SAN DIEGO—The Anti-Defamation League stages a retirement dinner on Sunday evening, October 17, for regional director Morris Casuto, who has been a voice of reason for more than three decades in San Diego County.
We believe he has served the greater San Diego community quite well, and deserves all the accolades that no doubt will be thrown his way at the dinner at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines.
Inevitably, Casuto will also be the subject of some funny barbs from friends and associates who have always appreciated his self-deprecating sense of humor. If Casuto makes a speech at his testimonial dinner, no one will be surprised if he is the author of many of the put-downs.
We believe that Casuto will be remembered for many accomplishments during his tenure as the chief spokesman for inter-ethnic and inter-religious amity in our county.
He has helped to forge good relationships with other religious groups such as the Roman Catholic Church. He has spoken out for ethnic groups feeling the sting of discriminatory practices, among them African Americans and Latino Americans.
And, he has spoken up for the Jewish community in numerous contexts. Yes, of course, he has been there when our community has suffered the indignities of vandalism at our places of worship. But in his capacity as ADL’s regional director, Casuto has also been pro-active, putting into place programs intended to sow the seeds of understanding among peoples.
During his administration, various programs were developed and implemented to teach the value of ethnic and religious diversity in the American mosaic. The audiences have been in schools, in a wide variety of houses of worship, and in the gathering places of law enforcement officers throughout the nation.
He has taught peoples of other religions about Jewish sensitivities, and has taught our own people to understand and appreciate other peoples’ cultures.
All in all, Casuto can retire from his position with the ADL with the satisfaction that his was a career well spent.
Mazel tov, Morris!
—Donald H. Harrison, editor