Abraham “Abe” Foxman, the longtime national director of the Anti-Defamation League and one of the world’s most prominent voices against antisemitism, passed away Sunday at the age of 86.

Foxman led the ADL from 1987 until his retirement in 2015, remaining active as national director emeritus in the years that followed. During his nearly five decades with the organization, he became a leading advocate for the Jewish community and Israel, regularly confronting antisemitism and hate on the global stage.

Born in 1940 in what is now Belarus, Foxman survived the Holocaust after his parents entrusted him to a Polish Catholic nanny, Bronislawa Kurpi, who baptized him and hid his Jewish identity during the war. He was reunited with his parents after the Holocaust, and the family immigrated to the United States in 1950.

Foxman later graduated from the City College of New York and NYU School of Law before joining the ADL in 1965 as an assistant director of legal affairs. He rose through the organization’s ranks before becoming national director in 1987.

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called Foxman “an iconic Jewish leader” whose voice carried “moral authority and clarity.”

“America and the Jewish people have lost a moral voice, a passionate advocate for the Jewish people and the state of Israel, and a remarkable leader,” Greenblatt said in a statement.

Greenblatt added that Foxman “transformed ADL while confronting antisemitism and hate (from both left and right), opposing the global rise in antisemitism, holding world leaders accountable and working to ensure that Israel was Jewish, secure and democratic.”

ADL Board Chair Nicole Munchnik said Foxman “helped build the modern liberal era of America” and described him as “a great leader and passionate advocate for tolerance.”

“Abe was a warm friend, advisor, spirited antagonist and hugger – all over lunch,” she said.

Following his retirement from the ADL, Foxman served as vice chair of the board of trustees at New York’s Museum of Jewish Heritage between 2016 and 2021.

Foxman is survived by his wife Golda, his children Michelle and Ariel, and several grandchildren.

His funeral is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

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