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NEW YORK (AP) — Renowned for his passionate advocacy for American Jews, Abraham H. Foxman, who led the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) with distinction for nearly 30 years, has passed away, as announced by the ADL on Sunday. He was 86 years old.
The ADL expressed its profound sorrow over the loss of their former national director in a statement but did not disclose the specifics regarding the time and place of Foxman’s passing.
During his 28-year tenure as ADL’s leader until his retirement in 2015, Foxman was a trusted advisor to presidents, diplomats, CEOs, and celebrities. He was known for addressing and challenging high-profile individuals over antisemitic statements or portrayals, and he graciously accepted apologies offered to the Jewish community.
Jonathan Greenblatt, the current head of the ADL, remarked, “Abe’s voice resonated with popes, presidents, and prime ministers, wielding it to protect Jews wherever they faced danger. With moral authority and clarity, Abe Foxman was steadfast in his commitment to eradicating hate from the world.”
Foxman was born in 1940 to a Polish Jewish family in present-day Belarus. He narrowly escaped the horrors of the Holocaust after a nanny baptized him as a Catholic to disguise his Jewish origins. After the war, he reunited with his parents, and they eventually settled in New York.
After earning a law degree, Foxman joined the ADL as a staff lawyer. He spent his entire 50-year career with the group, becoming a leading national voice against antisemitism and hate. He was named the organization’s national director in 1987.
The ADL was founded in 1913 with a mandate to fight antisemitism and all bias. But the emphasis differed over time depending on who was in charge and the issues of the day.
Foxman faced criticism that the ADL put too many resources into non-Jewish issues. Under him, the organization built a formidable research arm into white supremacists and other extremists, advocated for immigrant and gay rights, conducted diversity training for law enforcement and developed programs for schools on issues ranging from the Holocaust to the 1964 Civil Rights Act to the impact of bullying.
Foxman long endured objections that he overreacted to perceived slights against the Jews and was too quick to condemn. Yet he was also chided for too easily forgiving and embracing those who repented their anti-Jewish remarks.
Foxman said it was essential to accept apologies, especially from those who can serve as prominent allies for Jews.
“If you don’t let them change, then you become the bigot.”