Insights

George and Ruth always felt that actions speak louder than words and they passed this thinking on to their family. Being Jewish is a family affair, after all, and they stressed the importance of showing up, being consistent and living their family’s shared values.

Their son, Richard Moss, couldn’t help but be impacted by his parents’ loyalty and devotion to ADL’s mission.

“For [George and Ruth], participation in ADL was a lifestyle choice. Much of their social interactions, personal fulfillment, continued education, and opportunities to give back to the community flowed through their ADL service,” Richard explains.

Amid such a rich family history with ADL, it is no surprise that Richard became involved with the organization very early in his life. He fondly recalls meetings at his home as a 4-year-old, when his mother sent him into the living room to count those who wanted dessert. For this role he earned the nickname “The Counter.”

Fast forward a few years later, while attending graduate school, Richard served in the Chicago Office, for then Regional Director Michael Lieberman. This inspiring experience led him to join the Los Angeles Regional Board where he did legal work for ADL, both locally and nationally. Richard was involved early on in setting up what would become The Glass Institute, ADL’s young leadership development program, while serving as a member of the National Commission and NEC (the predecessor to today’s Global Leadership Council), on which he now serves.

Ruth and George’s legacy has extended to a third generation, as they inspired their grandson Jonathan Moss (son of Steven and Janet Moss, and Richard’s nephew), to complete the Glass Institute. Jonathan has continued to further his ADL activities, including serving on the Los Angeles Regional Board.

As for Richard, he is now most concerned in the short term about the risk to our liberal democracy from a variety of threats. And, in the long term, he is interested in figuring out the best narratives to tell the story of the Jewish people to current and future generations.

George and Ruth were dedicated to raising funds for ADL. Like his parents, Richard Moss has included a gift to ADL in his estate plan and encourages others to do the same. Richard says, “Do it. It’s easy. It’s a good message to leave to my heirs, showing them the importance of supporting ADL.”

Without supporters like Richard and his family, ADL’s efforts to secure justice and fair treatment for all would not be possible. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Moss family and to the many families whose hard work and dedication have made ADL what it is today.

Antisemitism is on the rise in the United States and around the world. ADL’s Audit shows that antisemitic incidents are at a historic high with 2,717 acts of assault, harassment and vandalism recorded in the U.S. in 2021 — a 34 percent increase over the previous year and the highest level since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.

While there is no single fix to this alarming trend, supporters like you have enabled us to create the ADL COMBAT Plan that offers a comprehensive, six-part framework for elected officials and policymakers to take meaningful action to fight antisemitism:

• Condemn Antisemitism
• Oppose Hate and Extremism Driven by Antisemitism
• Make Communities Safe from Antisemitism
• Block Antisemitism Online
• Act Against Global Antisemitism
• Teach about Antisemitism

COMBAT calls on leaders at every level of government to condemn antisemitism, authorize and improve hate crime laws, stop the spread of antisemitism online and protect Jewish institutions often targeted by antisemitic acts.

ADL’s Three-Pronged Approach to National Advocacy

The COMBAT Plan complements ADL’s PROTECT Plan to fight domestic extremism and REPAIR Plan to address online hate. Together, these three plans — COMBAT, PROTECT and REPAIR, along with ADL’s Democracy Initiative — round out ADL’s national advocacy agenda.

Without supporters like you, plans like these would not be possible.

Watch the ADL Combat Plan announcement video below:

It’s a good idea to revisit your plans after certain key life events, including changes in health, finances or family status.

This checklist can help you to organize your plans and make sure they are up to date with your current life situation:

• Make a list of everything you own — such as real estate, bank and investment accounts, personal collections, jewelry, cars, and boats. Nothing is too trivial!
• Decide who will receive your assets — your family, other loved ones, and the causes you care about.
• Choose a qualified guardian for your minor children and name that person in your will.
• Choose someone to care for your pets.
• Depending on whether you have a will or living trust, choose your executor or successor trustee, who will be responsible for seeing that the terms of your will or living trust are carried out in full.
• Execute powers of attorney that name the person(s) who will make healthcare and financial decisions for you if you are unable to.
• Update the beneficiary designations on your retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and other financial accounts.
• Consult with an attorney who specializes in estate planning, who will create (or advise you in creating) a will or living trust and other necessary estate documents.