National Commission Members
Addressing Antisemitism & Anti-Zionism on Campus
Featuring James Pasch, Beth Holtzman, Ariel Behrman, Rabbi Ron Fish, Candice Perilstein
Speakers
James Pasch
Senior Director of National Litigation, ADL
James Pasch is the ADL’s Senior Director of National Litigation, after serving four years as ADL’s Cleveland Regional Director (serving Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania). Building on the path-breaking litigation that ADL has helped to bring in federal court for the District of Columbia against the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers for the role they played in the January 6 insurrection, James is leading a legal advocacy practice for ADL during a particularly important time, as antisemitism and extremism become more mainstreamed, normalized and amplified both online and off.
In his new position, James is building a strategy of legal advocacy to combat antisemitism and other forms of hate, regardless of their political or ideological source. Notably, in November 2023, he oversaw the launch of CALL (Campus Antisemitism Legal Line), a free hotline, providing legal assistance for anyone experiencing antisemitism on college campuses. The project has already led to several potential new avenues of litigation for ADL. In conjunction with Brandeis, James led ADL in filing a complaint against the Santa Ana Unified School District for establishing a biased Ethnic Studies curriculum.
In his time leading the ADL Cleveland Office, James launched a pro-bono legal assistance program to assist victims of hate crimes in Ohio and, under his leadership, ADL’s No Place for Hate education programming has grown over 200 percent regionwide. He also drove the region’s response in the aftermath of the Tree of Life synagogue attack in Pittsburgh, the deadliest terror attack on Jews in U.S. history. James Pasch graduated from University of Vermont and earned his law degree at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Prior to entering the legal profession, James worked on Capitol Hill, first for Senator Frank Lautenberg and then as a law clerk on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He then built a thriving small firm litigation practice in Cleveland. James served as the Case Western Reserve Law School’s Assistant Dean of Development and External Affairs during the Law School’s Capital Campaign. James has also served two-terms as a Councilman in Beachwood, where he led the City’s passage of its anti-discrimination ordinance.
Beth Holtzman
Western States Civil Rights Counsel, ADL
Beth serves as Western States Civil Rights Counsel for ADL. Prior to joining ADL, Beth was an associate at a civil rights and workers’ rights law firm in Oakland, California. She previously worked as a legal fellow at Essential Access Health, where she assisted with litigation regarding proposed regulations to the Title X family planning program, and a Dorot Legal Fellow at the Alliance for Justice in Washington DC, where she researched judicial nominees. Beth received her JD from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and her BA from the University of California, Berkeley.
Ariel Behrman
Director, Education Programs and Products, ADL
Ariel Behrman is ADL’s Director of Education Programs and Products. In this capacity, Ariel leads the development and distribution of ADL’s signature education programs in the areas of anti-bias, Holocaust, and antisemitism education for K-12, campus, and workplace audiences. Ariel has spent her entire career at ADL. Passionate about Holocaust education, Ariel spent 14 years leading ADL’s Holocaust education program, Echoes & Reflections, playing key roles in marketing and outreach efforts, program planning, online program development, and partnerships. Ariel received her undergraduate degree in Religion Studies at Lehigh University with a focus on Holocaust history and education. Ariel lives in New Jersey with her husband Adam, her three children, and two puppies Moana and Zeus.
Rabbi Ron Fish
Interim New England Regional Director, ADL
Rabbi Ron Fish is the ADL’s Interim New England Regional Director. He also serves as the Anti-Defamation League’s first East Division Director of Antisemitism Education and Advocacy, impacting Jewish communities from Maine to Delaware. His central role is in addressing antisemitism on college campuses today and to offer support for young adults during those first years of independence. His work is directed toward helping Directors of Equity and Inclusion (DEIs), Provosts and University Presidents to understand the experience of Jewish students on campus and their unique and diverse needs.
Ron is a graduate of Brandeis University and The Jewish Theological Seminary. He has served as a congregational rabbi in 3 communities in the Northeast for 25 years. Most recently, Ron was the Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel in Sharon, MA. He is currently the president of the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis and has worked through the years as a committed and enthusiastic partner for interfaith dialogue. In the run up to vote on the Affordable Care Act, Ron organized 400 colleagues across the state of Connecticut to advocate for universal healthcare. He is the proud father of four and the husband to Leah Bieler, a writer and fellow Jewish educator.
Candice Perilstein
Associate Director, Jewish Partnerships, ADL
Candice Perilstein is the Associate Director of Jewish Partnerships at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), working to expand ADL’s reach with Jewish communal campus organizations across the country through partnerships and advocacy efforts. Joining ADL in 2019, Candice previously served as the Associate Regional Director for the Florida office. No stranger to the campus space, prior to ADL she held positions with Hillel at Vanderbilt University, as well as on the headquarters staff at Zeta Beta Tau as Director of Growth. She graduated with her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Miami and Master of Education with a focus in College Student Affairs from the University of South Floria.