Jonathan Greenblatt

Jonathan Greenblatt is an American nonprofit executive and social entrepreneur who has served as CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) since July 2015. In this role, he has overseen the organization's efforts to combat antisemitism and other forms of bigotry, including modernizing its operations and emphasizing data-driven tracking of hate incidents amid rising reports of anti-Jewish violence. Prior to joining ADL, Greenblatt worked as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, where he focused on initiatives blending public, private, and nonprofit sectors to address social challenges. He holds a BA cum laude from Tufts University and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

Greenblatt's tenure at ADL has been marked by aggressive advocacy for content moderation on social media platforms to curb online hate speech, alongside expanded definitions of antisemitism that incorporate certain anti-Zionist rhetoric as a form of prejudice, prompting internal dissent from staff and external criticism for potentially limiting legitimate political discourse on Israel. These positions have drawn accusations from progressive and conservative quarters alike of politicizing the fight against antisemitism, including claims of conflating policy disagreements with hatred, though ADL maintains its approach is rooted in empirical patterns of discrimination.

Jonathan Greenblatt was born on November 21, 1970, in Trumbull, Connecticut, into a family aligned with Conservative Judaism.

He grew up in a middle-class household in Trumbull, approximately 90 minutes from New York City, where his father worked as a salesman and his mother served as a secretary. As the first member of his family to attend college, Greenblatt's early environment stressed self-reliance, shaped by his grandfather's experiences as a Holocaust survivor from Germany who lost most relatives, arrived in the United States without resources, and resettled in nearby Bridgeport.

From a young age, Greenblatt engaged in Jewish advocacy, joining his father and grandfather in marches for the release of Soviet Jews, activities that instilled a commitment to communal causes rooted in family heritage rather than formal religious observance.