Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience Mourns the Passing of Advisory Committee Member Abraham H. Foxman, National Director Emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League
Media Contact
Mark Genatempo
mark.g@rutgers.edu
For Immediate Release: May 11, 2026
New Brunswick, New Jersey, May 11, 2026 —The Rutgers University Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience announces with profound sadness the passing of Abraham H. Foxman, Esq., a beloved member of its Board of Advisors and one of the most consequential voices in the fight against antisemitism and hatred in the modern era. Mr. Foxman served as National Director Emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a position that crowned a distinguished career spanning nearly five decades of service to civil rights and human dignity.
Born in 1940 in Baronowicze, Poland, Abraham Foxman’s life was itself a testament to resilience. A Holocaust survivor who was hidden and raised by his Polish Catholic nanny, Bronislawa Kurpi, while his parents were forced into the Vilna Ghetto, Mr. Foxman emerged from one of history’s darkest chapters to become a tireless champion for justice and equality. He joined the ADL in 1967 and served as its National Director from 1987 to 2015, building it into a global institution recognized for its work combatting hate in all its forms.
Mr. Foxman was one of the first Advisory Committee members, bringing with him a lifetime of expertise in advocacy, community protection, and education. His deep commitment to safeguarding vulnerable populations aligned powerfully with the Center’s mission to foster resilient communities and advance fair and equitable treatment for all people. He was particularly engaged with the Center’s National Threat, Conflict & Campus Resiliencey (NTCC) Training Program, a national initiative addressing the alarming rise in hate crimes and bias incidents on college campuses.
“Abraham Foxman was a towering figure in the struggle for human dignity, and his presence on our Board of Advisors was an extraordinary gift to our work. His counsel was born of lived experience, moral clarity, and an unwavering dedication to protecting those most vulnerable to hatred and bigotry. His guidance and advice will be deeply missed by all of us at the Miller Center, and we are forever grateful for his contributions to our mission.”
— Paul Miller, Founder of the Rutgers University Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience
Throughout his remarkable life, Mr. Foxman earned numerous honors for his advocacy work and was widely regarded as an authority on the Holocaust, antisemitism, and civil rights. He held a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the City College of New York, a law degree from New York University School of Law, and did graduate work at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and the New School. He is survived by his wife, Golda, their children Michelle and Ariel, son-in-law Brandon Cardet-Hernandez, and four grandchildren.
The Miller Center extends its deepest condolences to the Foxman family and to the countless lives he touched through his lifetime of service. His legacy will continue to inspire and guide the Center’s work for years to come.
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About Rutgers University’s Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience
The Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience advances research, education and outreach focused on building stronger relationships between communities and public safety institutions. As part of Rutgers University’s dedication to service, innovation and justice, the center leads initiatives that promote accountability, trust and strategic resilience in policing and community safety.
About the Eagleton Institute of Politics
The Rutgers Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience is a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. The Eagleton Institute studies how American politics and government work and change, analyzes how democracy might improve and promotes political participation and civic engagement. The institute explores state and national politics through research, education and public service, linking the study of politics with its day-to-day practice.
About Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Rutgers University-New Brunswick is where Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, began more than 250 years ago. Ranked among the world’s top 60 universities, Rutgers’s flagship university is a leading public research institution and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. It is home to internationally acclaimed faculty and has 12 degree-granting schools and a Division I Athletics program. It is the Big Ten Conference’s most diverse university. Through its community of teachers, scholars, artists, scientists and healers, Rutgers is equipped as never before to transform lives.