"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.

If you're a Jewish parent, student, or community member, you've probably wondered whether you are protected where you live or where your kids go to school. With antisemitic incidents at historic highs, we can't afford to fight blind. We need to know exactly where the policy protections are strong and where they're worryingly weak. For the first time, we now have those answers. ADL has just launched the Jewish Policy Index - a groundbreaking tool that systematically maps and assesses policies affecting Jewish communities across the United States. Which states have robust hate crime laws? Which states have adopted the so-called IHRA working definition of antisemitism? Which jurisdictions are leaving Jewish communities vulnerable through weak or non-existent protections? This isn't just about data collection; it's about identifying where we need to fight for stronger protections and where we can build on existing successes.

To tell us how this game-changing resource works and what it reveals about the state of policy protections for Jewish Americans, this edition of "From the Frontlines" featured Danny Barefoot. He is ADL’s Senior Director for its new Ratings and Assessments Institute. Danny leads the team responsible for creating this unprecedented nationwide policy tracking system.

To see the results of ADL's Jewish Policy Index and to use its interactive tools, visit https://www.adl.org/jpi.

This conversation was recorded in August 2025.

From the Frontlines: Assessing All 50 States on Their Response to Antisemitism

Scott Richman