Four Portlanders have been invited to join the 2021 Cohort of the Glass Leadership Institute of the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL Pacific Northwest region has expanded its Glass Leadership Institute to include Portland with its traditional Seattle class. 
Portlanders Sarah E. Rohr, Lauren Gold Miller, Emily Fullerton and Jules Prow will join participants from western Washington to form this year’s 18-member virtual cohort.
GLI empowers the next generation of leaders committed to ADL’s mission with the tools to fight anti-Semitism and hate and build a just and inclusive society. The first virtual session of the nine-month program will be later this month. Due to the ongoing pandemic, sessions will be virtual until further notice. 
“I am grateful for the opportunity to be equipped with a broader advocacy tool kit from the Anti-Defamation League,” says Sarah, a local writer and artist who sits on the Jewish Community Relations Council. JCRC Director Bob Horenstein recommended Sarah apply for the Glass Institute. Glass graduate Matthew Kahl, who serves as a representative for the ADL on the Intergroup Outreach Committee of the JCRC, provided a recommendation for Sarah. 
Emily Fullerton is an attorney in Portland focusing on general and commercial civil litigation at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. “I’ve been actively trying to expand my pro bono and community activism efforts, and the mission of the GLI struck me as an opportunity to grow my knowledge and skill set to do my part to identify hate in my community and fight back.”
Jules Prow is a global program manager at Columbia Sportswear Company and is a board member for Jews Next Dor, Congregation Beth Israel’s young adult group. CBI Executive Director Josh Kashinksy encouraged her to apply. 
“I want to expand my horizons and involvement in supporting a more fair and equitable community,” says Jules. “I am looking forward to joining a peer-led group that is committed to combating hatred and building tolerance.”
Lauren Gold Miller is an associate principal at Korn Ferry, a global organizational consulting firm, helping clients synchronize strategy and talent. Lauren earned a bachelor’s in psychology from Portland State University and a Master of Arts in community leadership and philanthropy studies from Hebrew University.
Young leaders of all backgrounds in their mid-20s through their early 40s participate in this nine-month interactive program that gives young professionals an inside look into ADL’s work on a broad range of topics, including civil rights advocacy, domestic extremism and building bridges with diverse communities to fight bias and discrimination. Glass participants are chosen based on their demonstrated leadership qualities, as well as their interest in and commitment to social justice.
“Given the horrific displays of anti-Semitism currently on full display both locally and nationally, the work of the Anti-Defamation League is a critical part of the effort to stop the spread of disinformation and hate,” says Emily. “I hope to learn more about the strategies and resources available for all individuals who want to protect the rights of others to be free from discrimination and violence, and in particular how I can use my legal background to participate in that effort.”
Sarah says the timing of adding Portland to the cohort is very appropriate given Portland’s nightly protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. The Portland protests against racism and police brutality drew white nationalists to the community, requiring trained responses. She sees the ADL and the local JCRC heeding this rising tide of hate to advocate on behalf of the safety of our Jewish community and the BIPOC communities that we stand with as allies and friends. 
“I’m looking forward to working with a local cohort, as we will get to take our learnings and directly apply them here in Portland and around the state,” says Sarah. “Nationalism and the manifestation of bigoted behaviors have received far too much attention; it’s time for a moral accounting on a local, national and global level. As a local activist, I am grateful for the hard work being put in on all those levels, by public officials, by educators, by clergy, by concerned citizens, and those whose aim is to eradicate the practice of ‘othering’ by opening minds to what connects us, our common and enduring humanity, our ability to make beauty, our capacity to empathize and self-express, and the noble desire to empower one another.”
Jules adds, “I am very interested in getting involved in ADL’s educational programs and helping corporations expand their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.”
For more information visit https://seattle.adl.org/gli/.