“We don’t have a slow season in our business,” he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency at the time. “What we deal with is words. We’ve learned that words have the power to kill, that words unchallenged, left in silence, words of bigotry, are part of our tradition.”

Foxman thrived for decades in a political culture where the establishment still mattered, and extremism was not considered a virtue. He granted absolution to figures as diverse as former President Jimmy Carter and right-wing broadcaster Glenn Beck and as surprising as the fashion designer John Galliano.

Foxman also knew when to despair of reforming repeat offenders.

“When you say Mr. X engaged in antisemitism, the first time that they do it you can say it’s ignorance, it’s insensitivity,” he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in 2007, asked about his refusal to exonerate Hollywood star and director Mel Gibson. “But when you say to them that they are engaging in antisemitism when they say the Jews control the media and the Jews control universities, and when they repeat it the second time, the third time, and the fourth time, are you or are you not an antisemite?”

Foxman’s successor, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, lamented in a statement the passing of an “iconic Jewish leader.”

“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.

Greenblatt’s announcement was followed by an outpouring of memories and tributes from leaders throughout the Jewish world and in Israel. “Abe Foxman was a mentor, a guide, and a towering presence in Jewish communal life. He showed a generation of leaders that fighting antisemitism demands clarity, courage, and the willingness to stand firm under pressure,” said William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, in one such statement.

Amid starkly growing polarization in the United States, Foxman was known for his willingness to call balls and strikes on all sides of the aisle, as well as hug across the chasm.

The complexity of individuals – the truth that heroes could commit bad acts and that villains could at times be redeemed – was seared into Foxman from childhood.

Foxman was born in Poland in 1940 and at 2 years old was left in the care of his Roman Catholic nanny in Vilnius, Lithuania, as his parents sought to escape the Germans. His nanny was his fierce protector and insulated him from the depredations of Nazis and their enablers, baptizing him and teaching him to handily hurl anti-Jewish epithets to fit in.

When his parents returned after the war, she would not give him up: It took bitter encounters in courtrooms to restore him to his family, and to the Jewish people.

Yet he could never hate her, he would often say later in life. “She risked her life,” he told the New York Times in 1991. “She saved my life.”
In 1950, four years after besting his nanny in the courts, Foxman’s parents took him with them to New York. There he attended the Yeshiva of Flatbush followed by the City College of New York and New York University Law School.

Foxman applied his exacting standards to himself, telling JTA in the same 2007 interview that he was haunted by the mistakes he had made, in one case lacerating a 60 Minutes segment on Jerusalem only to find out the report’s criticism of the Israeli police’s use of excessive force in confronting rioters in 1990 on the Temple Mount Israel was correct. (He apologized to producer Don Hewitt and reporter Mike Wallace, and Hewitt replied, “Are you for real?”)

He also told JTA in the same interview that he anguished over one of his most controversial decisions — his refusal to describe the Ottoman massacre of Armenians in 1915 as a “genocide” — especially given the backlash his stance earned him from Jewish allies of the Armenian community.

Foxman’s reflex had been typical: defer to the Jewish community most vulnerable in a controversy, in this case the Turkish Jewish community, which feared retaliation. It was a decision that he also took at a time Turkey was one of Israel’s closest regional allies and heavily pressured Israel to oppose any U.S. efforts to recognize the killings as genocide. But Foxman acknowledged in retrospect that he had caused others pain.

“To me it was very clear, there are moral imperatives here — the moral imperative to feel somebody else’s pain, to recognize their anguish, and the moral imperative which is the safety and the security of the Jewish community,” he said.

Once Foxman had enough of someone, he truly had enough — and his sharp wit would emerge.

“My answer would be ‘Thanks but no thanks,”’ Foxman told Reuters in 2004 when Gibson said he was contemplating a film about the Maccabees, the Jewish warrior class whose stunning victory over Greek colonists is the basis of the Hanukkah holiday. “The last thing we need in Jewish history is to convert our history into a Western. In his hands we may wind up losing.”

He came across at times as a curmudgeon. Viral Hate: Containing Its Spread on the Internet, a book he coauthored in 2013, tanked, and he told a JTA reporter he was not surprised: He was lambasting the social media machine that was shaping America, tilting at virtual windmills.

“The paradigms are changing,” he said multiple times in an interview about the book.

Thirteen years later, his distaste for the self-assuredness of tech leaders who reassured him all would be good seems prescient.

“We have been talking to the geniuses at Palo Alto,” Foxman said in the interview. “We have said to them, ‘thanks but no thanks. You developed a technology that has some wonderful things but also has unintended consequences.’ ”

When Foxman retired in 2015, antisemitism appeared by many measures to be at an all-time low in the United States. Foxman hesitated to take credit for any gains but said he had appreciated the chance to build a world animated by values very different from those that reigned during his childhood in Eastern Europe.

“I don’t take credit for it, but I’m part of the effort — not only of the American Jewish community, but of decent people in this country, to fight it,” Foxman told JTA at the time.

“To what extent did my experiences in the Shoah, the D.P. camps, my Catholicism have to do with that, I don’t know,” Foxman added. “I have been very lucky. To get up every morning and to have an opportunity to try to make a difference in both fighting hate and building love — wow. I have been very privileged.”

At a retirement party at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan in 2015, Foxman received accolades from Obama administration officials as well as from Tom Friedman, The New York Times columnist with whom he had repeatedly clashed on Israel policy. (Friedman revealed that Foxman had been his counselor at Herzl Camp in Wisconsin, where a highlight each year was reenacting the Dreyfus Affair.)

The party also drew an appearance by Roger Ailes, the Fox News Channel chief who had faced Foxman’s wrath over the conspiracy musings of one-time Fox personality Beck. (Years later, Foxman would defend having awarded an honor to Fox’s owner, Rupert Murdoch, even after Greenblatt said Murdoch was stoking hate with the network.)

Foxman was gregarious, surprising interlocutors by ending official meetings with a hug, and referring to Jewish media reporters as “tattele,” Yiddish for “good boy.”

“Within minutes of our first phone call I felt like family,” United Nations envoy Samantha Power said at the Waldorf-Astoria sendoff, describing their first interaction in Obama’s first term, when she was on the National Security Council. “We were yelling, interrupting one another and swearing. I think I almost ended this first phone call saying, ‘Love you.’”

Nicole Mutchnik, chair of the ADL’s board, referred to Foxman’s famous warmth in a statement mourning his death.

“Abe Foxman helped build the modern liberal era of America. He was recognized across the globe as a great leader and passionate advocate for tolerance, a voice of the generation rebuilding in the shadow of the Shoah, and longtime advisor to American presidents and world leaders,” she said. “To those of us who knew him, Abe was a warm friend, advisor, spirited antagonist and hugger – all over lunch.”

In 2020, five years after retiring from the ADL, Foxman did what once was unthinkable to him. He endorsed a presidential candidate, Joe Biden. He was appalled by what he saw as President Donald Trump’s flirtations with bigotry and broadsides against democracy, the system that kept the United States from living the nightmare his parents had endured.

He also did what he had for a lifetime been reluctant to do: invoke the Nazi era as a warning signal.

“Germany did have institutions and they did have democracy and it did fall apart so, yeah, it’s not Germany, and it’s not Nazism, but our antennas are quivering,” Foxman told JTA weeks before the election.

Foxman is survived by his wife Golda; his daughter Michelle and his son Ariel; and four grandchildren.

 She was pre-deceased by her husband of over 61 years, Ronald Bressler, in 2018, her parents, Arthur and Louise Halsband, and her siblings, Steven and Emily Halsband. She was born in Providence, Rhode Island, but raised in the nearby town of E. Greenwich. She lived in the Dayton area for more than 60 years after relocating from Chicago.

 She is survived by her three children, Dawn (Jack) Kaye, Kevin (Karen) Bressler, and Andy (Shellie) Bressler, nine grandchildren, Rebecca (Gregory Garbuz), Kaitlin (Brant Appel), Hannah (Daniel Grasso), Korinne (Eytan Rosenblum), Allison (Christopher Graves), Brooke, Adam, Casey, and Ava, and seven great grandchildren (Aubrie and Jasmine Bryant, Gloria and Miriam Graves, and Henry, Hallie, and Blake Appel).

 Irene was a dedicated homemaker who devoted her life to her family and community. Irene was an excellent cook who made sure her growing family had nutritious and tasty food to eat. She and Ron created a loving Jewish home, with the children getting their religious education at Temple Israel. Irene was a lifetime member of Hadassah and served, among other roles, as president of the Dayton chapter for several years. For the past seven years she was a resident at Brookdale Assisted Living in Englewood.  

 Contributions in her memory may be made to Ohio’s Hospice.

 Funeral services were held in the chapel at David’s Cemetery. Burial was in David’s Cemetery. Tobias Funeral Home, Far Hills Chapel.

 Reba was truly one of a kind.  She began working as editor of the Southeastern Virginia Jewish News in May 1978 and was also instrumental in the creation of Renewal Magazine.  Both publications won numerous state and national awards.  Her most rewarding moment, however, was the publication of the book, To Life, featuring the testimonies of Tidewater’s Holocaust survivors, rescuers, and liberators, which received two national awards.  

 Prior to her association with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Reba was the afternoon editor of the Ledger-Star, again the recipient of awards for writing and page design.  Reba published 10 books, one of which is in its fourth printing, The Edgar Cayce Encyclopedia of Healing. 

 She leaves behind a son, Dr. Nelson Karp, a brother, and a nephew, Mark, and her four adoring cats.  

 She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward.  

 A colleague and friend, Rabbi Israel Zoberman, noted that Reba was “devoted to the well-being of the community and will be sorely missed.”  Harry Graber, UJFT’s former executive vice president, said, “Reba’s leadership made sure that antisemitism was fought and the diverse aspects of Judaism were heightened and celebrated. She was well-respected and loved by her staff and fellow colleagues of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.”

 Another friend and colleague, the late Hal Sacks, upon her retirement, left these words in tribute to Reba: “Here’s to Reba whose heavenly muse Gave us three decades of the Jewish News. Peace, peace oh Madame Queen, we pray you think of us each day.” 

 During these past few years as Reba’s health declined, her dear friend, Teresa Lilly, was by her side, assisted by Loquanda.         

 A funeral service was held at The Hebrew Cemetery, Chapel, in Charlotte. Interment followed in the Hebrew Cemetery. McEwen Funeral Service-Pineville Chapel.

 He is survived by his wife, Carol, 88, and children Michael (Caryn), Samuel (Susan), son-in-law Bob Mastorakis, and grandchildren Brenna, Daniel, and Jonathan. He was the son of William and Goldye Levitin and was predeceased by his brother, Charles, and daughter, Amy. 

 At an early age, he was nicknamed “Buddy” which stayed with him the rest of his life. 

 He was very close to Charles, who taught him to play baseball and golf in the 1940’s. Buddy was elected captain of the Maury High School golf team, when the new sport was introduced to local high schools. According to Buddy, Granby High golfers were unbeatable because they played the nearby course every day after school.

 Buddy was a 1952 graduate from Maury and graduated in 1956 from Duke University with Phi Beta Kappa honors. He met Carol Ann Hyman from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, at Duke, and they were married in June 1959 after Buddy returned from military duty in Korea. Following the death of his father, he and his brother took over the family furniture business.

 Buddy led a life of service to others. On alternate Monday mornings for 12 years, he and a co-reader were the “Voice of Hampton Roads” on WHRO, reading The Virginian-Pilot to blind listeners.

 He was past president of the Norfolk Host Lions Club, Melvin Jones Fellow of Lions International, and recipient of the Lions International President’s Award. He was a former member of the board of directors of the Lions Medical Eye Bank of Eastern Virginia and a lifetime member of Congregation Beth El.

 He served as Master of Norfolk Lodge #1, Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons, the oldest Masonic Lodge in the Commonwealth. He was president of the Grand Lodge of Virginia Scholarship Foundation.

 In 1984, Buddy was called upon by Thomas L. Oliver, Norfolk native living in California and chief engineer for AT&T West Coast to establish the TOWN Foundation, named for members of his family and the family of his late wife. Graduating high school students would have the opportunity to avoid the financial difficulties he experienced putting himself through Virginia Tech in the 1920’s.

 From 1998 through 2008, Buddy served on the Norfolk State University Foundation board of directors and revised the board’s scholarship program. He was the first president of the TOWN Foundation and served 30 years as president, secretary, and executive vice president until retiring in 2017 as vice president emeritus.

 In 2009, Buddy and Carol established the Levitin Family Endowment at Norfolk State University, and in 2015, the Jordan and Carol Levitin Endowed Scholarship in Nursing at Old Dominion University.

 Buddy became an avid walker in 1975 and subsequently was attracted to the sport of competitive race walking. He became a member of the United States Track and Field Association and was a certified USATF Mater Level official. In 2019, at the Virginia 24 Hour Ultra Walk/Run for cancer in Hampton, he set a state record in men’s 85-89 age group.

 As a competitor or judge, Buddy was always quick to remind friends “when you see a turtle sitting on a fence post, you know it didn’t get there by itself.”

 The family requests contributions in Buddy’s memory to the scholarships listed above or a charity of the donor’s choice.

 A funeral service was held at H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Norfolk Chapel, officiated by Rabbi Jacob Herber. Interment followed at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

 He will be remembered as a devoted father, a cherished family member, an accomplished Bridge and basketball player, and a respected legal advocate whose compassion and integrity touched many lives.

 Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in West Hempstead, Long Island, Howard had a passion for basketball. At West Hempstead High School, he became an All–Nassau County Basketball Player and was second at the school’s all-time points upon graduation. His remarkable skill attracted the attention of top college coaches, among them Lefty Driesell and Digger Phelps, who visited his home during the recruitment process. Lifelong medical challenges ultimately prevented him from playing at the level he once seemed destined for, but Howard’s love for the game never faded. He continued to play whenever he could and later found joy in coaching his son Nate, and his niece Melissa, and nephew Matt.

 Howard went on to graduate from the College of William & Mary, where he met his wife, Francis Miller. He earned his law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. Settling in Tidewater, Howard co-founded the law firm, Miller & Marx, building a respected practice in family and criminal law.

 His commitment to public service was profound. Howard served as president of the Tidewater Legal Aid Society and was a two-time recipient of the Pro Bono Award from the Norfolk–Portsmouth Bar Association – a testament to his deep sense of responsibility toward those in need of legal support.

 Outside the courtroom, Howard pursued another lifelong passion: Bridge. His dedication, sharp strategic mind, and competitive spirit earned him recognition as a Diamond Life Master, one of the esteemed ranks in the game. Among his proudest achievements was winning a national pairs Bridge title with Richard DePaulo, a highlight that reflected both his skill and his love of the challenge the game offered.

 Howard was predeceased by his wife, Francis Miller, and parents Harold and Florence Miller.

 He is survived by his devoted son, Nathaniel Miller. He also leaves behind his brother, Dr. Norman Miller, and Norman’s wife, Gail Miller; his niece, Melissa Miller, and her husband, Seth Lonsk; and his nephew, Matthew Miller and his wife Jennifer. To his family, friends, colleagues, and all who were touched by his kindness, Howard’s memory will remain a source of warmth, inspiration, and enduring affection.

 Graveside funeral services were held at the King David Section of the Woodlawn Cemetery. Donations can be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.

 Born on December 30, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Julius and Beatrice (Abramson) Cohen and sister of the late Bernard (Buddy) Cohen.

 Shirley worked as the bookkeeper with her husband for many years at Neumann’s Furniture Store in Phoenixville.

 She was a member of Congregation B’nai Jacob, Phoenixville, and served in many leadership roles including multiple terms as president of the Sisterhood. She was also a founding member of the B’nai Jacob Cemetery Association.

 She is survived by four children:  Beverly, wife of Stuart Berman z’l; Harriet, wife of Steven Bissey; Jerry, husband of Naomi Richman Neumann; and Melissa, wife of Seth Schwartz.

 She is survived by nine grand-children: Scott (Hillary), Rachel (Chris), Aaron (Elizabeth), Daniel, Zachary, Benjamin (Ariel), Hannah (Michael), Ian (Rose), and Rebecca and seven great-grandchildren, Sammy, Jack, Isaac, Neville, Lev, Charlie, and Shalva.

 Her funeral service took place at Congregation B’nai Jacob in Phoenixville. Burial followed in B’nai Jacob Cemetery, Mont Clare, Pa.

 Contributions in her memory may be made to Congregation B’nai Jacob or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

 Steve was born in Norfolk on March 20, 1945. The son of Julia and Albert Pitler, Steve attended Granby Elementary and Granby High School.

He graduated from Temple University in 1968, and he received his law degree from the University of Baltimore in 1973.

 Steve married Janet, the love of his life. He was a devoted husband, wonderful father, and grandfather. He was a confident and loyal friend to many.

 Steve was a three-sport athlete at Granby and at Temple University. While at Granby, he was voted most athletic.
 

He won the heavyweight Eastern championship and placed second in the state. He was also selected as Norfolk’s outstanding baseball player. At Temple University in 1968, he was voted the most outstanding athlete.

 Steve went on to attend law school and was admitted to practice law in 1973. Steve was selected as one of the best lawyers in America. He retired in 2012. He also served six years in the Virginia National Guard. 

 Steve will be remembered for his sense of humor, superior wit, integrity, and dependability.

 Steve is survived by his wife, Janet, his son, Damon, and daughter, Evan. He is also survived by Damon’s wife, Amy, and four beloved grandchildren, Theodora, Veronica, Logan, and Lucinda.

 A funeral service was held at Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk. Burial followed at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.hdoliver.com.