Abraham Foxman | |
|---|---|
 Foxman in January 2011 | |
| 5th Director of theAnti-Defamation League | |
| In office 1987–2015 | |
| Preceded by | Nathan Perlmutter |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Greenblatt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Abraham Henry Foxman[1] (1940-05-01)May 1, 1940 (age 84)[2] Baranovichi,Byelorussia,Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Soviet (1940–1950) American (1950–present) |
| Spouse | Golda Bauman[3] |
| Education | City College of New York (BA) New York University (JD) |
Abraham Henry Foxman (born May 1, 1940) is an American lawyer and activist.[4] He served as the national director of theAnti-Defamation League (ADL) from 1987 to 2015,[5] and is currently the League's national director emeritus. From 2016 to 2021 he served as vice chair of the board of trustees at theMuseum of Jewish Heritage in New York City in order to lead its efforts onantisemitism.[6]
Foxman, the only son of Helen and Joseph Foxman, was born inBaranovichi (now inBelarus) just months after theSoviet Union took the town fromPoland in theMolotov–Ribbentrop Pact and incorporated it into theByelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. Foxman's parents werePolish Jews.[2][7]
To protect him, Foxman's parents left him with hisnanny, Bronisława Kurpi, aCatholic Pole, when they were ordered by the Germans to enter aghetto in 1941. Foxman wasbaptized intoChristianity by theCatholic Church, given the PolishChristian name of Henryk Stanisław Kurpi, and raised as a Catholic inVilnius until he was returned to his parents in 1944.[8][9]
Foxman immigrated to theUnited States in 1950 with his parents.[7] He graduated from theYeshivah of Flatbush inBrooklyn,New York City.[10] He earned aBachelor of Arts degree inpolitical science from theCity College of New York[10] and graduated with honors in history.[citation needed] Foxman also holds aJ.D. degree from theNew York University School of Law.[10] He did graduate work inJewish studies at theJewish Theological Seminary of America and in international economics atThe New School.[citation needed]
ADL legal representativeArnold Forster hired Foxman in 1965 as a legal assistant[11] in the ADL's international affairs division.[10] In 1987, Foxman was the consensus choice of the Board to become its new National Director, replacing long-time directorNathan Perlmutter.[5]
Foxman has been awarded several honors fromnonprofit groups, religious figures, andstatesmen. In 1998, Foxman received the Interfaith Committee of Remembrance Lifetime Achievement Award "as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism, bigotry, and discrimination".[12] Foxman won theRaoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Leadership Award on April 18, 2002, from theCenter for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Ramapo College of New Jersey.[13][non-primary source needed]
On October 16, 2006, Foxman was named a Knight of theLegion of Honor by French PresidentJacques Chirac. This award isFrance's highest civilian honor.[14]
During a May 22, 2008, ceremony, Foxman was awarded an honorary doctoral degree fromYeshiva University byRichard Joel, the then-president of Yeshiva University.[citation needed]
Additionally,American PresidentGeorge W. Bush appointed Foxman to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him toJerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary ofIsrael in May 2008.[15]
Foxman's support forgay rights in America has placed him at odds with manyOrthodox Jews. For example, he protested the 2000 ruling by theSupreme Court inBoy Scouts of America v. Dale—a case in which "the Supreme Court ruled that theBoy Scouts of America could exclude a gay scoutmaster because of his sexual orientation." It was reported that, "Within the Jewish community, Orthodox groups supported the ruling, saying civic organizations should be empowered to determine their own message - but most Jewish organizations condemned it as endorsing discrimination." According to a report published a year later, "the Anti-Defamation League's national director, Abraham Foxman, and its national chairman, Howard Berkowitz, said in a statement at the time: 'We are stunned that in the year 2000, the Supreme Court could issue such a decision. ... This decision effectively states that as long as an organization avows an anti-homosexual position, it is free to discriminate against gay and lesbian Americans.'"[16]
Foxman has received criticism from Jewish and non-Jewish quarters for his antagonist approach to the 2004 filmThe Passion of the Christ and its director,Mel Gibson.[17] In September 2003, during the pre-release controversy, Foxman called Gibson "the portrait of ananti-Semite".[18] The next day he said, "I'm not ready to say he's an anti-Semite", but that Gibson "entertains views that can only be described as anti-Semitic".[19] In November 2003, Foxman said of Gibson, "I think he's infected, seriously infected, with some very, very serious anti-Semitic views."[20] In a letter to theNational Review published in the March 8, 2004 issue, Foxman compared the film to theNazi-supported 1934Oberammergau Passion Play, concerning that "the film could legitimize anti-Semitism through its depiction of Jews."[21]
Foxman was also criticized for his initial response to Gibson's apology for his behavior during his2006 DUI arrest, and for giving second billing to theSeattle Jewish Federation shooting that occurred on the same day.[22] Foxman accepted Gibson'ssecond apology, although he continued to censure Gibson publicly, saying in 2008, "In his heyday, he was No. 1 inHollywood, the most sought-after star, the people's choice, the icon. Then he revealed himself as ananti-Semite, and look where he is today. That's the beauty of America."[23]Foxman continued to condemn Gibson forThe Passion of the Christ, saying in 2008, "What he was doing was giving credibility, on film, in our lifetime, todeicide. Where is Mel Gibson today? He did his movie, and one day, he revealed himself to the American people. He's no icon anymore."[24]
In July 2007, Foxman opposed a congressional resolution recognizing theArmenian genocide. "I don't think congressional action will help reconcile the issue. The resolution takes a position; it comes to a judgement", said Foxman in a statement issued to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "TheTurks andArmenians need to revisit their past. The Jewish community shouldn't be the arbiter of that history, nor should theU.S. Congress."[25]
Sharistan Melkonian, chairwoman of theArmenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts, accused Foxman of engaging in "genocide denial" in an interview withThe Boston Globe.[26] VariousNew England communities threatened to sever ties with the ADL-sponsored "No Place for Hate" program in response.[27] In August 2007, Foxman publicly affirmed the position of the Anti-Defamation League, "that the consequences of [the Ottoman government's] actions were indeed tantamount to genocide", but that a United States Congressional recognition of this history was unnecessary, and not helpful.[28] He went on to state, "We continue to firmly believe that a Congressional Resolution on such matters is a counterproductive diversion and will not foster reconciliation between Turks and Armenians. We will not hesitate to apply the term 'genocide' in the future." Foxman additionally sent a letter to Turkish Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdogan expressing regret over the difficulty his position caused for the government of Turkey: "We had no intention to put the Turkish people or its leaders in a difficult position."[29]
Foxman opposed thePark51 Islamic community center near theWorld Trade Center site.Fareed Zakaria, a recipient of ADL's Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize, returned the prize and its $10,000 honorarium, saying that he "cannot in good conscience hold onto the award or the honorarium that came with it". Zakaria has "urged the ADL to reverse its decision".[30]
