Abraham Foxman, a Holocaust survivor and national director of the Anti-Defamation League from 1987 until 2015, died. He was 86 years old.
“America and the Jewish people have lost a moral voice, a passionate advocate for the Jewish people and the State of Israel, and a remarkable leader,” stated Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the ADL. “Abe Foxman was an iconic Jewish leader who embraced the ideal of an America free from antisemitism and hate and who strongly believed that these scourges could be defeated if good people opposed it.”
“In his storied career, Abe transformed ADL while confronting antisemitism and hate—from both left and right—opposing the global rise in antisemitism, holding world leaders accountable and working to ensure that Israel was Jewish, secure and democratic,’ Greenblatt stated. “Abe’s voice was heard, and listened to, by popes, presidents and prime ministers, a voice he used wherever Jews were at risk.”
“Abe Foxman spoke on the global stage with moral authority and clarity and was relentlessly dedicated to his pursuit of a world without hate,” he added. “Abe understood the power of words. He often said that the Holocaust did not begin with bricks and mortar and gas chambers, but rather, it began with words. From this foundational principle, he made education and anti-bias training a cornerstone of ADL’s work, just as ADL would stand in opposition to hateful rhetoric and violent bigotry, whatever its source.”
A graduate of Yeshiva of Flatbush, City College of the City University of New York and New York University School of Law, Foxman joined the ADL in 1965, right after law school, and served as assistant director of legal affairs and then “various roles” before he became national director in 1987, the group stated.
“An outspoken, passionate and tireless advocate for the Jewish people and Israel, Abe served his entire 50-year career at ADL, becoming one of the world’s foremost voices against antisemitism and hate,” it said.
Greenblatt, the ADL leader, stated that Foxman’s “work and philosophy were forged in a remarkable childhood.”
“During the Holocaust, his parents were forced to entrust him to the care of his Polish-Catholic nanny, Bronislawa Kurpi, who baptized him and raised him as a Catholic for four years,” Greenblatt said. “She sought to retain custody of Abe. Although he lost 14 members of his family in the Holocaust, his parents survived and emigrated to the United States with Abe.”
Foxman is survived by his wife, Golda; children Michelle and Ariel; son-in-law Brandon Cardet-Hernandez; and grandchildren, Cielo, Leila, Gideon and Amirit, the ADL said.
Raya Kalenova, Executive Vice-President of the European Jewish Congress, remembers him as leaving behind an outstanding legacy for the Jewish world and all democratic societies.
“A great leader, a great man, and for me a mentor and a friend. Forever in our hearts,” said Ms Kalenova.
Isaac Herzog, president of Israel, called Foxman a “legendary leader of the Jewish people, a champion of justice and equality and a longtime, dear friend of mine.”
“Coming into a world at war, the Holocaust shaped Abe’s character and defined his mission: combating antisemitism and hypocrisy, calling out racism and bias, speaking up for the Jewish people and the Jewish democratic Israel,” Herzog stated. “His story, of rising from the ashes, is our story, the story of our people.”
Foxman’s decades running the ADL “positioned him as a prominent, distinguished force in the American Jewish community and a bridge between Israel and the Diaspora,” the Israeli president said. “He was a passionate Zionist, a humanist and an outspoken, wise friend.”
Gideon Sa’ar, Israeli foreign affairs minister, stated that Foxman was a “towering voice against antisemitism,” who “devoted his life to defending the Jewish people and strengthening the bond between Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.”
“On behalf of the State of Israel, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his wife Golda, family, friends and all at the Anti-Defamation League,” the minister stated.
