I feel honored to have known and learned from Abe Foxman for more than five decades.

Everyone called him Abe.

The best-known and arguably the most influential American Jewish leader of the last five decades, Abraham Foxman dealt with presidents, kings and ambassadors as he did with the fellow Jews he spent a lifetime trying to protect: as a mensch, connecting person to person, with passion and compassion.

“No chochmas,” as he would say, no nuances or shticks.

Some complained he lacked sophistication. Others loved him for being a straight shooter. Either way, he was an authentic, proud Jew and his greatest strength – and weakness – was that he took everything personally. With his combination of warmth, feistiness, smarts, humor and Yiddishe heart, he personified to many Americans – Jewish and Christian – not only the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) he represented for 50 years but the Jewish community.

For more than five decades, I had the honor of knowing, reporting on and often shmoozing with Abe, who died on Sunday at the age of 86. He was a mentor, friend, news source, and sometimes critic. Heralded now in praiseworthy media coverage that he would enjoy, he was often the first call for journalists looking for a Jewish response to the crisis of the moment because he was direct, accessible and highly quotable.

Contrary to the corporate model of some Jewish organizations, Abe didn’t hide his emotions; he wore his deep commitment to Judaism on his sleeve, often peppering his remarks with Yiddishisms. (He was the only major communal leader I knew who would call me “boychik” or “tahtele.”)

Abe was the last of a generation of national professional leaders who experienced the Holocaust first-hand. The issue........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)