Benjamin R. Epstein, national director of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, expressed sorrow today on the death of Jackie Robinson. Mr. Robinson, 53, died today of a heart attack. Describing Mr. Robinson as “a cherished friend and human relations co-worker,” and one of the “great men of our time,” Epstein stated:
“For more than 20 years he worked shoulder to shoulder with ADL to abolish discrimination, wipe out prejudice and strengthen relationships between the Black and Jewish communities. Most Americans knew him as the legend of the sports pages, the competitive and extraordinary athlete who deservedly made the Baseball Hall of Fame. But we knew the troubled, concerned wonderful human being behind the legend.” One of Robinson’s last public appearances was on Sept. 6 when he participated in memorial services for the Israeli athletes killed in Munich, sponsored by the ADL at its headquarters here.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
