ADL Regional Board member Pamela Hirschman’s experience as the only Jewish student in her high school has led to a career in the law and a passion for the mission of the Anti-Defamation League.

How are you involved with ADL?

I participated in the Glass Partners in Leadership Program (now the Robert B. Sturm Leadership Fellows Program) in 2008 – 2009, and I have been a board member since 2010.  I am currently co-chair of the Government Affairs Committee.

What do you do in your professional life?

I help people protect and secure rights in their brand names, logos and artwork.  I am an attorney practicing in the areas of trademark and copyright law, which interests me because I view it as the creative side of the law.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A veterinarian.  I ultimately decided this would not be a good fit for me because I would have a hard time dealing with the difficult cases of sick or injured animals that couldn’t be helped with medicine.

Where were you born? From where do your ancestors hail?

I was born in Michigan, and so were my parents.  On my mother’s side, my grandfather’s family is from Italy and my grandmother’s family is from Poland.  On my father’s side, my grandfather’s family is from Germany and my grandmother’s family is from Poland.

What’s your favorite holiday?

Thanksgiving, because it is a time for gathering with family.

What’s your favorite food?

My mom’s rice pilaf.

What’s a special place you have visited?

I took a trip with AJC ACCESS to South Africa in 2009 to learn about Apartheid from the local Jewish community and others and discuss the similarities and differences of what took place during Apartheid and the Holocaust.  It was the best trip I have ever taken to another country because I was not just sight-seeing but really learning about specific events that took place at historical sights.  I also learned more about South Africa’s culture and the challenges they still face with respect to race relations than I would have had I taken the trip on my own.

What’s one thing every person should know or experience?

Everyone’s experience is unique and the opinions of others are shaped by those unique experiences.

What teacher or class stands out to you the most in your education and why?

My humanities class in high school when I first learned about what it meant to be a non-conformist and how being different could lead to great things.

Where can we find you when you’re not working?

On the ski slopes!

Have you won any awards?

I have won awards for academics and recognition in my current career, but the first thing that popped into my mind when I read this question was the award I won my first year at horseback-riding camp for Best All Around First Year Horsewoman.

What would be impossible for you to give up?

Socks! My feet are always cold.

If you had to teach something, what would you teach?

The importance of admitting when you are wrong and working to make things right.

Tell me a story that immediately pops into your mind that was a defining or significant moment for you.

When I was in high school, my family moved from a suburb that had a large Jewish community to a rural area in which we were the only Jewish family.  The community we moved was the location of an active and well known white supremacist group.  The majority of students that I met in my new school had never spoken to anyone who was Jewish and I was frequently asked to explain traditions and holidays that I had always just assumed everyone was familiar with.  I joined the choir at my new school, which was led by a very religious man who taught songs that came from Bible verses, and included a song about the Jews killing Jesus.  The choir and many of the school’s athletic teams were instructed to pray before every concert and game.  I also witnessed many instances of the use of racial slurs and discriminatory behavior.  This was the first time I was in the minority and I had the choice of staying silent or speaking up when confronted with behavior I did not feel comfortable with or thought was inappropriate.  Fortunately for me, I’m a bit rebellious by nature, I didn’t think twice about speaking out against what I thought was inappropriate.  My strong interest in protecting the civil rights of others came out of my experiences from living in an area where there was little diversity.  I also learned the importance of education and recognizing that sometimes people don’t really understand the meaning of the words they choose to use.

What is your earliest memory of ADL?

My earliest memory of ADL was when my parents contacted ADL about the issues I was facing at my new high school after our move.

How did you first become involved in ADL?

I went to law school because I wanted to make a difference in the field of civil rights.  However, my strengths in law school and job opportunities led me in a different path for my legal career.  I became involved in ADL because I still wanted to assist in furthering the passage of laws to prevent discrimination and to speak out against acts of discrimination.  Shortly after moving to Denver in 2007, I learned about ADL’s Glass Partners in Leadership Program and was thrilled when my brother decided to nominate me for the program.

Why do you choose to make a financial investment in ADL?

I have learned that what may appear to be a discriminatory comment may simply be based on ignorance.  ADL’s educational programs, such as No Place for Hate, are invaluable for teaching children to respect people that are difference, and that our differences really do make us stronger.  If we truly want to reduce anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination, we must teach children about these issues when they are young.

Complete this sentence: For me, the ADL is … unparalleled in its anti-basis education programs and training programs that promote diversity and an inclusive culture.