ADL’s Vice President of Democracy Initiatives Eileen Hershenov (left) and former Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus III (right) speak in a moderated conversation during the keynote address. Credit: Ben Porter

By Dulce Castañeda, ADL Austin Associate Regional Director

On October 25, ADL Austin honored Austin couple Eugene Sepulveda and Steven Tomlinson with the 2022 Raymond and Audrey Maislin Humanitarian Award at its annual Golden Door Awards Dinner hosted at the J.W. Marriott. The Raymond & Audrey Maislin Humanitarian Award is given to an individual, organization or family for working to foster greater harmony and cooperation in the community. Sepulveda and Tomlinson were recognized for their community involvement in Austin and their work fostering relationships that contribute to successful businesses, social impact, equitable infrastructure and sustainable communities.

ADL is a leading anti-hate organization founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry. It is a global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online. This annual event brought together nearly 500 community leaders and advocates to celebrate the evening’s honorees and to support ADL’s work to combat all forms of bigotry and bias.

ADL Austin Regional Director, Jackie Nirenberg, addressed the recent uptick in antisemitism globally and discussed her hopes for the future. “We are seeing a chilling resurgence of the dark forces that enabled the Holocaust. Fascism, antisemitism, extremism—these are all rearing their ugly heads again. But we can use the lessons we learned from the Holocaust to stand up against those dark forces,” Nirenberg said. She added, “Just this morning, we learned that Adidas announced they were breaking ties with Kanye West, whose antisemitic rants have sent shockwaves throughout the Jewish community. That would not have happened had it not been for ADL’s swift and unwavering call for the company to do so. So yes, we have reason to be hopeful about the future.”

The evening continued with Sepulveda and Tomlinson’s speeches. Tomlinson gave a heartwarming speech on opposing hate with compassion saying, “What if it’s our compassion that actually defeats hate? What if it’s charity that saves us? Yes, we need laws to protect our friends and neighbors from bullies and extremists. That’s why I support ADL.”

Following the speeches, in a surprise recognition, Mayor Steve Adler presented the Key to the City to Audrey and Ray Maislin for their incredible commitment and leadership in Austin and ADL Austin. The evening’s keynote speakers included ADL’s Vice President of Democracy Initiatives, Eileen Hershenov, and former Texas Speaker of the House, Joe Straus III, who spoke in a moderated conversation about the importance of coming together to protect democracy despite political affiliation.

The evening concluded with the crowd singing “Happy Birthday” to Tomlinson and was followed by a brief dessert reception.