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WJC President Ronald S. Lauder: Governments must prioritize the fight against antisemitism

"Today’s rising tide of antisemitism poses a real and present danger to Jews everywhere. Today’s world is small and interconnected, and that means that both hate and peace can travel quickly – in the case of hate, far too quickly," said President Lauder in an interview with The Jerusalem Post after being selected as among the most influential Jews of 2020. Read More... 

Ronald S. Lauder condemns antisemitic Yom Kippur campaign in Northern Europe, calls for strong government response

Reacting to reports that Neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM) launched a string of coordinated actions on Yom Kippur targeting Jews in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder called on “all Nordic governments to follow Finland’s example and move swiftly to ban the Nordic Resistance Movement and rid its violent propaganda from our streets. It is the responsibility of governments and law enforcement to ensure that Jewish religious and community institutions have suitable police protection, to enable Jews to practice freely, without intimidation or fear.” Read More... 

WJC convenes Jewish leaders in Halle, one year after Yom Kippur attack to urge action against antisemitism

In his remarks, World Jewish Congress Executive Vice President Maram Stern recognized the efforts of German Federal Minister of Interior Horst Seehofer in working to hold European Union member states accountable and developing a stronger shared commitment to what must be a global fight against antisemitism, and said that more action was needed. “Why are the far-right parties still allowed to be as prominent as they are? Why is German politics not able to finish with all this? Something like this should never happen again, in Germany, or any other place.” Read More... 

Ukraine government commits to preservation of Babyn Yar site in signing ceremony

Emphasizing the role of the memorial and museum in expanding Holocaust education President Lauder said, “Babyn Yar was one of the single biggest slaughters of the Holocaust, and yet the tragic history of the murderous horrors the Nazis committed here is almost unknown to young people today. This memorial and museum will change that. This site demonstrates the most vile and murderous form that antisemitism and racism can take when allowed to go unchecked.” Read More... 

Shimon Peres: Legacy and leadership that led to the Abraham Accords

"President Shimon Peres was a renaissance man of breathtaking intellectual horizons. One of the architects of the rebirth of the Jewish people in its homeland, Shimon was a man of peace who never lost hope that Israel would one day live in harmony with its Arab neighbors. His legacy and leadership set the stage for the momentous signing of the Abraham Accords by Israel, the UAE and Bahrain," writes WJC President Ronald S. Lauder in The Jerusalem Post. Read More... 

WebTalk | State of affairs: The Jewish community of Belgium 

President of the Coordination Committee of the Jewish Organizations of Belgium Yohan Benizri spoke with WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps member Deborah Lichentin about the current state affairs in the Belgian Jewish community. Watch Now... 

75 years ago, my parents and other Holocaust survivors celebrated Sukkot on their own terms

"Sukkot provided the survivors with a unique respite. In Displaced Persons camps throughout Germany, Austria and Italy, they sat down together, merging traditional prayers and melodies with their individual memories. There was no need to explain themselves to anyone. Everyone there had shared the same experiences in one form or another," writes WJC Associate Executive Vice President Menachem Z. Rosensaft in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Read More.. 

Knesset, parliaments across the world form antisemitism task force | The Jerusalem Post

The task force hopes to work on consistent policies for their countries related to hate speech, and to hold social media platforms, such as Twitter, TikTok, Facebook and Google accountable. The lawmakers also hope to raise awareness about online antisemitism, and hope that the policies they advance will help protect all minority groups from hate. Read Now... 

Jews on TikTok face rampant antisemitism – here is how they fight back | The Jerusalem Post

Three women joined TikTok to watch funny videos. Once other TikTok users realized they were Jewish, the women were bombarded by antisemitic reactions – from ‘flag spam’ to death threats.” Read Now... 

Columbia University students pass college’s first-ever BDS referendum | The New York Jewish Week

Following the vote, Columbia University president Lee C. Bollinger released a statement saying that the university “should not change its investment policies on the basis of particular views about a complex policy issue, especially when there is no consensus across the University community about that issue. Read More... 

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights releases report on antisemitic incidents in the EU

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights released a new report on antisemitic incidents recorded in the European Union over the last ten years. The report found 2,032 crimes with antisemitic motivation across the European Union in 2019, as well as an inadquate recording of hate crimes in many European countries. Watch Now... 

Hungarian FM visits newly renovated synagogue, meets Hungarian Jewish community president

During his visit, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó was briefed by Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (MAZSIHISZ) President András Heisler about recent developments within the Hungarian Jewish community. Heisler also highlighted key areas where the Hungarian government and MAZSIHISZ could work together to further enhance their relationship and thanked the Foreign Minister for the Hungarian government’s warm relations with Israel. Read More... 

Austrian Jewish leaders meet with Federal President Van der Bellen to discuss antisemitism

Jewish Community of Vienna (IKG) President Oskar Deutsch, IKG Secretary General Benjamin Nägele, and Chief Rabbi of Vienna Jaron Engelmayer met last week with Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen to discuss the rise of antisemitism and other recent challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. After the meeting, President Van der Bellen described the conversation as a “good and exciting exchange of ideas.” Read More... 

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki

Secretary Pomeo’s visit to the Museum on Yom Kippur made him the highest-ranking United States official to honor the victims of the Holocaust and condemn antisemitism at the museum. Read More... 

A Berlin student’s reflections on one year since Halle

"I was at university when the news of the attack reached us, and, while no one quite knew what was happening, the only feeling I had that day was loneliness. We all felt lost, angry and discouraged. And I felt utterly alone," writes WJC Ronald S. Lauder Fellow Elizaveta Zaidman. Read More... 

Rivlin makes ’emergency’ visit to top ultra-Orthodox rabbi as virus cases spiral | The Times of Israel

President Rivlin's visit to Rabbi Shalom Cohen came as a number of prominent rabbis stepped up calls to obey coronavirus regulations amid a growing crisis among Israel’s ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim, who account for a disproportionate portion of Israel’s infection rate. Read More... 

World leaders react to recent Israel normalization agreements at virtual UNGA

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the recent normalization agreements between Israel, the United Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and predicted that similar agreements with other states would follow. Several other countries also responded positively to the normalization of ties. Read More... 

Lebanon, Israel to begin negotiations over maritime border | NBC News

If the direct talks go ahead it will be the first time in 30 years that civil-political negotiations will take place between Israel and Lebanon, according to Israel's Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz. The talks are expected to be held after the Jewish Sukkot holiday, which ends on Oct. 9, and will be mediated by the U.S. and hosted by the United Nations. Read More... 

Netanyahu at UN reveals Hezbollah arms depot in Beirut, warns of fresh ‘tragedy’ | The Times of Israel

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday revealed a secret arms depot belonging to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah near Beirut’s International Airport, warning of another catastrophic explosion and calling on the Lebanese people to protest against the terror group and its Iranian sponsors. Read More... 

Israel delivers first Iron Dome battery for US Army | The Jerusalem Post

The delivery was made a year after Israel’s Ministry of Defense and the US Army signed a deal for two Iron Dome missile defense batteries. According to the Defense Ministry, a second battery is expected to be delivered in the “near future.” Read More... 

UN nuclear watchdog inspects second site Iran had previously barred access to | The Times of Israel

Iran had denied the agency access to the locations earlier this year, prompting the IAEA’s board of governors to pass a resolution in June urging Iran to comply with its requests. Read More... 

Defying Macron, Hezbollah says it will continue to fight Israel | The Times of Israel

In response to French President Emmanuel Macron accusing Lebanon’s political leadership of “collective betrayal” and choosing “to favor their partisan and individual interests to the general detriment of the country,” Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV blasted Macron in its main news editorial Monday night telling the French President that Hezbollah “is and will remain an army facing Israel and will keep supporting Syria and its people against extremists.” Read More... 

A toast to interfaith dialogue in Latin America

"We combat prejudices with knowledge of mutual fraternity, which arises from dialogue among religious groups. Therefore, this is how we begin to construct coexistence. We continue with courage taking firm steps in the right direction. And finally, we guard and protect this coexistence that we have achieved," writes World Jewish Congress Commissioner for Interfaith Relations Claudio Epelman. Read More... 

A belated Kaddish for the unnamed victims of the Annaberg Transport

“The selection process “to the left or to the right” was not new to my father, who had been in concentration camps for more than 18 months by then. He knew his life depended on standing straight, looking healthy, and saying he had a skill that was useful to the Germans. My father said he was an auto mechanic, a claim he made at every concentration camp in which he was imprisoned,” writes Ellen Bachner Greenberg in The Jerusalem Post. Read More... 

In Zoom meeting with local Jews, UAE minister hails ‘wisdom of Shabbat’ | The Times of Israel

In her 10-minute speech, sprinkled with Hebrew words, to the community’s weekly virtual pre-Shabbat meeting, UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs Shamma Al Mazrui praised various concepts of the Jewish religion, such as the virtue of repentance and introspection during the High Holy Days. She also referred to the recent normalization agreement between the UAE and Israel, expressing hope that it would usher in a new era of “radical tolerance and radical love in our region and the world.” Read More... 

Top female chess referee who fled Iran reveals her Jewish roots | The Jewish Chronicle

Iranian hardliners reacted to images showing Shohreh Bayat without a hijab after speaking about her Jewish roots by declaring her a public enemy. Bayat has flown to London where she is living with the family of a chess playing friend – and is now awaiting for an asylum claim to be processed by the Home Office. Read More... 

29-30 September 1941 | Over 30,000 Jews massacred in Babyn Yar

The carnage took place only a few months after the launch of Operation Basbarossa, Nazi Germany’s surprise invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. On the front lines were members of the Einsatzgruppen, known for their role in the systemic murder of Jews on Soviet territory, and who would subsequently open the “Holocaust by Bullets,” which would claim the lives of more than two million Jews in the Soviet Union. Read More... 

28 September 2016  | Former Israeli President, Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres passes away

In December 2012, the World Jewish Congress honored Peres with the Theodor Herzl Award at its annual gala dinner in New York City. In his remarks, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder hailed President Peres as “the last great founding father of the State of Israel” and called him “a man of vision” who was “a true champion for peace in our time.” More than 80 world leaders flew to Israel to attend Peres’ funeral and honor the last of Israel’s founding fathers. Read More... 

IN PHOTOS: WJC commemoration in Halle, one year after

Didn't get a chance to watch our commemoration ceremony marking one year since a far-right extremist attacked the Halle synagogue on Yom Kippur? Here are just some of the photos and moments from our commemoration event. Watch Now... 

The legacy of Yiddish and Russian writer Shimon Frug 

2020 marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Yiddish and Russian writer Shimon Frug. His writings reflected the realities of Jewish life in late Tsarist-era Russia, and the birth of the Zionist movement. Watch Now...