APLA Health Mourns the Death of Former Board of Directors Member Rabbi Allen Freehling

APLA Health Mourns the Death of Former Board of Directors Member Rabbi Allen Freehling

In response to the passing of Rabbi Allen Freehling, who died on January 6, APLA Health CEO Craig E. Thompson issued the following statement:

“Today APLA Health joins our community in mourning the loss of a true warrior in the fight for LGBT health and equality. Throughout his 30 years as a Senior Rabbi at the University Synagogue in Los Angeles, he was a giant in the Jewish community and a tireless champion of human and civil rights.

“Rabbi Freehling was a ceaseless advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS during the onset of the HIV pandemic in the 1980’s. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of APLA Health (formerly AIDS Project Los Angeles), he was appointed as the first Chair of the Los Angeles County Commission on AIDS, and later became the founding Chair (and Chair Emeritus) of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC).

“I invite all of our colleagues, friends, and allies to join us in honoring Rabbi Freehling’s memory. We extend our deepest sympathies to his surviving wife, two children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.”