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WJC President Ronald S. Lauder builds community of Auschwitz-Birkenau Survivors   

The group of Survivors participated in WJC President Ronald S. Lauder's delegation to the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau on 27 January. Now, under Lauder’s continued unifying support, they have become a community with a shared story of survival and a network of support to each other during these difficult times. Read More... 

WJC condemns attack on head of Graz, Austria’s Jewish community

WJC President Ronald S. Lauder: “Such assault on Jews is becoming far too commonplace, especially in Europe but also elsewhere, including in the United States and Canada. I cannot condemn the perpetrator strongly enough, and we must acknowledge the deeper tragedy of global antisemitism, xenophobia and bigotry that threatens the fiber of societies worldwide.” Read More... 

WJC President laments UN Security Council failure to extend arms embargo on Iran

President Lauder: "Iran is closer to having more weapons than it was before the deal, and it continues its deadly accrual of weapons, support of terrorism, and destabilization efforts across the Middle East, while the UN Security Council stands by a deal that Iran itself has ceased to adhere to. This is a failure of the international community in its quest for peace and security.” Read More... 

World Jewish Congress mourns passing of Gábor Hirsch, a Holocaust Survivor, at 90 

“I always had great admiration for Gábor Hirsch, and held him in the highest regard, particularly for the manner in which he shared his experiences of the Shoah with his children, without imposing anything upon them," said WJC Executive Vice President Maram Stern. "His way of transmitting the memory of the Holocaust was very personal and touching, and he will be sorely missed. May his family find comfort in their mourning and may his memory be unto a blessing." Read More... 

WJC and JNF honor outgoing UN Ambassador Danon

WJC President Ronald S. Lauder opened the event, speaking to Ambassador Danon directly, saying, “It is with pleasure and gratitude that we meet here today to wish you farewell and to thank you for all you have done for the State of Israel and the Jewish people as ambassador of Israel to the United Nations.” Lauder proceeded to discuss some of Ambassador Danon’s most impressive accomplishments during his tenure at the UN, such as bringing over 100 United Nations ambassadors to Israel. Read More... 

WebTalk | The fight against online hate 

Facebook's Head of Policy - Israel Jordana Cutler speaks with WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps member Gadi Ezra about recent changes to Facebook’s community guidelines related to identifying antisemitic hate speech. Watch Now... 

WebTalk | The Current Tide of Antisemitism with Abe Foxman

Noting his dedication to fighting antisemitism over the past fifty years, Foxman offered insights into the current state of antisemitism in the United States. He explained that the rise we are seeing is nothing new. Rather, “antisemitism has survived thousands of years, the left and the right, monarchies and democracies, socialism, communism, fascism, capitalism- it survived it all.” Read More... 

Online is the new frontline in the fight against antisemitism

"According to the Community Security Trust’s figures, 39% of antisemitic incidents recorded in 2019 occurred online, with that number rising to 43.6% of incidents in the first six months of this year. In short, this means that online is the new frontline in the fight against antisemitism," writes Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl in The Jewish Chronicle. Read More... 

Fighting antisemitism on campus, one person at a time 

"After 3,000 years of exclusion, persecution and bloodshed, we should know that when people threaten Jews, they mean it. Every form of Jew hatred carries within it the existential threat of genocide. Jews must be alert to threats, stand up and fight back. That history is what underlies recent events at the University of Southern California, where I teach," writes USC Professor Stephen D. Smith in the Jewish Journal. Read More... 

EU Commissioner for Antisemitism Schnurbein: Antisemitism will intensify during the COVID-19 crisis

EU Commissioner for Antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein and President of the Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka sat down with the Austrian-based newspaper Die Presse for an exclusive interview about antisemitism in Austria and across Europe. Read More... 

Israeli Air Force pilot fulfills dream of 14-Year-old Holocaust victim | Aish

For Lieutenant C, one of Israel’s newest air force graduates, a poem written by a 13-year-old Holocaust victim about flying an airplane to the Holy Land has been a source of daily inspiration ever since he read it nine months into his training. “When I am twenty years old,” the poem by Abramek Koplewicz reads “In a motorized bird I’ll sit, and to the reaches of space I’ll rise. I will fly, I will float, to a beautiful faraway world…” Read More... 

Remembering Primo Levi

Primo Levi is not only a survivor of the Shoah, but became, as early as 1945 when he began to write If This Is a Man, one of the spokespersons of the duty to remember. The horrific antisemitism and discrimination that he experienced, and the ways in which he courageously shared his experience, made him a prominent figure of the 20th century. Read More... 

French WWII memorial at site of Nazi massacre vandalized with denial messages

According to the regional paper Le Populaire du Centre, the word “lie” was scrawled on the memorial’s wall and the inscription "Martyr Village" was crossed out. The defacement was condemned by Francis Kalifat, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions (Crif), who said, “The fight against Holocaust denial is similar to the one we must wage against racism, antisemitism [and] homophobia. These are poisons that corrupt minds and attack our society." Read More... 

NOA Project | Channeling the power of interfaith relations in France

The organization, Emouna, was founded by Rabbi Pauline Bebe and several other faith leaders. During the nine-month program, participants will tackle difficult issues, as well as discuss challenges religious leaders face; the goal of these conversations and programs is to reach mutual understanding and respect. Read More... 

German Federal President to sponsor events commemorating 1700 years of Jewish life in Germany

The commemoration ceremony will be orchestrated by the association entitled, ‘321-2021: 1,700 years of Jewish Life in Germany,’ or, ‘321,’ for short. The festivities will begin with a central ceremony in Cologne on 21 February. Read More... 

Newly released footage shows police performing Nazi salute following beating of arrested Slovakian man

Reacting to the Nazi salute as well as the physical abuse in the footage, the Coordinating Committee of Jewish Organizations in Belgium (CCOJB) released a statement saying, “The CCOJB deplores the fact that the excellent work done on a daily basis by the Federal Police is tainted by this type of behavior on the part of a minority of officers...The CCOJB expects that this gesture will be sanctioned in a manner commensurate with its seriousness." Read More... 

First commercial flight from Israel to UAE set for next week | Associated Press

Senior U.S. and Israeli officials will take the first commercial flight between Israel and the United Arab Emirates next week, flying from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi in a symbolic and substantive demonstration of improved ties since the countries’ historic agreement this month to normalize relations. Read More... 

Man killed in stabbing attack in central Israel, Palestinian arrested | The Jerusalem Post

The victim, Rabbi Shay Ohayon, 39, was a prominent figure in his neighborhood and according to his neighbors was always offering Torah lessons to anyone who was interested. He leaves behind a wife and four children. The background of the incident is still being investigated, but Israel Police say that it is being looked into as a terror attack. Read More... 

23 August 1939 | Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign non-aggression pact

By signing the agreement, named after Nazi German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov, both nations pledged not to attack each other for at least ten-years, allowing Hitler to avoid a two-fronted war, while Stalin could extend Soviet rule over eastern Poland, the Baltic states, and parts of Romania. Read More... 

23-24 August 1929 | Massacre in Hebron kills 67

The massacre began on 23 August when local Arabs began staging small-scale attacks. By the next day, the violence had escalated, and mobs went door to door screaming, "Kill the Jews." The angry crowd broke into Jewish houses and castrated, raped, and murdered the inhabitants. Read More... 

The Russian town with a rich Jewish history

In 1939, Jews comprised about 20% of the Russian town of Birobidzhan. While the population size of Jews is significantly less today, the town is still home to a rich Jewish culture. Watch Now... 

Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman: Educating generations of Yiddish writers

This month marks the 100th anniversary of Yiddish writer and activist Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman’s birth. Her contribution to Yiddish folklore, poetry, and music have become must-reads for any Yiddish lover. Watch Now...