ADL Chair Nominated as New Conference Head

Robert Sugarman was recommended as the next chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, moving a key voice in combating anti-Semitism and Islamophobia to serve as leader of the most prominent secular Jewish group in the United States.

Sugarman, the current chair of the Anti-Defamation League, will replace Richard B. Stone following a unanimous recommendation by the 2013 Nominating Committee to the full conference.

Elections will be held in May and Sugarman will take his seat on June 1, Alan Solow, chairman of the nominating committee, said in a statement.

Sugarman is a law partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP for over 30 years, until his retirement in 2007. He is currently working pro bono representing the East End Eruv Association in its litigation to establish an eruv in Westhampton Beach, Quogue and Southhampton.

In his report to the conference, Solow noted that there were two exceptional candidates and the committee engaged in extensive deliberations before reaching a decision.

“The committee recognized Sugarman’s long involvement in the conference and his outstanding record of leadership, particularly as the top lay leader of the ADL,” he said in a release.

The conference, consisting of more than four dozen mostly secular Jewish organizations, is widely recognized among national officials to represent the Jewish community. Malcolm Hoenlein is the longtime executive vice chairman.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the April 23rd, 2013 edition of Hamodia.