Abe Foxman Lauded by Barack Obama as ‘Tireless Voice’
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President Obama lauded retiring Anti-Defamation League leader Abraham Foxman as a “tireless voice against anti-Semitism.
In a statement, the president praised Foxman, who will retire next year after 50 years of service, as a fighter against prejudice who pushed all Americans to reject hatred.
“For decades, Abe Foxman has been a tireless voice against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all of its forms, always calling us to reject hatred and embrace our common humanity,” Obama said. “Abe is irreplaceable, but the causes that he has dedicated his life to will continue to inspire people in the United States, Israel, and around the world.”
Foxman announced Monday he will step down from his position as national director of the Anti-Defamation League on July 20, 2015, ending a 50-year career in Jewish communal service.
Foxman, a Holocaust survivor who was hidden as a child during the war, began his career with the ADL in 1965 after graduating from the City College of the City University of New York and New York University School of Law. He rose through the ranks and, in 1987, was tapped as national director.
During his tenure, the ADL continued to grow as the premier organization fighting anti-Semitism bigotry and discrimination with 30 regional offices across the United States and an office in Israel. It celebrated its centennial year in 2013.
Foxman has a leading voice confronting the forces of anti-Semitism and intolerance of all types. He has become a familiar face worldwide for his embrace of global leaders who see eye-to-eye with the ADL’s mission of standing up to intolerance.
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