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Remembering the Yom Kippur attack in Halle, one year later 

One year after a neo-Nazi carried out an attack on Yom Kippur that took the lives of two people, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder writes that, "the terror that the attacker created reverberated throughout the Jewish world,” and that the best prevention tactic for such hatred is education. Read More... 

Suspect apprehended on Sukkot after attack on Hamburg synagogue 

Commenting on the attack, Lauder called for increased security of Jewish institutions, noting that, “While thankfully, police on the scene acted quickly to stop the attacker from committing further violence, the security presence was not enough to deter this attacker from gravely injuring someone.” Read More... 

Greek court labels antisemitic Golden Dawn Party as criminal organization

The WJC welcomed the ruling saying, "Extremist and neo-Nazi movements, and the rhetoric they espouse, are not only a danger to Jewish communities and other minority groups, they also constitute a severe threat to the basic fabric of our society through their constant challenges to the rule of law." Read More... 

World Jewish Congress commends YouTube for removal of antisemitic Nation of Islam channel

WJC President Ronald S. Lauder applauded the move by YouTube and affirmed his commitment to urging companies, “to remove hateful individuals from their platforms.” He further stated that, “Freedom of expression cannot serve as a cloak to promote age-old conspiracies against Jews…or any other group." Read More... 

At Human Rights Council, WJC advocates for action against antisemitism and hate speech

The WJC has been actively engaged for many years with the UN and its affiliated agencies, both in Geneva and New York, as well as several diplomatic missions, civil society organizations, and the Council. Since 2015, the World Jewish Congress has given approximately 100 statements at the UNHRC in Geneva. Read More... 

WJC WebTalk | Building Bridges Through Sports: A conversation with former NBA coach David Blatt

As the NBA finals come to a close, WJC hosted former NBA, EuroLeague, and Israeli Professional Basketball Coach David Blatt for an exclusive conversation reflecting on his years serving as a cultural ambassador for Israel and the Jewish people. Watch Now... 

Sweden looks to ban neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement after Yom Kippur campaign | The Jerusalem Post 

Sweden has established a committee to propose legislation to ban racist organizations and make it a criminal offense to participate in activity instigated by such groups. The Nordic Resistance Movement, a neo-Nazi group, targeted Jews across Scandinavia on Yom Kippur. Read Now... 

The High Holy Days: Attacks on Jewish communities

This year’s High Holy Days period was plagued by a shocking string of antisemtic incidents targeting Jewish communities, causing them to remain especially vigilant. Here is a wrap up of some of what happened. Watch Now... 

Nazi slogans sprayed at Jewish cemetery in Athens

The WJC-affiliated Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece condemned the incident, saying, “Nazism has no place in our democracy... law enforcement and justice authorities have to be in alert and make sure that the Nazi crimes against humanity will never be committed again." Read More... 

World Jewish Congress congratulates End Jew Hatred movement

WJC President Ronald S. Lauder congratulates the End Jew Hatred movement for its key role in preventing a known terrorist, Leila Khaled, from propagandizing American college students at San Francisco State University, saying, “At a time when antisemitism is on rise throughout the world, movements such as #endjewhatred are of critical importance." Read More... 

Top Israeli, UAE diplomats meet in Berlin for talks | The Associated Press

In a sign of just how far relations have come, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, and their German counterpart  Heiko Maas visited Berlin’s downtown Holocaust Memorial together. Read More... 

Czech Republic affirms commitment to move embassy to Jerusalem | The Jerusalem Post

Prague opened a "Czech House" in Jerusalem in November 2018, meant to be a first step towards opening an embassy in the capital. The house includes a cultural center, branches of the Czech Republic's trade and tourism offices, and a space for the Czech Ambassador to hold meetings in the capital. Read More... 

Bahraini MP talks peace in visit to MK Hauser’s virtual sukkah | The Jerusalem Post 

During a video conference call with Israeli MK Zvi Hauser, Bahraini lawmaker and Jewish community representative Nancy Khedouri predicted that “The prosperity that will be brought to the region through cooperation between Israel and Arab countries will definitely discourage the influence of any bad, evil or negative influences from other parties or countries in the region.” Read More... 

Bipartisan group of senators, House members introduce bill honoring Yitzhak Rabin | Jewish News Syndicate 

The resolution praises Rabin for his courage to sign Israel’s 1975 peace agreement with Egypt which led to the 1979 Camp David Peace Treaty between the two countries, as well as his signing the Oslo Accords and Israel-Jordan peace treaty. The measure includes several quotes from Rabin, and labels him “a model for securing peace during a time of conflict.” Read More... 

Ronald Lauder convenes High Holy Days online reunion for Auschwitz-Birkenau Survivors  

Many Survivors present on the call expressed their gratitude to Ambassador Lauder for his support during this difficult time. Echoing this sentiment, Lauder shared that it has given him the strength to know that this group of Survivors remains connected. “You are all heroes of mine,” he shared. Read More... 

Italian Holocaust Survivor Sami Modiano awarded with Germany’s Order of Merit  

At the ceremony, Modiano reiterated his commitment to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and encouraged the audience to "scream to the world" so that the Holocaust is never forgotten. The award is the highest tribute the Federal Republic of Germany can pay to individuals for services to the nation. Read More... 

A Jewish artist hid hundreds of her paintings in a house near Prague during the Holocaust. Now the works need a home. | Jewish Telegraphic Agency 

The works of Czech artist Gertrud Kauders were found during the demolition of an old house near Prague in 2018, when 30 paintings tumbled onto the head of a worker. Hundreds more canvases were found in the home where the artist had stashed them to keep them out of Nazi hands. Read More... 

Iran issues thinly veiled warning to Israel about its military strength | The Jerusalem Post 

Brigadier General Ali Hajizadeh of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that new radar systems installed in Yazd province illustrate the country’s proficiency in this area, adding that, “These radars can detect up to a range of 350 km. and, depending on the altitude, up to 1,000 km.” Read More... 

Saudi Arabia calls on global community to stand up to Iranian violations | Arab News

During their weekly cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman, the council of ministers said the world especially needs to shoulder its responsibilities to the Iranian nuclear agreement, and said that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), “does not constitute any deterrent to Iran from its nuclear aspirations.” Read More... 

UK Jewish community hit by spike in COVID-19 deaths | The Jerusalem Post

“The last two weeks have sadly seen an increase in those dying from COVID-19 in our community,” said Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl. “I implore everyone to follow the government regulations on hygiene and social distancing so that we can all keep as safe as possible.” Read More... 

Jewish Insider reporter Jacob Kornbluh 'distraught and disappointed' after being assaulted in Borough Park | NY1

The incident occurred during the second night of protests following the decision by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to close schools and nonessential businesses in coronavirus clusters in Brooklyn and Queens. Shortly after the attack, Kornbluh wrote on Twitter he was "saved by heroic police officers and several community leaders" who pulled him from the crowd. Read More... 

World Jewish Congress mourns the passing of Ambassador Richard Schifter

Reacting to the news of Ambassador Schifter’s passing, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder said: “My friend Richard Schifter was a symbol of the American dream. A penniless 15-year old Austrian Jewish refugee who barely escaped the ravages of the Holocaust, he went on to a distinguished career in law and diplomacy." Read More... 

6 October 1973 | Egypt and Syria launch Yom Kippur War

Despite Israel's tactical defenses against the surprise attacks from neighboring countries, the Yom Kippur War was largely viewed as a failure by the Israeli public and cost the lives of some 2,680 soldiers and airmen. The war dramatically changed the narrative about Israel’s military might and weakened the IDF’s deterrent capability, which had largely resulted from the Six-Day War. Read More... 

6 October 1965 | Future Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax declines to pitch Game One of World Series on Yom Kippur 

Koufax explained his decision not to pitch in his autobiography, writing, "There was never any decision to make ... because there was never any possibility that I would pitch. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish religion. The club knows I don’t work that day." Read More... 

Continuing Jewish holiday traditions during COVID-19

The Jewish people are a diverse group, yet we still share many similar traditions. But despite these differences in practice we still manage to find unity among the Jewish nation. For Sukkot this year, we asked a handful of members of the WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps to submit a personal piece reflecting on their family traditions and the holiday. Watch Now... 

Joshua Mordechai Lifshitz: The father of Yiddishism

Considered the father of Yiddishism, and modern Yiddish lexicography, Joshua Mordechai Lifshitz dedicated his life to creating a standardized Yiddish language. Among his many successes Lifshitz , together with Shlomo Yakov Abrovich, convinced the Hebrew newspaper Hamelitz to publish a weekly supplement in Yiddish.  Watch Now...