Thane Rosenbaum Could Usher in a New Era for ADL
Haaretz
Thane Rosenbaum (right) with Jeb Bush.
Published May 18, 2014.
(Haaretz) When it comes to who will replace Abraham Foxman when the legendary Anti-Defamation League director retires in a few months, any guess is as good as the other. But among the names being tossed around, one definitely stands out as unusual.
With his messy mane of sun-streaked hair (just beginning to show a bit of gray), Thane Rosenbaum doesnt come across as a Jewish establishment type. He looks like hed feel a lot more comfortable jumping on a surfboard back on the beaches of his native Miami than stepping into the giant shoes filled by Foxman over the past 40 years.
Unlike some of the other names being floated, Rosenbaum is not an organizational insider, a Jewish-community leader or a politico with close ties to the administration. Nor has he ever managed an operation anywhere near the size of the ADL.
So when Foxman let him know his candidacy was being considered for this most coveted of jobs in the world of Jewish organizations, the 54-year-old law professor, novelist and essayist was frankly surprised.
That is, until he gave it some serious thought.
In many ways, I realized I was sort of oddly built for this, Rosenbaum, who is in Israel this week on a lecture tour, told Haaretz. Im a child of Holocaust survivors. All my writing, fiction and nonfiction deals with Holocaust-related themes, or with hate, bigotry and defamation. Im a human rights law professor. I jokingly say that in a way Ive been doing the same job for decades, just without the portfolio.
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In Search For Abe Foxman Replacement, An Unusual Candidate Emerges