JERUSALEM – World Jewish Congress (WJC) President
Ronald S. Lauder delivered a landmark keynote address to more than 350
delegates representing over 70 Jewish communities at the WJC’s Plenary Assembly
in Jerusalem. In his remarks, Lauder laid out a bold vision for Jewish
resilience and unity in the post-October 7th world.
“Just as Israel failed to anticipate Hamas’ surprise
assault, we failed to anticipate the all-out offensive on the mindset of the
free world,” Lauder said. “Because of this, Israel didn’t just suffer the
attack on October 7th — the entire Jewish world was attacked on October 8th.”
Calling for a renewed global effort, Lauder declared: “What
is needed now is a new project for the Jewish people — one that educates
millions of children, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. We must go school by school
to remove anti-Israel and antisemitic teachers and administrators. This will
not be easy, but the World Jewish Congress must lead the way.”
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Lauder, who has served as WJC President since 2007, was
unanimously re-elected by delegates of the Plenary. Chella Safra was elected
Chair of the WJC Governing Board, Aaron Frankel was named Treasurer, and David
Koshitzky, Chair of WJC North America, was tapped to lead the WJC Policy
Council. Results of the WJC Executive Committee elections will be announced on
Tuesday morning.
Lauder’s speech followed a special ceremony in which Israel’s
President Isaac Herzog awarded Lauder with the country’s Presidential Medal of
Honor, recognizing his decades-long dedication to Israel and the Jewish people.
Addressing Lauder’s extensive contributions to the Jewish
world, President Herzog said “This moment, reflecting on the public labors of a
lifetime, of one of the foremost Jewish leaders of our generation, gives me
enormous pleasure and pride.”
He added, ”your work within the World Jewish Congress has
positioned it as a global organization with enormous reach and influence. It is
an organization which I hold in the highest regard as a core diplomatic arm of
the Jewish People, and Jewish communities everywhere.”
Delegates at the Assembly also voted on a comprehensive
slate of policy resolutions. Read more about the full set of resolutions below:
Unwavering Support for Israel
Zionism as the Heart of Jewish Identity
Taskforce on Islamist Extremism
Confronting Online Hate
Remembering and Safeguarding the Holocaust
Jewish Unity Through Shared Responsibility
Empowering Young Jewish Leaders
Expanding Leadership in Jewish Communities
Fighting Antisemitism in Latin America
Strengthening Israel-Diaspora Partnership
Jewish – Catholic Relations
WJC Strategic Priorities 2025–2029
About the World Jewish Congress
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 100 countries to governments, parliaments and international organizations.