Letter to the Editor: On American Jewish Legacy Organization

Letter to the Editor:

Thane Rosenbaum’s polemic (June 28) casts a wide and indiscriminate net in unleashing myriad false accusations upon American Jewish legacy organizations.

I will not speak for fellow organizations but can proudly assert that AJC is staffed with proud Zionists across our national and international platforms, colleagues who at any given moment are engaged in the good fight against antisemitism across the political spectrum.

We regularly interact with elected officials, locally and internationally, bringing a nonpartisan perspective that enlists members of both parties, including our Project Interchange delegations that shine a light of understanding about the Mideast conflict while sharing our love and pride for Israel. AJC also actively supports Jewish students on campus, including recently calling out administrators at City University of New York.

AJC was an early leader in fighting the insidious tactics underpinning creation of the California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum and its so-called liberatory mutations. We routinely combat BDS, educating our intergroup allies to the true nature of a movement whose singular purpose is to delegitimize Israel. At AJC, we roll up our sleeves to get good work done daily, steadily pushing back against the world’s most enduring hatred. We stand by our efforts to combat antisemitism and advocate for Israel and will never shrink from this sacred obligation.

Richard S. Hirschhaut
Los Angeles Director,
American Jewish Committee (AJC)