AJC Long-time Legal Director, Samuel Rabinove, Is Dead at 79

American Jewish Committee
Tuesday, 11 June 2002

Samuel Rabinove, the American Jewish Committee's Legal Director for more than three decades, has passed away. He was 79 years old.

In 1966, with a recommendation from A.M. Rosenthal of The New York Times, Mr. Rabinove was appointed National Legal Director of the American Jewish Committee, a position he held until his retirement in 1997.

During his tenure he was a relentless champion of religious pluralism and led AJC's efforts in defense of religious liberty, freedom of expression and the right of Jews and all minority groups.

"Sam's extraordinary contributions to our country, the Jewish people and the quality of all our lives will be his lasting legacy," said David A. Harris, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee.

A longtime advocate of church-state separation, Mr. Rabinove wrote frequently on religious liberty issues for a wide variety of publications, including Commentary, Reform Judaism, Christian Century and the Journal of Law and Religion. His op-ed articles and letters appeared in The New York Times as well. He taught in many forums, including Hebrew Union College and the Scarsdale Adult School.

He was responsible for AJC's multi-faceted civil rights and civil liberties activities, including the filing of precedent-setting briefs and other pathbreaking legal actions.

He served in various leadership positions on the National Advisory Council of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the International Academy of Freedom of Religion and Belief, the Committee on Religious Liberty of the National Council of Churches of Christ, Project Equality and the Coalition Against Censorship. He also played an important role on the New York State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.

Mr. Rabinove was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Pride and Excellence Award from Project Equality (1995), The Religious Liberty Award from Americans United for Separation of Church and State (1997) and the Professional Leadership Award from the American Jewish Committee (1999).

As a member of the American Bar Association, he served on the National Panel of Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association. During this period he also served on the Committee on International and Regional Courts of the World Peace Through Law Center. His involvement with the early civil rights movement included membership on the Board of Directors of the Carver Community Center in White Plains.

Mr. Rabinove was born in the Bronx and received his bachelor's degree in social science form the College of the City of New York. From 1942-1946 he served as a lieutenant with the U.S. Navy as a gunnery and navigation officer in both the Atlantic and Pacific. He received his law degree from Columbia Law School in 1950.

He is survived by his wife Anna of White Plains, his children Beth of Manhattan, Amy of Tuckahoe, N.Y., David of Shelton, CT, Ellen Brook of Owings Mills, MD, and five grandchildren.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org