December 29, 2019 — New York
American Jewish Committee (AJC) is deeply saddened to learn of Rep. John Lewis’s (GA-5) serious illness and wishes him well in his fight for a full recovery.
Representative Lewis has been a fighter his entire life, from the dirt-poor farm he grew up on in Alabama, to the long struggle for civil rights and the promise of America for all its inhabitants, to his distinguished service as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the past 32 years.
His relationship with AJC is longstanding, from his creation of the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition, to, most recently, serving as a co-chair for the Congressional Black-Jewish Caucus. He has been honored with AJC Atlanta’s Selig Distinguished Service Award (1994) and AJC’s American Liberties Medallion (2018) in Washington.
“We are immensely grateful for his dedication to, and connection with, the Jewish community,” said AJC CEO David Harris, who has known the Congressman for many years. “We know that, health permitting, he will continue to be a powerful voice of conscience for our nation, at a time when it is once again sorely needed.”
