NEW YORK CITY (Press Release) — ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) is deeply disappointed by the American Psychological Association (APA)’s decision Friday to delay the vote – for the second time this year – on recognizing the Association of Jewish Psychologists (AJP) as an Ethnic Psychological Association (EPA).
This delay serves no apparent purpose. By denying Jewish psychologists the same representation afforded to other ethnic minority groups, APA is applying a double standard to Jewish identity and acting in direct contravention of APA’s own rules.
“With antisemitism rising within the psychology profession and the APA itself, recognizing American Jewish psychologists is long overdue. APA had two opportunities to acknowledge the lived experiences of Jewish psychologists but instead failed to act,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “This is about more than recognition. It’s about whether APA is willing to confront antisemitism within its own ranks with the same seriousness it brings to other forms of bias.”
“Professional organizations are strongest when they apply their own rules consistently and fairly,” said Shira Goodman, ADL’s Vice President of Public Affairs and Special Initiatives. “Throughout this process, AJP’s application became entangled in political debates that had nothing to do with the APA’s criteria for Ethnic Psychological Association status. The Council’s responsibility was to evaluate eligibility under its bylaws – not to referee political disagreements or impose ideological litmus tests on a Jewish professional organization.”
This vote to delay comes amid ongoing concerns about antisemitism within the APA and reports from Jewish psychologists who have experienced harassment, exclusion, and hostility because of their Jewish identity or their views. Against that backdrop, Friday’s decision will understandably leave many Jewish psychologists questioning whether they are afforded the same opportunities for representation as other communities.
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Preceding provided by the Anti-Defamation League