Press Release

ADL Welcomes Appointment of Melissa Rogers As New White House Faith Based Director

New York, NY, March 13, 2013 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed the appointment of Melissa Rogers as Special Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Barry Curtiss-Lusher, ADL National Chair and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director issued the following statement:

The President has chosen wisely and well.  Melissa Rogers has been a great and articulate champion for religious liberty throughout her advocacy and academic career.

As Chair of President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, she led the efforts to identify needed church-state and anti-discrimination reforms of the Faith-Based Initiative as it had been previously administered by Bush Administration officials – including efforts to eliminate the possibility of proselytizing and discrimination against program beneficiaries.

Religious institutions have played a vital role in addressing many of our nation’s most pressing social needs, as a critical complement to government-funded programs.  We look forward to working with Ms. Rogers now to fully realize the potential of these government partnerships with religiously-affiliated and community-based organizations, and we will continue to work to ensure that appropriate church-state and anti-discrimination safeguards are firmly in place.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.