As ADL Battles With Elon Musk, Its Former Director Will Visit Bergen County

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — The Anti-Defamation League has had a mission to fight antisemitism since its founding as part of B'nai B'rith in 1913. At that time, Jewish people were often excluded from certain industries and businesses in the U.S., and Jewish people were made scapegoats for various societal ills even decades before the Holocaust.

This Thursday, the former director of the ADL, Abraham Foxman, will give a presentation in Bergen County called "Confronting Antisemitism in Today's World."

The National Council of Jewish Women Bergen County Section will kick off its new season of general meetings with the event.

He will give his presentation at 12:30 p.m. at Temple Emeth in Teaneck.

The ADL has made news recently for demanding that Elon Musk, the owner of X/Twitter, do a better job of clamping down on antisemitic speech on the site.

Musk has said that he stands for free speech but that it has to be within the law. Still, some say that too many antisemitic groups have been able to spread hateful messages on his platform, targeted at Jews. Some use cagey language, critics note — for instance, asking about Holocaust numbers by calling Jews "6 million cookies" (a search of that one phrase on the platform turns up a rich skein of such posts).

According to X/Twitter's terms of service, posts that encourage violence or "celebrate violence" are not allowed.

The ADL had at one point criticized Musk and called for an advertising boycott, and this month, he responded by threatening to sue them for $22 million over lost revenue, and promoting a hashtag calling for the ADL to be banned.

Abraham Foxman is not the current head of the ADL, but has weighed in on the controversy, and surely will surely have many critical issues to discuss.

North Jersey Mom Of 3, Others Killed In Antisemitic Attacks

Several high profile incidents of antisemitism have stood out in North Jersey in recent times.

On Dec. 10, 2019, David Anderson and Francine Graham killed a police officer and four civilians at Kosher supermarket in Jersey City. One of those killed was a mother of three children.

An investigation showed that the attack was spurred by the shooters' antisemitic views. Yet, a Jersey City school board member referred to the shooters' "message" and was asked to apologize.

More recently, there were three antisemitic incidents in a four-month period from late 2022 to early 2023: The theft of a Livingston school bus in January 2023 by a man who allegedly left a journal full of antisemitic writing; a Molotov cocktail thrown at a Bloomfield synagogue later that month, and the FBI arrest of a man in November 2022 who'd threatened synagogues in North Jersey.

The talk will take place at 1666 Windsor Road, Teaneck. The meeting is free for members and $15 for non-members, and admission will be taken at the door.

Below is a release from the National Council of Jewish Women with more details about the Foxman event.

Abraham Foxman To Speak In Bergen County

National Council of Jewish Women Bergen County Section (NCJW BCS), a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action, is delighted to kick off its new season of General Meetings with a presentation on Confronting Antisemitism in Today’s World by Abraham H. Foxman, National Director Emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The presentation will take place on Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 12:30 PM at Temple Emeth, 1666 Windsor Road, Teaneck.

The meeting is free for members and $15.00 for non-members, and admission will be taken at the door.

Abraham H. Foxman is world-renowned as a leader in the fight against antisemitism, bigotry and discrimination. Mr. Foxman regularly speaks out on issues of global antisemitism, the war on terror, church/state issues, religious intolerance and issues relating to the Holocaust and Israel. He retired from the ADL in 2015, having served a total of 50 years with the organization After his tenure at the ADL, he became Vice Chairman of the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, in New York City.

During his long career, Mr. Foxman had direct consultations with world leaders in Europe, Russia, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, China, Japan, South Africa, Argentina and elsewhere, and with Palestinian leaders, on problems of ethnic hatred, violence, terrorism and promoting democracy. He had multiple audiences with Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis and has conferred with U.S. Presidents from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama, as well as with Members of Congress.

A Holocaust survivor, Mr. Foxman has been a member of the President’s United States Holocaust Memorial Council, appointed by Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton and Biden, and has been a member of official Presidential delegations to special events in Europe and Israel. He has a B.A. in political science from the City College of the City University of New York, a J.D. degree from New York University School of Law, and did graduate work in advanced Judaic studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Lois Katz Brown, NCJW BCS Chair of the Committee on Racial Equity and Antisemitism, said, “We are delighted and honored to have Mr. Foxman speak to us about such an important and timely topic. NCJW BCS is dedicated to combating racism and antisemitism in our society.”

NCJW BCS is celebrating its Centennial in 2023. It provides educational and stimulating programs and speakers throughout the year, including six general meetings and a myriad of study groups, book groups, trips and advocacy activities. For more information on NCJW BCS and its upcoming programs, please visit http://www.ncjwbcs.org or call 201-385-4847.

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for
social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.