Echoes of 1985: The Jewish Defense League and the ADC

Introduction

This interactive digital exhibit examines the activities of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) and its connections to a series of violent incidents in the 1980s. Centered on the 1985 attempted bombing of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) office in Boston, it situates the event within a broader pattern of cultural tension and political violence that unfolded across several U.S. cities. Through use of archival research, law enforcement records, media analysis, and scholarly works, the story map traces how the often overlooked Boston case reveals the roots of an unresolved history. In exploring how such cultural moments, community tensions, and acts of violence are remembered or forgotten, this project reflects on the intersections of justice, accountability, and collective memory in the American historical record.

Digital exhibit built, researched, and written by Liza Sheehy.