NJN Mourns the Passing of APN Founder Mark Rosenblum

NJN mourns the passing of Mark Rosenblum, a visionary leader, a tireless advocate for peace, and the founding force behind the creation of Americans for Peace Now. Mark dedicated his life to advancing peace, democracy, equality, security, and human dignity. His humor, compassion, and dedication helped shape a generation of American Jewish peace activists.

In the aftermath of the Sabra and Shatila massacre in 1982, Mark played a central role in building a new American movement aligned with the vision of Shalom Achshav, Israel’s Peace Now movement. This organization he created and helped to steward for decades, Americans for Peace Now, would become a key institutional voice for pro-peace advocacy in the American Jewish community.

Mark was also an acclaimed historian and educator at Queens College, where he directed the Center for Jewish Studies, the Center for Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Understanding, and the Michael Harrington Center for Democratic Values and Social Change. Over decades, he led coexistence and conflict resolution initiatives in the United States and the Middle East, appeared frequently as a Middle East analyst on major national media outlets, and engaged directly with leaders across the region in pursuit of dialogue and reconciliation.

“Mark was a role model and an inspiration for generations of leaders and activists,” said Hadar Susskind, President and CEO of New Jewish Narrative. “He taught so many people, through action even more than words, that you can’t create lasting change if you don’t make the effort to connect on a person-to-person level with those who are on the ‘other’ side. We will always carry that with us.”

The entire NJN community extends our condolences to Mark’s family, friends, students, and all those whose lives he touched through his leadership and humanity. May his memory be a blessing, and may we honor him by continuing the work to which he devoted his life.