CHANUKAH 5782 SECTION A PAGE 15
By Dmitriy Shapiro
WASHINGTON — Democratic consultant Aaron Keyak, 36, has been appointed to serve as US Deputy Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism after recently directing US President Joe Biden’s Jewish outreach during the 2020 election campaign.
Aaron Keyak
As first reported in the Forward, and on Nov. 22 confirmed by the State Dept., Keyak’s role will not require Senate confirmation, allowing him to begin serving immediately as acting envoy until the Senate moves on the nomination of Holocaust historian and Emory University professor Deborah Lipstadt to serve as the US Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism.
Lipstadt’s nomination has been delayed by Republicans in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee over a tweet she sent criticizing statements by committee member Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.).
An Orthodox Jew, Keyak previously worked on the Jewish outreach team of the Obama campaign in 2012, as well as serving as communications director for Reps. Steve Rothman (D-NJ) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY).
Keyak also served briefly as interim executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council in 2013.
In 2014, he and Democratic consultant Steve Rabinowitz started the communications firm Bluelight Strategies.
“When [Lipstadt] is Senate confirmed, Aaron will make a terrific complement. He respects her tremendously,” Rabinowitz said via email. “But in the meantime, he’ll also be a great acting US special envoy in his own right for as long as it takes.”
Earlier this year, Keyak drew some criticism over a tweet where he suggested that Jews remove Jewish symbols like a kippah or Magen David (“Star of David”) if they fear for their safety.
“It pains me to say this, but if you fear for your life or physical safety take off your kippah and hide your magen david. (Obviously, if you can, ask your rabbi first.),” he tweeted in May.
Ellie Cohanim, former deputy anti-Semitism envoy during the Trump administration, welcomed the Biden administration’s decision to continue the position.
“I am glad to see that the Biden administration is continuing this Trump administration policy as we see increased levels of anti-Semitic incidents and attitudes around the world, it is critical for the State Dept. to have the resources and staffing necessary to bring American leadership to the fight against global Jew-hatred,” she said.
An array of Jewish groups praised Keyak’s naming to the role.
“As anti-Semitism continues to run unabated across the world, Aaron’s experience on Capitol Hill, in politics, with the Jewish community, and with the news media make him particularly well-suited to help lead American efforts to counter this scourge,” William Daroff, the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said.
JTA contributed to this report.
