frontlines: A Very Inspiring Holocaust Story

    "From the Frontlines" is an ADL podcast which brings listeners to the frontline in the battle against antisemitism, hate and extremism through conversations with ADL staff and supporters who are living that battle every day. A boy stands in 1935 Berlin, about to become a bar mitzvah—the very week the Nuremberg Laws are enacted. He has a Lutheran mother. He could choose safety. Instead, he chooses to be a Jew. That choice would define his life—and nearly end it—as he spent years hiding in plain sight in Nazi Berlin, captured by the Gestapo four times, escaping three times, and surviving through a combination of luck, cunning, and the paradoxical help of the very Nazis who persecuted him. This is the story of Pips, as he was known, though his real name was Gerd Philipsohn, and he became Gary Phillips shortly after arriving in this country and succeeding beyond his imagination. As we approach International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Dr. Georgette Bennett returned once again to this podcast in order to tell his story. She is a longtime ADL donor who tells the remarkable and personal story of her cousin Pips in her new book, "Half-Jew, Full Life: The Unlikely Journey of a Voluntary Jew from Nazi Persecution to the American Dream." To read more about the book or to purchase it, visit: https://heresy-press.com/product/half-jew-full-life-by-georgette-bennett/. This conversation was recorded in January 2026.

    47 min
  5. From the Frontlines: Everything You Need to Know About the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism

    JAN 12

    From the Frontlines: Everything You Need to Know About the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism

    "From the Frontlines" is an ADL podcast which brings listeners to the frontline in the battle against antisemitism, hate and extremism through conversations with ADL staff who are living that battle every day. The past few years have seen an extraordinary rise in antisemitism as captured by ADL’s Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents which basically shows a tripling of incidents nationwide since 10/7. Nowhere is that more evident than in New York and New Jersey which together account for more than 20% of incidents across the United States. Serious action needs to be taken. One step that has proven effective around the globe is the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Antisemitism or IHRA for short. What is it? Why do we need it? and How can we make sure our states use it as an effective tool against antisemitism? is the subject of this podcast. It is an edited version of a webinar put on the by the ADL Long Island and ADL New Jersey activist groups in January 2026. It features two outstanding ADL colleagues: 1. Dan Granot, ADL’s Senior Director of Government Relations and Community engagement out of ADL’s Washington DC office. 2. Melissa Kraus Augenbraun, ADL’s Policy Director for the East Division. To read more about the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and ADL's views on it, visit https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/about-ihra-working-definition-antisemitism.

    45 min
  6. From the Frontlines: Emma Tsurkov Fights for 903 Days to Bring Her Sister Elizabeth Home From Iraq

    11/10/2025

    From the Frontlines: Emma Tsurkov Fights for 903 Days to Bring Her Sister Elizabeth Home From Iraq

    "From the Frontlines" is an ADL podcast which brings listeners to the frontline in the battle against antisemitism and extremism through conversations with ADL staff who are living that battle every day. The frontline in this podcast is deeply personal because it's about one of our own. Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton University doctoral student, was kidnapped in Baghdad on March 21, 2023, while conducting research for her dissertation. Leading the fight for her release was her sister Emma Tsurkov who is the Director of Quantitative Research in ADL's Center for Antisemitism Research. She never stopped advocating, never stopped demanding action, and never gave up hope. On September 9th of this year, Elizabeth was finally freed and returned home to Israel. To tell that story, Emma joined this podcast to share her incredibly personal and powerful story. To read the New York Times article on Elizabeth's ordeal mentioned in the podcast, visit: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/world/middleeast/tsurkov-kataib-torture-kidnap.html. This conversation was recorded in November 2025.

    56 min
  7. From the Frontlines: The First Global Survey of Jewish Students and Antisemitism

    10/16/2025

    From the Frontlines: The First Global Survey of Jewish Students and Antisemitism

    "From the Frontlines" is an ADL podcast which brings listeners to the frontline in the battle against antisemitism and hate through conversations with ADL staff who are living that battle every day. Today, that frontline extends far beyond American borders to university campuses around the world, where Jewish students are being forced to conceal fundamental aspects of their identity just to navigate campus life. According to a groundbreaking new global survey by ADL and the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS), more than three-quarters of Jewish university students worldwide are concealing their religious identity. This is the devastating reality revealed by the first comprehensive global study of its kind examining Jewish student experiences worldwide. Dalia Grinfeld joined this podcast to discuss the survey's findings. She is ADL's Associate Director for European Affairs and has been instrumental in developing ADL's international response to campus antisemitism. Dalia has worked closely with WUJS on this unprecedented research engaging Jewish students from over 60 countries across six continents. To read the full survey results, visit: https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/2025-09/ADL-WUJS-Survey-Slide%3DDeck.pdf. You can also view the press release at this link: https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/78-jewish-students-hide-their-religious-identity-campuses-worldwide-adl This conversation was recorded in September 2025.

    40 min
  8. From the Frontlines: Groundbreaking Report of Faculty Experience with Antisemitism

    09/30/2025

    From the Frontlines: Groundbreaking Report of Faculty Experience with Antisemitism

    "From the Frontlines" is an ADL podcast which brings listeners to the frontline in the battle against antisemitism and hate through conversations with ADL staff who are living that battle every day. According to a recent ADL survey, a significant number of Jewish faculty members have considered leaving their positions. One in three has experienced antisemitic incidents on their own campuses. Seventy-three percent report that antisemitism has worsened since October 7th. And many are staying silent about their Jewish identity out of fear for their careers and safety. This is the stark reality revealed by this groundbreaking new Faculty Survey conducted jointly by ADL and the Academic Engagement Network (AEN) - the first comprehensive national study examining the experiences of Jewish faculty in American higher education. The guest for this show is Masha Zemtsov, ADL's Associate Director for Advocacy. Masha has been instrumental in developing ADL's response to campus antisemitism and worked closely with AEN on this groundbreaking research, speaking directly with faculty members who are experiencing these troubling incidents firsthand. To read the full survey results, visit: https://www.adl.org/resources/report/faculty-under-fire-antisemitism-and-anti-israel-bias-higher-education. This conversation was recorded in September 2025.

    31 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
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8 Ratings

About

Podcast by Scott Richman, Regional Director of ADL for New York/New Jersey

Information

  • Creator
    Scott Richman, Regional Director of ADL for New York/New Jersey
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    157
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    From the Frontlines

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