The President of Israel is launching a global initiative to tackle key challenges facing the Jewish people.
Isaac Herzog today announced the formation of an inaugural 150-member global Jewish council to lead a two-year mission addressing the most pressing challenges facing the global Jewish community.
The announcement comes at a moment of heightened global focus on Jewish resilience and solidarity, highlighted by the recent breakthroughs in the hostage-ceasefire deal. These events underscore the critical importance of unity and collective action among Jewish communities worldwide during times of crisis.
The 150 council members – 50 from Israel, 50 from North America, and 50 from other regions across the world – reflect an extraordinary diversity of backgrounds and expertise.
Members from the UK include: Alex Dwek, chief operating officer, Nas Academy; Dr. Efrat Shaoulian Sopher, diplomat and advocate for Jewish unity and combating antisemitism; Ben Thwaites, a nonprofit leader empowering young Jews globally through impactful leadership programmes; Chana Kanzen, non-governmental organisation leader; Dan Sacker, former adviser to Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and Danielle Abraham, an agricultural innovator combating hunger and advancing Zionist initiatives.
The council includes communal professionals, academics, students, rabbis, hi-tech professionals, social media influencers, and entrepreneurs, and its members hail from every corner of the Jewish world, including the U.S., Australia, South Africa, France, Brazil, the U.K., Italy, Ukraine, Argentina, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
The council will convene for a virtual kick-off in February 2025, followed by an in-person five-day conference in Israel in March. Members will work in dedicated mission groups over two years, addressing key challenges identified through the Voice of the People global survey.
The survey, a pivotal initiative launched in August to source opinions and insights on the future of the Jewish people from Jews worldwide, has so far garnered close to 10,000 responses.
President Isaac Herzog said: “The selected council members represent not only an extraordinary range of skills and strengths but also a wealth of diversity, of complementary differences that I am confident will make the ‘Kol Ha’am’ Council much greater than the sum of its parts.
“The new reality that we face since 7 October 2023, leaves no doubt – we are obligated to mobilise our best collective resources to arrive at practical and genuine solutions to the needs and challenges of the Jewish people around the world. I am convinced that through joint efforts, in the spirit of Jewish solidarity and with a strong belief in the power of listening, true dialogue, and a commitment to the community and to one another, we can lay the foundations for real, significant, and lasting change that will leave a mark on our future. On behalf of the State of Israel, I extend my congratulations to the elected council members and wish them success.”
Shirel Dagan-Levy, chief executive officer, Voice of the People, said the launch of the council “is an important opportunity for the Jewish people. With the unfolding hostage deal demonstrating both the gravity of the challenges we face and the power of collaborative efforts, this inaugural cohort of 150 members reflects the diversity, resilience, and shared destiny of our global community. Together, they embody our commitment to unity through dialogue, ensuring that every voice – from every corner of the Jewish world – is heard as we work to tackle the pressing challenges facing the Jewish people.”
- Voice of the People is a joint project of the President’s Office, the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency, in cooperation with philanthropic foundations including the Azrieli Foundation, the Patrick and Lina Drahi Foundation, and the Wilf Family Foundations.
