On Sunday, the international Jewish community lost a giant. Abraham “Abe” Foxman (z”l), who led the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for nearly three decades, passed away at the age of 86. When I started in this field over 30 years ago, Foxman was one of the three most “powerful” Jews in America. When he spoke – world leaders listened. He was the leading and most important Jewish voice against antisemitism and all forms of hate.

The ADL wrote, “Abe understood the power of words. He often said that the Holocaust did not begin with bricks and mortar and gas chambers, but rather, it began with words.”

Foxman had quite the personal story. During the Holocaust, he was placed in the care of a Polish-Catholic nanny, Bronislawa Kurpi, who baptized him and raised him as a Catholic for four years. After being reunited with his parents at the end of World War II, the family moved into a displaced persons camp in Austria. In 1950, when he was 10 years old, he and his parents immigrated to the United States. Following law school he joined the ADL in 1965 and worked there for 50 years, including 28 years as the head of the organization.

It is important to note that he was the last of a generation of national professional leaders who experienced the Holocaust first-hand. The issue of antisemitism was particularly poignant for him because it spoke to both his personal history and life’s work.

Jonathan Greenblatt, current CEO of the ADL, said that Foxman was “an iconic Jewish leader who embraced the ideal of an America free from antisemitism and hate and who strongly believed that these scourges could be defeated if good people opposed it.”

The Jewish world, despite its current challenges in fighting antisemitism, is better because of the voice, work and commitment of Abe Foxman.

One thing I believe Abe Foxman would have appreciated was the Jewish Federation JCRC-sponsored visit earlier this week by Sharaka, Arabic for “partnership.” Through public engagement, advocacy, and educational initiatives, Sharaka creates spaces for meaningful dialogue about the Middle East, focusing on mutual respect, economic collaboration, and peaceful coexistence. Four of the organization’s representatives -- Noam Meirov (Israel), Fatema Al Harbi (Bahrain), Youssef Elazhari (Morocco), and Dalia Ziada (Egypt) -- spoke on Tuesday, after which the large audience gave them a standing ovation. They also met with the head of the Portland State University Middle East North Africa and South Asia Center and presented at an interfaith lunch. This is the second time in three years Sharaka has visited Portland, and we applaud these inspiring and courageous individuals who are devoted to building peace and combating antisemitism in the Arab world.

There was an interesting article in The Oregonian this past week that caught my eye. The article noted that Multnomah County security spending was modest before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the years since, those costs have ballooned. In 2019, the county spent $1.66 million on contracted security services. By the end of the 2026 fiscal year, that spending is expected to total over $14 million. The massive leap in spending is a sign of the times, officials said. Spokesperson Denis Theriault said in a statement that “increased acuity of disruptive and threatening public behavior” has warranted a larger security presence. This has necessitated increased security costs at county buildings and public spaces to keep clients and others safe.”

Note, that is for all of Multnomah County. Our Jewish community alone spends in excess of $1.5 million on security and those costs are also increasing.

This week, I did something I have never done before. I traveled all the way to Chicago for a rock concert. I know there are many who have followed musical acts like the Grateful Dead or traveled to The Sphere in Las Vegas for various performers, but I had never thought about it. It also happens my sister lives there, so I had the chance to see her.

I will say, my sister and I had a great time together. I had dinner with her family when I arrived and then spent the next day with her walking all over the city. We had not seen each other in a year and it was nice to be together. 

I then raced back to my hotel to see Canada’s "other" great three-person band, Triumph, for their 50th anniversary reunion tour. I went all the way to Chicago because they have not set any dates on the west coast. The concert was great! They had only two of the three original band members (one is ill), but they added a few extra musicians. Hearing them perform "Magic Power" (one of my all-time favorite songs) brought back some great memories of hearing it on the radio when I was a kid.

Two odd things happened. The people in the hotel room next to mine were from Seattle, and they, too, flew to Chicago just for the concert. We joked about who came the furthest -- flying from Portland is about 100 miles further than Seattle. Even more random was the man sitting next to me at the concert was a major donor to the Jewish Federation in Chicago. As much as I was on my personal time, we spoke before the show and at intermission all about Jewish community.

It was so nice to see my sister and the concert was just as special. I realize more and more that these moments are far from frivolous. In Jewish thought, experiencing joy is a holy act in itself. It is a practice and a commandment. In Psalms we are instructed “Ivdu et Hashem b’simcha” (serve God with joy). This concept teaches that happiness, celebration, and connection are vital components of a spiritually grounded life. 

Although I only went for two days (I had to race back for a Jewish Federation board meeting), it was a great get-away. The trip included warm memories of rock classics from my childhood and shared moments with my sister and her family. Plus, Chicago is great, especially not in the winter.

As I noted, last night was the final Jewish Federation board member of the year. We made our allocations decisions for both our local and overseas allocations. I am grateful to the volunteers and professionals who spent hours and hours making very difficult decisions. You can hear more about allocations and the incredible year we have had at our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 27 at 4:30 p.m. at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. I hope you will join us. Please register here.

Shabbat shalom and make sure you mail in your ballot.