Abe Foxman, Former ADL National Director, Passes Away at 86

Abraham H. Foxman, who served as the national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) from 1987 to 2015, has died at the age of 86. The ADL announced his passing on Sunday, describing him as a "forceful advocate for American Jews" during his tenure.

Born in 1940 in what is now Belarus, Foxman survived the Holocaust after being hidden and baptized by his Catholic nanny to protect him from the Nazis. After the war, he reunited with his parents and immigrated to New York, where he pursued a law degree and joined the ADL as a staff lawyer in 1965.

Under Foxman's leadership, the ADL expanded its mission beyond combating antisemitism to include broader human rights advocacy, such as fighting white supremacy, supporting LGBTQ and immigrant rights, and promoting diversity education. He was known for his moral clarity and willingness to confront hate, as well as for embracing those who showed genuine remorse for past antisemitic remarks.

Jonathan Greenblatt, the current ADL director, stated, "Abe's voice was heard—and listened to—by popes, presidents, and prime ministers, a voice he used wherever Jews were at risk." Foxman retired in 2015, expressing concern about the internet's role in spreading bigotry, noting that it allows individuals to disseminate hate "not only anonymously but at the speed of light."

Foxman's contributions were recognized with several honors, including being named a Knight of the Legion of Honor by French President Jacques Chirac in 2006, France's highest civilian honor. He also received the Interfaith Committee of Remembrance Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 and the Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Leadership Award in 2002.

He is survived by his wife, Golda Bauman, and their two children.