Abraham Foxman: Difference between revisions

Abraham Foxman
Abraham Foxman
	Foxman in January 2011
5th Director of the Anti-Defamation League
	In office; 1987–2015
Preceded by	Nathan Perlmutter
Succeeded by	Jonathan Greenblatt
Personal details
Born	Abraham Henry Foxman; May 1, 1940 (age 84); Baranovichi, Byelorussia, Soviet Union
Nationality	Soviet (1940–1950); American (1950–present)
Spouse	Golda Bauman
Alma mater	City College of New York (BA); New York University (JD)

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Abraham Henry Foxman (born May 1, 1940) is an American lawyer and activist.^[4] He served as the national director of the Anti-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 the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City in order to lead its efforts on antisemitism.^[6]

Early life

Foxman, an only son, was born in Baranovichi just months after the Soviet Union took the town from Poland in the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and incorporated it into the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. The town is now in Belarus. Foxman's parents, Helen and Joseph Foxman, were Polish Jews.^[2]^[7]

To protect him, Foxman's parents left him with his nanny, Bronisława Kurpi, a Catholic Pole, when they were ordered by the Germans to enter a ghetto in 1941. Foxman was baptized into Christianity by the Catholic Church, given the Polish Christian name of Henryk Stanisław Kurpi, and raised as a Catholic in Vilnius until he was returned to his parents in 1944.^[8]^[9]

Education and career

Foxman immigrated to the United States in 1950 with his parents.^[7] He graduated from the Yeshivah of Flatbush in Brooklyn, New York City.^[10] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the City College of New York^[10] and graduated with honors in history.^{[citation needed]} Foxman also holds a J.D. degree from the New York University School of Law.^[10] He did graduate work in Jewish studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and in international economics at The New School.^{[citation needed]}

ADL legal representative Arnold 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 director Nathan Perlmutter.^[5]

Recognition

Foxman with Rick Sanchez in New York City at Yankee Stadium

Foxman has been awarded several honors from nonprofit groups, religious figures, and statesmen. 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 the Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Leadership Award on April 18, 2002, from the Center 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 the Legion of Honor by French President Jacques Chirac. This award is France's highest civilian honor.^[14]

During a May 22, 2008, ceremony, Foxman was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from Yeshiva University by Richard Joel, the then-president of Yeshiva University.^{[citation needed]}

Additionally, American President George W. Bush appointed Foxman to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of Israel in May 2008.^[15]

Political stances

Support for gay rights

Foxman's support for gay rights in America has placed him at odds with many Orthodox Jews. For example, he protested the 2000 ruling by the Supreme Court in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale—a case in which "the Supreme Court ruled that the Boy 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]

Criticism of Mel Gibson

Foxman has received criticism from Jewish and non-Jewish quarters for his antagonist approach to the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ and its director, Mel Gibson.^[17] In September 2003, during the pre-release controversy, Foxman called Gibson "the portrait of an anti-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] Foxman was also criticized for his initial response to Gibson's apology for his behavior during his 2006 DUI arrest, and for giving second billing to the Seattle Jewish Federation shooting that occurred on the same day.^[21] Foxman accepted Gibson's second apology, although he continued to censure Gibson publicly, saying in 2008, "In his heyday, he was No. 1 in Hollywood, the most sought-after star, the people's choice, the icon. Then he revealed himself as an anti-Semite, and look where he is today. That's the beauty of America."^[22] Foxman continued to condemn Gibson for The Passion of the Christ, saying in 2008, "What he was doing was giving credibility, on film, in our lifetime, to deicide. Where is Mel Gibson today? He did his movie, and one day, he revealed himself to the American people. He's no icon anymore."^[23]

Opposition to a Congress resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide

In July 2007, Foxman opposed a congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian 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. "The Turks and Armenians need to revisit their past. The Jewish community shouldn't be the arbiter of that history, nor should the U.S. Congress."

Sharistan Melkonian, chairwoman of the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts, accused Foxman of engaging in "genocide denial" in an interview with The Boston Globe.^[24] Various New England communities threatened to sever ties with the ADL-sponsored "No Place for Hate" program in response.^[25] 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.^[26] 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 Minister Recep 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."^[27]

Opposition to Park51

Foxman opposed the Park51 Islamic community center near the World 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".^[28]

Books

The Deadliest Lies: The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish Control, Palgrave MacMillan, ISBN 1-4039-8492-1, ISBN 0-230-60404-8
Jews and Money: The Story of a Stereotype, Palgrave Macmillan, 2010 ISBN 978-0-230-62385-9
A Nation of Immigrants, John F. Kennedy (Foreword), Harper Perennial, ISBN 0-06-144754-4
Never Again? The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism, HarperCollins, 2003, ISBN 0-06-073069-2
Viral Hate: Containing Its Spread on the Internet, written with Christopher Wolf, Palgrave Macmillan, 2013

Films

Defamation (2009): Filmmaker Yoav Shamir profiles Anti-Defamation League director Abraham Foxman in this documentary about anti-Semitism.^[29]

References

^ "Marquis Who's Who On Demand". Retrieved 2016-05-11.
^ ^a ^b Kowalski, Isaac (1984). Anthology on armed Jewish resistance, 1939-1945. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Jewish Combatants Publishers House. ISBN 0-9613219-0-3.
^ "Paid Notice: Deaths Bauman, Leah". The New York Times. 1997-08-21.
^ "Abraham (Abe).Foxman". Jewish Virtual Library.
^ ^a ^b Berger, Joseph (2015-07-15). "Abraham Foxman to Retire After 28 Years of Fighting Anti-Semitism". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-07-28.
^ "Leadership". Museum of Jewish Heritage. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
^ ^a ^b Marquis' Who's Who in America, 60th Diamond Ed. (2006) 2: 1358.
^ "Biography of Abraham Foxman". Archived from the original on 2007-09-15. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
^ "'The Righteous': An Anthology of Heroes". The Forward. 2003-03-14. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Efrem, Maia (2012). "Who Earns What, Salary Survey 2012: Abraham Foxman, Anti-Defamation League". The Forward. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
^ Fox, Margalit (27 March 2010). "Arnold Forster, Who Fought Anti-Semitism With B'nai B'rith, Is Dead at 97". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
^ "Humanitarian Award Winners: Lifetime Achievement Award Winners: 1998", Interfaith Committee of Remembrance, accessed January 19, 2007.
^ "Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham H. Foxman is Recipient of Wallenberg Humanitarian Award", [press release]. Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Ramapo College. February 8, 2002. Accessed May 29, 2014.
^ "French President Chirac Urges Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism". Haaretz. Associated Press. 2006-10-16.
^ "Bush Visit May Boost Olmert". The New York Sun. May 13, 2008. Archived from the original on 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
^ As qtd. by Sharon Samber (for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency), "Jews Pained by Anti-Gay Scouts a Year After Court Ruling", The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California (formerly the Jewish Bulletin of Northern California), February 13, 2001, accessed January 19, 2007.
^ Rosenblatt, Gary (2004-03-05). "The Passion Of Abe Foxman; Was the ADL leader's aggressive criticism of Mel Gibson's film a major misstep?". The Jewish Week. Archived from the original on 2019-04-12.
^ Greenberg, Eric J. (2003-09-19). "Foxman: Gibson Spewing 'Anti-Semitism'; ADL leader says statements by 'The Passion' director 'paint the portrait of an anti-Semite.'". The Jewish Week. Archived from the original on 2009-02-14.
^ Zoll, Rachel (2003-09-20). "Actor accused of anti-Semitism". The Boston Globe. Associated Press.
^ Jasper, William F. (2003-12-15). "Crucifying The Passion". The New American. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
^ Chafets, Zov (2006-08-01). "Slurring more than his words". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012.
^ Pine, Dan (2008-04-04). "Taking aim: ADL top gun keeps shooting down 'deadliest' anti-Semitic rhetoric". The Jewish news weekly of Northern California.
^ Passman, Aaron (2008-10-02). "Hatred Finds New Home on Internet, says Foxman". Jewish Exponent. Archived from the original on 2012-05-23.
^ O'Brien, Keith (January 8, 2007). "Antibias effort stirs anger in Watertown". The Boston Globe.
^ O'Brien, Keith (2007-08-18). "ADL local leader fired on Armenian issue: Genocide question sparked bitter debate". The Boston Globe.
^ O'Brien, Keith (2007-08-22). "ADL chief bows to critics: Foxman cites rift, calls Armenian deaths genocide". The Boston Globe.
^ "ADL insistent on 'genocide claim'". The Jewish Advocate. 2007-08-28. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28.
^ Zakaria, Fareed (2010-08-06). "Build the Ground Zero Mosque". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
^ IMDB Defamation

External links

Appearances on C-SPAN

[1] "Marquis Who's Who On Demand". Retrieved 2016-05-11.

[Anthology-2] Kowalski, Isaac (1984). Anthology on armed Jewish resistance, 1939-1945. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Jewish Combatants Publishers House. ISBN 0-9613219-0-3.

[3] "Paid Notice: Deaths Bauman, Leah". The New York Times. 1997-08-21.

[4] "Abraham (Abe).Foxman". Jewish Virtual Library.

[NYTimes-5] Berger, Joseph (2015-07-15). "Abraham Foxman to Retire After 28 Years of Fighting Anti-Semitism". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-07-28.

[6] "Leadership". Museum of Jewish Heritage. Retrieved 2020-07-01.

[Who-7] Marquis' Who's Who in America, 60th Diamond Ed. (2006) 2: 1358.

[ADLbio-8] "Biography of Abraham Foxman". Archived from the original on 2007-09-15. Retrieved 2008-02-21.

[9] "'The Righteous': An Anthology of Heroes". The Forward. 2003-03-14. Retrieved 2023-11-19.

[:0-10] Efrem, Maia (2012). "Who Earns What, Salary Survey 2012: Abraham Foxman, Anti-Defamation League". The Forward. Retrieved 18 August 2021.

[11] Fox, Margalit (27 March 2010). "Arnold Forster, Who Fought Anti-Semitism With B'nai B'rith, Is Dead at 97". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 August 2021.

[12] "Humanitarian Award Winners: Lifetime Achievement Award Winners: 1998", Interfaith Committee of Remembrance, accessed January 19, 2007.

[13] "Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham H. Foxman is Recipient of Wallenberg Humanitarian Award", [press release]. Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Ramapo College. February 8, 2002. Accessed May 29, 2014.

[14] "French President Chirac Urges Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism". Haaretz. Associated Press. 2006-10-16.

[15] "Bush Visit May Boost Olmert". The New York Sun. May 13, 2008. Archived from the original on 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2011-12-11.

[16] As qtd. by Sharon Samber (for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency), "Jews Pained by Anti-Gay Scouts a Year After Court Ruling", The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California (formerly the Jewish Bulletin of Northern California), February 13, 2001, accessed January 19, 2007.

[17] Rosenblatt, Gary (2004-03-05). "The Passion Of Abe Foxman; Was the ADL leader's aggressive criticism of Mel Gibson's film a major misstep?". The Jewish Week. Archived from the original on 2019-04-12.

[18] Greenberg, Eric J. (2003-09-19). "Foxman: Gibson Spewing 'Anti-Semitism'; ADL leader says statements by 'The Passion' director 'paint the portrait of an anti-Semite.'". The Jewish Week. Archived from the original on 2009-02-14.

[19] Zoll, Rachel (2003-09-20). "Actor accused of anti-Semitism". The Boston Globe. Associated Press.

[20] Jasper, William F. (2003-12-15). "Crucifying The Passion". The New American. Retrieved 2008-10-20.

[21] Chafets, Zov (2006-08-01). "Slurring more than his words". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012.

[22] Pine, Dan (2008-04-04). "Taking aim: ADL top gun keeps shooting down 'deadliest' anti-Semitic rhetoric". The Jewish news weekly of Northern California.

[23] Passman, Aaron (2008-10-02). "Hatred Finds New Home on Internet, says Foxman". Jewish Exponent. Archived from the original on 2012-05-23.

[24] O'Brien, Keith (January 8, 2007). "Antibias effort stirs anger in Watertown". The Boston Globe.

[25] O'Brien, Keith (2007-08-18). "ADL local leader fired on Armenian issue: Genocide question sparked bitter debate". The Boston Globe.

[26] O'Brien, Keith (2007-08-22). "ADL chief bows to critics: Foxman cites rift, calls Armenian deaths genocide". The Boston Globe.

[27] "ADL insistent on 'genocide claim'". The Jewish Advocate. 2007-08-28. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28.

[28] Zakaria, Fareed (2010-08-06). "Build the Ground Zero Mosque". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2011-12-11.

[Defamation-29] IMDB Defamation

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Short description|Polish Jewish American lawyer, activist}}
 {{Infobox officeholder
-|name=Abraham Foxman
+| name                = Abraham Foxman
-|image=AbrahamFoxmanJan2011.jpg
+| image               = AbrahamFoxmanJan2011.jpg
-|caption=Foxman in January 2011
+| caption             = Foxman in January 2011
-|office              = 5th Director of the [[Anti-Defamation League]]
+| office              = 5th Director of the [[Anti-Defamation League]]
-|term_start          = 1987
+| term_start          = 1987
-|term_end            = 2015
+| term_end            = 2015
-|predecessor         = [[Nathan Perlmutter]]
+| predecessor         = [[Nathan Perlmutter]]
-|successor           = [[Jonathan Greenblatt]]
+| successor           = [[Jonathan Greenblatt]]
-|birth_name=Abraham Henry Foxman<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cgi.marquiswhoswho.com/OnDemand/Default.aspx?last_name=foxman&first_name=abraham|url-access=subscription |title=Marquis Who's Who On Demand|access-date=2016-05-11}}</ref>
+| birth_name          = Abraham Henry Foxman<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cgi.marquiswhoswho.com/OnDemand/Default.aspx?last_name=foxman&first_name=abraham|url-access=subscription |title=Marquis Who's Who On Demand|access-date=2016-05-11}}</ref>
-|birth_date={{birth date and age|1940|5|1}}<ref name="Anthology">{{Cite book | last=Kowalski | first=Isaac | author-link=Isaac Kowalski | title=Anthology on armed Jewish resistance, 1939-1945 | year=1984 | publisher=Jewish Combatants Publishers House | location=Brooklyn, N.Y. | isbn=0-9613219-0-3 }}</ref>
+| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1940|5|1}}<ref name="Anthology">{{Cite book | last=Kowalski | first=Isaac | author-link=Isaac Kowalski | title=Anthology on armed Jewish resistance, 1939-1945 | year=1984 | publisher=Jewish Combatants Publishers House | location=Brooklyn, N.Y. | isbn=0-9613219-0-3 }}</ref>
-|birth_place=[[Baranovichi]], [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Byelorussia]], [[Soviet Union]]
+| birth_place         = [[Baranovichi]], [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Byelorussia]], [[Soviet Union]]
-|nationality = [[Soviet people|Soviet]] (1940–1950)<br>[[Nationality law of the United States|American]] (1950–present)
+| nationality         = [[Soviet people|Soviet]] (1940–1950)<br>[[Nationality law of the United States|American]] (1950–present)
-|alma_mater=[[City College of New York]] <small>([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])</small><br>[[New York University]] <small>([[Juris Doctor|JD]])</small>
+| alma_mater          = [[City College of New York]] <small>([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])</small><br>[[New York University]] <small>([[Juris Doctor|JD]])</small>
+| known_for           =
-|known_for=Activism against [[antisemitism]], former National Director of [[Anti-Defamation League|ADL]]
-|occupation=
+| occupation          =
-|spouse=Golda Bauman<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/21/classified/paid-notice-deaths-bauman-leah.html | work=[[The New York Times]] | title=Paid Notice: Deaths Bauman, Leah | date=1997-08-21}}</ref>
+| spouse              = Golda Bauman<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/21/classified/paid-notice-deaths-bauman-leah.html | work=[[The New York Times]] | title=Paid Notice: Deaths Bauman, Leah | date=1997-08-21}}</ref>
 }}
-'''Abraham Henry Foxman''' (born May 1, 1940) is an American lawyer and activist.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Foxman.html|title=Abraham (Abe).Foxman|work=Jewish Virtual Library}}</ref> He served as the national director of the [[Anti-Defamation League]] from 1987 to 2015,<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/18/nyregion/abraham-foxman-to-retire-after-28-years-of-fighting-anti-semitism.html |title=Abraham Foxman to Retire After 28 Years of Fighting Anti-Semitism |access-date=2015-07-28 |work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2015-07-15|first1=Joseph|last1=Berger }}</ref> and is currently the League's national director emeritus. From 2016 to 2021 he served as vice chair of the board of trustees at the [[Museum of Jewish Heritage]] in New York City in order to lead its efforts on [[antisemitism]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Leadership |url=https://mjhnyc.org/leadership/ |website=Museum of Jewish Heritage |access-date=2020-07-01}}</ref>
+'''Abraham Henry Foxman''' (born May 1, 1940) is an American lawyer and activist.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Foxman.html|title=Abraham (Abe).Foxman|work=Jewish Virtual Library}}</ref> He served as the national director of the [[Anti-Defamation League]] (ADL) from 1987 to 2015,<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/18/nyregion/abraham-foxman-to-retire-after-28-years-of-fighting-anti-semitism.html |title=Abraham Foxman to Retire After 28 Years of Fighting Anti-Semitism |access-date=2015-07-28 |work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2015-07-15|first1=Joseph|last1=Berger }}</ref> and is currently the League's national director emeritus. From 2016 to 2021 he served as vice chair of the board of trustees at the [[Museum of Jewish Heritage]] in New York City in order to lead its efforts on [[antisemitism]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Leadership |url=https://mjhnyc.org/leadership/ |website=Museum of Jewish Heritage |access-date=2020-07-01}}</ref>
-==Early life==
+==Early life==
-Foxman, an only son, was born in [[Baranovichi]], just months after the [[Soviet Union]] took the town from [[Poland]] in the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]] and incorporated it into the [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]]. The town is now in [[Belarus]]. Foxman's parents were [[History of the Jews in Poland|Polish Jewish]], Helen and Joseph Foxman.<ref name="Anthology"/><ref name=Who>Marquis' ''[[Who's Who in America]]'', 60th Diamond Ed. (2006) 2: 1358.</ref>
+Foxman, an only son, was born in [[Baranovichi]] just months after the [[Soviet Union]] took the town from [[Poland]] in the [[Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact]] and incorporated it into the [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]]. The town is now in [[Belarus]]. Foxman's parents, Helen and Joseph Foxman, were [[History of the Jews in Poland|Polish Jews]].<ref name="Anthology"/><ref name=Who>Marquis' ''[[Who's Who in America]]'', 60th Diamond Ed. (2006) 2: 1358.</ref>
-Foxman's parents left him with his Polish Catholic [[nanny]], Bronisława Kurpi, when they were ordered by the Germans to enter a [[Ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe|ghetto]] in 1941. Foxman was [[Baptism|baptized]] into [[Christianity]] by the [[Catholic Church]], given the Polish [[Christian name]] of Henryk Stanisław Kurpi, and raised as a Catholic in [[Vilnius]] until he was returned to his parents in 1944.<ref name=ADLbio>{{cite web |url=https://www.adl.org/education/holocaust/foxman_bio.asp |title=Biography of Abraham Foxman |access-date=2008-02-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070915093936/http://www.adl.org/education/holocaust/foxman_bio.asp |archive-date=2007-09-15 }}</ref>
+[[Rescue of Jews by Poles during the Holocaust|To protect him]], Foxman's parents left him with his [[nanny]], Bronisława Kurpi, a [[Catholic Church in Poland|Catholic Pole]], when they were ordered by the Germans to enter a [[Ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe|ghetto]] in 1941. Foxman was [[Baptism|baptized]] into [[Christianity]] by the [[Catholic Church]], given the Polish [[Christian name]] of Henryk Stanisław Kurpi, and raised as a Catholic in [[Vilnius]] until he was returned to his parents in 1944.<ref name=ADLbio>{{cite web |url=https://www.adl.org/education/holocaust/foxman_bio.asp |title=Biography of Abraham Foxman |access-date=2008-02-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070915093936/http://www.adl.org/education/holocaust/foxman_bio.asp |archive-date=2007-09-15 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-03-14 |title='The Righteous': An Anthology of Heroes |url=https://forward.com/israel/9468/the-righteous-an-anthology-of-heroes/ |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=The Forward |language=en}}</ref>
 ==Education and career==
-Foxman immigrated to the United States in 1950 with his parents.<ref name=Who/> He graduated from the [[Yeshivah of Flatbush]] in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=Efrem |first1=Maia |title=Who Earns What, Salary Survey 2012: Abraham Foxman, Anti-Defamation League |url=https://forward.com/series/salary-survey/2012/abraham-foxman/anti-defamation-league/ |publisher=The Forward |access-date=18 August 2021 |date=2012}}</ref> He earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in [[political science]] from the [[City College of New York]]<ref name=":0" /> and graduated with honors in history.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} Foxman also holds a [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] degree from the [[New York University School of Law]].<ref name=":0" /> He did graduate work in [[Jewish studies]] at the [[Jewish Theological Seminary of America]] and in international economics at [[The New School]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
+Foxman immigrated to the [[United States]] in 1950 with his parents.<ref name=Who/> He graduated from the [[Yeshivah of Flatbush]] in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=Efrem |first1=Maia |title=Who Earns What, Salary Survey 2012: Abraham Foxman, Anti-Defamation League |url=https://forward.com/series/salary-survey/2012/abraham-foxman/anti-defamation-league/ |publisher=The Forward |access-date=18 August 2021 |date=2012}}</ref> He earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in [[political science]] from the [[City College of New York]]<ref name=":0" /> and graduated with honors in history.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} Foxman also holds a [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] degree from the [[New York University School of Law]].<ref name=":0" /> He did graduate work in [[Jewish studies]] at the [[Jewish Theological Seminary of America]] and in international economics at [[The New School]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
 ADL legal representative [[Arnold Forster (ADL)|Arnold Forster]] hired Foxman in 1965 as a legal assistant<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fox |first1=Margalit |title=Arnold Forster, Who Fought Anti-Semitism With B'nai B'rith, Is Dead at 97 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/us/27forster.html |access-date=5 August 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=27 March 2010}}</ref> in the ADL's international affairs division.<ref name=":0" /> In 1987, Foxman was the consensus choice of the Board to become its new National Director, replacing long-time director [[Nathan Perlmutter]].<ref name="NYTimes"/>
@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 [[File:Bronx-20110511-00259.jpg|thumb|right|Foxman with [[Rick Sanchez (journalist)|Rick Sanchez]] in [[New York City]] at Yankee Stadium]]
-Foxman has been awarded several honors from [[nonprofit]] groups, religious figures, and [[politician|statesmen]]. In 1998, Foxman received the Interfaith Committee of Remembrance Lifetime Achievement Award "as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism, bigotry, and discrimination".<ref>[http://www.holocaust-concerts.org/honorees.html "Humanitarian Award Winners: Lifetime Achievement Award Winners: 1998"], ''[[Interfaith Committee of Remembrance]]'', accessed January 19, 2007.</ref> Foxman won the [[Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Leadership Award]] on April 18, 2002, from the [[Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies]] at [[Ramapo College| Ramapo College of New Jersey]].<ref>"[http://www.ramapo.edu/news/press-releases/02_08_2002/ Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham H. Foxman is Recipient of Wallenberg Humanitarian Award]", [press release]. Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Ramapo College. February 8, 2002. Accessed May 29, 2014.</ref>{{primary-inline|date=August 2021}}
+Foxman has been awarded several honors from [[nonprofit]] groups, religious figures, and [[politician|statesmen]]. In 1998, Foxman received the Interfaith Committee of Remembrance Lifetime Achievement Award "as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism, bigotry, and discrimination".<ref>[http://www.holocaust-concerts.org/honorees.html "Humanitarian Award Winners: Lifetime Achievement Award Winners: 1998"], ''[[Interfaith Committee of Remembrance]]'', accessed January 19, 2007.</ref> Foxman won the [[Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Leadership Award]] on April 18, 2002, from the [[Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies]] at [[Ramapo College| Ramapo College of New Jersey]].<ref>"[http://www.ramapo.edu/news/press-releases/02_08_2002/ Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham H. Foxman is Recipient of Wallenberg Humanitarian Award]", [press release]. Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Ramapo College. February 8, 2002. Accessed May 29, 2014.</ref>{{primary source inline|date=August 2021}}
-On October 16, 2006, Foxman was awarded as Knight of the [[Legion of Honor]] by [[Jacques Chirac]], the President of France at the time. This award is [[France|France's]] highest civilian honor.<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=2006-10-16 |title=French President Chirac Urges Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism |newspaper=[[Haaretz]] |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/french-president-chirac-urges-vigilance-against-anti-semitism-1.201581}}</ref>
+On October 16, 2006, Foxman was named a Knight of the [[Legion of Honor]] by French President [[Jacques Chirac]]. This award is [[France|France's]] highest civilian honor.<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=2006-10-16 |title=French President Chirac Urges Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism |newspaper=[[Haaretz]] |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/french-president-chirac-urges-vigilance-against-anti-semitism-1.201581}}</ref>
-On a May 22, 2008, ceremony, Foxman was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from [[Yeshiva University]] by [[Richard Joel]], the presiding president of Yeshiva University.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
+During a May 22, 2008, ceremony, Foxman was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from [[Yeshiva University]] by [[Richard Joel]], the then-president of Yeshiva University.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
-Additionally, President [[George W. Bush]] appointed Foxman to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to [[Jerusalem]] for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of [[Israel]] in May 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nysun.com/foreign/bush-visit-may-boost-olmert/76303/ |title=Bush Visit May Boost Olmert |date=May 13, 2008 |newspaper=The New York Sun |access-date=2011-12-11 |archive-date=2019-10-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191012171011/https://www.nysun.com/foreign/bush-visit-may-boost-olmert/76303/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+Additionally, [[President of the United States|American President]] [[George W. Bush]] appointed Foxman to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to [[Jerusalem]] for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of [[Israel]] in May 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nysun.com/foreign/bush-visit-may-boost-olmert/76303/ |title=Bush Visit May Boost Olmert |date=May 13, 2008 |newspaper=The New York Sun |access-date=2011-12-11 |archive-date=2019-10-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191012171011/https://www.nysun.com/foreign/bush-visit-may-boost-olmert/76303/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 ==Political stances==
@@ Line 47: / Line 47: @@
 ===Support for gay rights===
-Foxman's support for [[LGBT rights by country or territory|gay rights]] in America placed him at odds with many [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jews]]. Concerning the former, which involved his protest in 2000-2001 of a case (''[[Boy Scouts of America v. Dale]]'') in which "the Supreme Court ruled that the [[Boy Scouts of America]] could exclude a gay scoutmaster because of his sexual orientation", it was reported that, "For many Jewish groups that work with the Boy Scouts – mainly Reform temples and Jewish community centers – the ensuing year has been marked by soul-searching, as they grappled with whether they should end their ties to the organization because of the organization's stance on gays", and 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 that report published a year later, in 2001, "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."<ref>As qtd. by Sharon Samber (for the [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]]), [http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/15992/jews-pained-by-anti-gay-scouts-a-year-after-court-ruling/ "Jews Pained by Anti-Gay Scouts a Year After Court Ruling"], ''[[The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California]]'' (formerly the ''[[Jewish Bulletin of Northern California]]''), February 13, 2001, accessed January 19, 2007.</ref>
+Foxman's support for [[LGBT rights by country or territory|gay rights]] in America has placed him at odds with many [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jews]]. For example, he protested the 2000 ruling by the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] in ''[[Boy Scouts of America v. Dale]]''—a case in which "the Supreme Court ruled that the [[Boy 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.'"<ref>As qtd. by Sharon Samber (for the [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]]), [http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/15992/jews-pained-by-anti-gay-scouts-a-year-after-court-ruling/ "Jews Pained by Anti-Gay Scouts a Year After Court Ruling"], ''[[The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California]]'' (formerly the ''[[Jewish Bulletin of Northern California]]''), February 13, 2001, accessed January 19, 2007.</ref>
 ===Criticism of Mel Gibson===
@@ Line 86: / Line 86: @@
 ===Opposition to a Congress resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide===
 In July 2007, Foxman opposed a congressional resolution recognizing the [[Armenian 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. "The [[Turkey|Turks]] and [[Armenia]]ns need to revisit their past. The Jewish community shouldn't be the arbiter of that history, nor should the [[U.S. Congress]]."
 Sharistan Melkonian, chairwoman of the [[Armenian National Committee of America|Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts]], accused Foxman of engaging in "genocide denial" in an interview with ''The Boston Globe''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/08/01/antibias_effort_stirs_anger_in_watertown/?page=1|title=Antibias effort stirs anger in Watertown|author=O'Brien|first=Keith|date=January 8, 2007|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]}}</ref> Various [[New England]] communities threatened to sever ties with the ADL-sponsored "No Place for Hate" program in response.<ref>{{cite news
@@ Line 118: / Line 118: @@
 *''Jews and Money: The Story of a Stereotype'', Palgrave Macmillan, 2010 {{ISBN|978-0-230-62385-9}}
 *''[[A Nation of Immigrants]]'', [[John F. Kennedy]] (Foreword), Harper Perennial, {{ISBN|0-06-144754-4}}
-*''Never Again? The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism'', Harper Collins, 2003, {{ISBN|0-06-073069-2}}
+*''Never Again? The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism'', HarperCollins, 2003, {{ISBN|0-06-073069-2}}
 *''Viral Hate: Containing Its Spread on the Internet'', written with Christopher Wolf, Palgrave Macmillan, 2013
@@ Line 142: / Line 142: @@
 [[Category:Activists against antisemitism]]
 [[Category:Jewish American community activists]]
+[[Category:American community activists]]
 [[Category:American people of Belarusian-Jewish descent]]
 [[Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent]]
@@ Line 150: / Line 151: @@
 [[Category:General and operations managers]]
 [[Category:Holocaust survivors]]
-[[Category:Jewish American attorneys]]
+[[Category:American lawyers]]
 [[Category:Jewish Theological Seminary of America alumni]]
 [[Category:New York University School of Law alumni]]

v t e Anti-Defamation League
National directors	Leon L. Lewis (1913–1925) Boris D. Bogen (1925–1929) Benjamin Epstein (1948–1978) Nathan Perlmutter (1979–1987) Abraham Foxman (1987–2015) Jonathan Greenblatt (2015–)
Other key people	Arnold Forster Sigmund Livingston (founder) David A. Rose Dore Schary Meier Steinbrink
Activity	2020 Facebook ad boycotts Courage to Care Award List of designated hate symbols A Nation of Immigrants
Related	B'nai B'rith Defamation Prejudice

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