Signer Spotlight: Abe Foxman
Why is the Jewish future important to you?
In my years at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), I measured success on whether non-Jewish groups wanted to partner with us. Through this, I observed that other groups saw values in the Jewish people they wanted to learn: closeness, responsibility, understanding, and care for each other in good times and in times of need. That’s tikkun olam to me: if you take pride in your values and who you are, others will recognize this and join you.
Why do you think younger Jews are feeling disconnected from their Judaism, and how can we take on this issue?
If kids haven’t been exposed to Jewish traditions, they won’t wake up one day and want them. Right now, it’s our own fault for neglecting our history and who we are and not instilling Jewish pride in our younger generations. We assumed Jewish children would pick things up by osmosis, but that’s not been the case when parents don’t teach or practice Judaism in the home. There’s no guarantee it happens even if kids go to Jewish school or their home is a place of warmth and Jewish tradition, but there’s a much higher possibility.
Ironically, antisemitism is bringing Jews back to Judaism. There’s a rebirth, if you will, by the younger generations. I’m glad this is happening, but also sad that antisemitism is the catalyst.
Why is antisemitism still an issue in 2024?
We at the ADL always knew antisemitism was a disease without a vaccine or an antidote, and we developed a strategy of containment. We knew it was there, but we ensured it was in the sewers with a cover. And it worked: before Pittsburgh in 2018, only 3 Jews in the United States died due to antisemitism.
But things changed. In the last ten years, we’ve seen this containment strategy dissipate. The most significant change is that there is no truth anymore. Today, the internet and social media determine the truth and are super-highways for misinformation. If you have no truth, it’s harder to fight the lies.
How do we begin to solve the issue of on-campus antisemitism?
We need real consequences. Europe has laws prohibiting antisemitism but doesn’t enforce them. Meanwhile, in America, you were allowed to be an antisemite, but there would be consequences for espousing those beliefs. Antisemitic politicians or businesses didn’t last long.
This no longer seems to be the case. What’s happening on campuses is not an expression of freedom of speech; it’s actions of hate. We’re seeing physical intimidation of Jews and destruction of property. I see words denouncing antisemitic actions, but I don’t see arrests. I don’t see anyone sitting in prison for going after Jews.
If this happened to any other minority, would America tolerate it? Would university administrations tolerate it? We must force the issues at hand, and Congress needs to punish universities that enabled this hate and discrimination against Jews.
Inaction sends a message that it’s ok to go after Jews. It makes us feel expendable as Jews in America, and that needs to change.
Why are you optimistic about the Jewish future?
The secret of Jewish survival is the desire to continue to want to be Jewish. Whether it was after the destruction of the first Temple and exile or after the Holocaust, where a third of our people were murdered, Jews have always responded with a desire for a Jewish homeland and a return to Jerusalem.
We’re seeing that today. The $1.5 billion raised in six months for Israel is an indication of how American Jews feel about Judaism. Synagogues are reporting that young people are returning and are as full, if not fuller than before the pandemic.
At the end of the day, whether or not we succeed depends on us. Not them [antisemites]. It’s not whether they will hate us more or hate us less, but what we will do. Will we put more mezuzahs on the doors or take off more? Will we wear kippot more or less?
Bio
Abe Foxman is the National Director Emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), serving as its director from 1987 to 2015. From 2016 to 2021, he served as vice chair of the board of trustees at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City to lead its efforts on antisemitism. He currently resides in New York City.
