Abraham Foxman was born in 1940 in Baranowicze, which was in Poland at the time. He survived the Holocaust in hiding. His parents also survived and in 1950, they immigrated to the United States. As an adult, Abraham went on to serve as national director for the ADL, dedicating his career to countering antisemitism, bias and hate.
About the Interviewee
Abraham Foxman, son of Joseph and Helen, was born on May 1, 1940, in Baranowicze, Poland. When his parents were sent to the Vilna ghetto, his nanny, Bronislawa Kurpi, pretended Abraham was her son. Abraham’s name became Henryk Stanislaw Kurpi, and while in hiding, he was raised Catholic. Both of his parents survived the Holocaust, and in 1950, the family immigrated to the United States. After going to college and graduate school, Abraham began working at ADL. In 1987, he became the National Director of ADL, and remained at that position until he retired in 2015. He and his wife, Golda, have two children. This interview was conducted on March 27, 1998, in New York, New York.