Letter | No, American Jewish Congress did not hire a white nationalist
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Dear Editor,
Your recent article concerning a former employee of the American Jewish Congress is highly misleading and grossly misrepresentative of the facts.
While it appears that an individual with radical, far-right views was briefly employed at the American Jewish Congress, we were unaware of his beliefs until after his departure. Your article unfairly implies otherwise.
The individual was not our “Marketing Director,” as your article states. No such position exists at the American Jewish Congress, and we informed your reporter as such. Nonetheless, this misrepresentation was included in the story in an attempt to elevate this individual and to sensationalize the story. The individual worked in a low-level, technical capacity, and his termination was performance-related, not related to discovery of his unacceptable political views.
The insinuation that we knew the individual was a far-right activist is completely absurd. The American Jewish Congress has a long and proud history promoting racial equality and social justice. The Forward is well-aware that we were founded more than a century ago by great leaders such as Albert Einstein, former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, and U.S. Supreme Court Justices Louis Brandeis and Felix Frankfurter as a national democratic organization dedicated to equal rights for all Americans. We remain so committed.
Far-right activists also have a long tradition of infiltrating groups and organizations they oppose to undermine their mission and attempt to humiliate them. The Forward should not act as their handmaiden.
Sincerely,
Jack Rosen
President
American Jewish Congress
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
