Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, welcomed President Trump’s appointment of Elan Carr as the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism.
Mr. Carr is a former prosecutor in the Los Angeles district attorney’s office and U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq. He was also head of Alpha Epsilon Pi, the world’s Jewish college fraternity, from 2012-14.
The position, which is responsible for overseeing efforts at the State Department to monitor and combat anti-Semitic acts and incitement outside the United States, was first created in 2004. It has been vacant for two years. In September, the Orthodox Union supported a measure passed by the House of Representatives to elevate the position to ambassador and urge the President to fill the position.
Mr. Carr’s appointment comes as anti-Semitic incidents and attacks have been sharply increasing not only in the United States but also internationally: In a 2018 European report, about one-third of Jews in Europe said they’d been directly targeted by anti-Semitic harassment.
Said Orthodox Union President Mark “Moishe” Bane:
“We wholeheartedly welcome this appointment of Mr. Carr. We appreciate that the President Trump recognizes the need to fill this post, particularly at a time when anti-Semitism has seen such a steep increase both at home and around the world. We are hopeful that Mr. Carr will succeed in working to curtail this dangerous trend.”
Said Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Allen Fagin:
“We strongly applaud the President’s choice of Mr. Carr for this critical position, particularly given his background as a prosecutor. We wish him every success in this most essential endeavor.”
Said Orthodox Union Executive Director for Public Policy Nathan Diament:
“This appointment demonstrates that the President and our legislators not only understand the seriousness of the global increase in anti-Semitism but also demonstrates our country’s commitment to stopping anti-Semitism abroad.”