Speaking Out In His Own Name

In his 54th year with the ADL, Ken Jacobson remains a “one-man think tank” with an increasingly vocal voice of moral clarity.

The face behind the bylines: Ken Jacobson.

In 1971, “All In The Family,” a groundbreaking comedy dealing with social, political and racial issues, premiered on CBS-TV; Lt. William Calley was found guilty in overseeing the massacre of hundreds of civilians in My Lai, leading to growing U.S. opposition to the Vietnam War; Roberto Clemente led the Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series victory; and Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir met at the White House with President Richard Nixon, who had recently installed a fateful, voice-activated audio system in the Oval Office.

1971 was also the year that Ken Jacobson, a 1964 graduate of Yeshiva University with an M.A. degree in American history from Columbia University, was hired to work in the research department of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Today, 54 years later, Jacobson, 82, is still at the ADL, serving as deputy national director. He is the oldest, longest-serving and, it’s safe to say, most respected professional at the country’s leading organization combating anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination. Indeed, he is still going strong, receiving increased public recognition for his influential writings in support of Israel and warning of the dangers of antisemitism at home and abroad.

Last fall the ADL published a 100-page collection of Jacobson’s writings – 41 op-eds since the war began, most of which first appeared in The Times of Israel. Entitled “October 7 and Shifts in Perspectives: Essays on Israel and the Surge in Global Antisemitism,” it reflects Jacobson’s deep knowledge of the conflict and its history, his thoughtful, balanced approach to the relationship between Israel and American Jews, and his focus on the misinformation that has fueled hatred of Jews and Israel beyond our imagination. The style is clear, informative and direct in calling out mistruths and those who promote them, from anti-Israel campus protesters to the judges of the International Court of Justice. In April 2024, for example, he criticized The New York Times for publishing an opinion piece by non-Zionist journalist Peter Beinart essentially blaming Israel for the war and events leading up to it.

“The Times' decision to give so much space to an individual who supports the disappearance of the one Jewish state is disturbing to say the least,” Jacobson wrote, calling out The Times for not noting that Beinart no longer believes in the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state. “In no other case of delegitimizing an existing entity would The Times find it acceptable to publish it…Shame on The Times.”

‘Influential Behind The Scenes’

Colleagues have described Jacobson as “a one-man think tank” and “an institution” at ADL. Jonathan Greenblatt, the organization’s CEO and national director, noted that Jacobson has impacted on and “steered just about every professional, not to mention every division … in some meaningful or significant way.”

Steve Freeman, ADL’s senior counsel and director of legacy, has worked closely with Jacobson at times over the last 40 years. He recalled visiting the then-Soviet Union many years ago on an ADL mission Jacobson led, which included meeting with refuseniks. “I learned so much from Ken, seeing how he brought comfort to those we visited and shared insights with those of us on the trip.” He noted that Jacobson’s colleagues value the unique role he plays. “No one turns down a meeting with Ken.”

Betty Ehrenberg, the former executive director of the North American office of the World Jewish Congress, said she observed how Jacobson stood out at meetings of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and other communal groups for his sharp analyses of various pressing issues. “I wished I could be so articulate,” she said, and credited Jacobson for helping to move support for Israel “to the front burner” of ADL priorities in the last decade.

Susan Heller Pinto, ADL’s vice president for international policy, was hired by Jacobson nearly 32 years ago. She described him as “almost family” to her and many others at the organization who value his “moral voice of wisdom and authority, and his caring and respect for people that has led to extraordinary, lasting connections” with colleagues. Heller Pinto also noted Jacobson’s humility, adding that “there are the people who are the public faces of an organization and there are those who are influential behind the scenes. Ken exemplifies an engine of the Jewish community that most people don’t know.”

That’s partly because of Jacobson’s low-key nature and in part because for many years a major aspect of his job was ghostwriting op-eds. Though his has been a leading voice in speaking truth to power, determining and articulating the ADL’s work, his written words were often credited to others, most notably Abraham Foxman, who served as national director of ADL for the last 28 years of his 50-year tenure at the agency, stepping down 10 years ago.

“Abe was my direct boss for 36 years, up until 2015,” said Jacobson, who estimated that he wrote about 75 percent of the hundreds of opinion pieces published in major newspapers over those years in Foxman’s name. “Abe and I were generally on the same wavelength on issues,” he explained. “He didn’t see himself as a writer, and he trusted me. We had a good relationship. I tended to write what I wanted to say,” Jacobson said, though he recalled there were times when they differed.

Foxman praised Jacobson to me as “a great analyst, explainer and articulator. Ken is wise, moderate, and there were times when he would convince me” of a position the agency should take. “The No. 1 spot can be lonely,” he said, “and you look for two or three people you can trust and whose judgment you respect. You need someone with a neshama (soul) and an understanding of history.” Jacobson was one of the colleagues Foxman trusted most. “I was lucky during my years at ADL to have Kenny as a friend and colleague.”

The ‘Perfect Job’

Had he not decided to take a temporary break from writing his doctoral thesis in American history back in 1971, Jacobson may well have gone on to a successful career in academics. A native of the Bronx, he is the son of an Orthodox rabbi and graduated from Yeshiva University, where he not only excelled academically but as a star, and captain, of the YU basketball team. He has a master’s degree in American history from Columbia and was pursuing a doctorate when he went to work in the research department of the ADL. The job entailed reading and writing memos on the editorials of leading American newspapers. It was not exactly an exciting task, and Jacobson said he was depressed at first. But over time, he came to appreciate the work of ADL as combining his deep interests in both American and Jewish history. “If it [the ADL] only dealt with one or the other, I wouldn’t have stayed long,” he told me.

He never finished his doctoral thesis. “The ADL was perfect for me,” he said.

After six quiet years in research, Jacobson’s career took a dramatic upturn when he wrote a piece that made his colleagues sit up and take notice of his talents. It predicted problems for Israel with the incoming Carter administration in 1977, based on Jacobson’s knowledge of Zbigniew Brzezinski, the Polish-American political scientist who became Carter’s national security advisor – and indeed sought to pressure Israel into a peace deal with the Arab states.

Jacobson was soon offered to head the ADL’s Mideast affairs department, but his lifelong fear of public speaking caused him to hold back. As his confidence and reputation for deep knowledge of the Mideast grew, though, so did the scope of his work and responsibilities. He did agree to take the Mideast affairs post in 1979, and later played key roles in international relations, education, marketing and communication, traveling the country and the globe, meeting with world leaders and addressing Jewish communities as well as lay and professional leaders of ADL in cities around the country.

When Jonathan Greenblatt succeeded Abe Foxman, joining ADL as CEO and national director in the summer of 2015, he was impressed with the widespread affection and respect he saw given Jacobson. “He’s been at the ADL as long as I’ve been alive,” he said with a sense of awe. “That’s an extraordinary testament to his intellect and commitment. His contributions and service are such a gift.”

Greenblatt says he made a point of encouraging Jacobson to raise his profile “so the community and the public can hear Ken’s voice, in his voice,” writing op-eds and other pieces. “Here is someone who has borne witness to many of the seminal moments in the modern history of the Jewish people, who is steeped in Jewish values and Yiddishkeit, and who is more than eager to share his wisdom with anyone who will listen,” Greenblatt wrote in his foreword to the ADL’s collection of Jacobson’s post-October 7 essays.

One prominent sign of communal recognition for Jacobson in recent years is his receiving an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Yeshiva University three years ago, “in appreciation for devoting his life and career to fighting for the welfare and security of the Jewish people.”

An alum’s triumphant return: Ken Jacobson (YU Class of ‘64) returned to his alma mater to receive an honorary doctorate in 2022 for his lifelong devotion to the Jewish people.

It seems only fitting to give the last word here to Jacobson, who wrote an essay last June that speaks to the core of the ADL’s mission. In it he addressed the frightening rise in antisemitism of late, asserting that “we are at a watershed moment.” He attributes this to several factors, starting with “disguising Jew-hatred in a post-Holocaust world under the guise of anti-Zionism” and most recently, “the outrageous claim that Israel deliberately targets children” in Gaza.

“What is now clear,” Jacobson wrote, “is that the oldest hatred has never disappeared, it was just hidden by the shame of the Holocaust for decades. Now, as that shame has evaporated and, most importantly, events of October 7 seemed to reveal a new Jewish vulnerability, antisemitism has been legitimized in the mainstream once again. History tells us that when that happens, it is not only bad for the Jews but bespeaks ill for the society at-large.”

Join YOSSI KLEIN HALEVI and me on Monday for my next Live Zoom Interview

A reminder that my friend and colleague, Yossi Klein Halevi, the American-Israeli award-winning journalist and best-selling author, will be my guest for an exclusive Zoom interview for paid subscribers on Monday, May 12, at 7 p.m. ET. (See Yossi’s bio below)

Participants will have a chance to interact directly with Yossi and me, and those who can’t join us live will receive a video recording of the program.

So if you are a free subscriber and thinking of upgrading to paid – just $36 a year –now is the ideal time to step up by clicking HERE.

I’m grateful to each of you for your continued support and hope to see you on May 12th.