New York, NY, January 10, 2012 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today accepted an apology from Keith Hudson, an evangelical pastor and the father of pop celebrity Katy Perry, for his deeply anti-Semitic message to worshippers at an Ohio church last week.

In a letter to ADL, which he wrote in response to the League's public expression of outrage over the incident, Mr. Hudson insisted that "I am not an anti-Semite" and said he deeply regretted his choice of words for the sermon, in which he invoked stereotypical notions about Jews and money.

"I deeply regret the hurtful and ugly language I used in my message in Ohio," Mr. Hudson wrote.  "I used images about Jews rooted in the worst anti-Semitism in the past, images that at times led to the persecution and murder of Jews.  I can't tell you where I picked up phrases and descriptions that became part of my vocabulary.  I used them without ever considering what they meant.  … I apologize for the hurt that I caused my Jewish friends.  With the help of G-d, it will not happen again."

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, said:  "We welcome Keith Hudson's apology and believe he now better understands why his words were so anti-Semitic and hurtful.  I believe he is sincere in his feelings of remorse for this incident, and I hope he will use this experience as a means to learn more about why anti-Semitic stereotypes have endured through the centuries.

"Religious leaders bear a responsibility to speak out against anti-Semitism, and it seems Mr. Hudson now realizes the power of his words.  He should use his church pulpit to teach and preach against anti-Semitism," Mr. Foxman added.